Dealing with squatters can be a difficult process to navigate, but it can also be an entertaining one.
Flash Shelton helps people across the country get rid of their unwanted houseguests on the new A&E docuseries Squatters, premiering on Tuesday, May 12. In addition to navigating the ups and downs of squatters’ rights and legal processes, the series also showcases the unique methods Shelton goes to force out squatters.
“Sometimes, I don’t have to do much of anything. I just have to [be] like, ‘I’m your roommate,’ and they want to live alone,” he exclusively told TV Insider ahead of the show’s premiere. “But the most unique way, I would say, is — being that I’m a leaseholder, it allows me in some states and some counties to authorize a warrantless search.”
Shelton noted that sometimes, there are “certain things that some squatters just want to be private.” So, his move is to disrupt their privacy, “Bringing in a snake or dumping a bucket of crickets,” he shared. “Just anything that I can do to be annoying, I’m gonna use, as long as I’m doing it within the law.”
Regardless of whether or not people have dealt with their own squatter situations, Shelton noted that “a lot of people can relate to having a bad roommate.” He added, “If I just go in and be a bad roommate — and sometimes, it’s just sitting on the couch, and they don’t have use of their living room anymore, that could be annoying enough.”
A&E
Shelton became an expert on all things squatters after unwanted guests took over his mother’s empty California home in 2019. He began sharing his knowledge with others through his YouTube page and continues to help clients with his sister, Justice, his son, Michael, and a whole team of experts.
“I didn’t even think that far in advance when I was helping my mom. It was just about being a good son. I did it by myself. I didn’t want to bring anyone else in because it’s risky. And I even say in [my] first [YouTube] video, ‘I don’t want to do this for a living,’” he noted. “For me, it wasn’t about a new business. I wasn’t looking to start a new business. I had already been in construction for 40 years, and I wasn’t ready to start a new business.”
He continued, “For me, it was about helping people through law change. And then, I just couldn’t turn my back on the people asking for help. So now, I love what I do, and I’m glad that it’s very rewarding, being able to help people. It’s amazing when I think about the fact that I took something that was just a horrible situation involving my mom, and I turned it around to something good, something amazing. So, that feels really good.”
As for the main lesson, Shelton hopes viewers learn from Squatters? “That it can happen to them,” he stated. Sharing helpful tips for homeowners, he explained, “There is no excuse at this point to become a victim. Have cameras and an alarm system. And make sure you can monitor your cameras from your phone, no matter where you are in the world, because the moment they enter your property, you can notify law enforcement and have them removed as a trespasser. But once you let them dig in, it’s too late.”
Squatters, Series Premiere, Tuesday, May 12, 10/9c and 10:30/9:30c, A&E
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