Experts say organized squatters are using bogus leases, falsified paperwork and gaps in the legal system to occupy Los Angeles homes, forcing some property owners into expensive court fights as investigators and former law enforcement officials describe unlawful takeovers as an escalating public safety issue.
Former Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Moses Castillo and longtime private investigator Michael Youssef told News Agency that certain squatting cases go well beyond routine landlord-tenant conflicts, with accusations involving fraud, identity theft, forged real estate records and, in some cases, gang ties, drug activity and extortion-like cash demands.
The two men say Los Angeles should weigh the creation of a specialized anti-squatter task force that could help authorities separate legitimate housing disputes from situations involving potential criminal behavior.
Homes sit along the Southern California coastline. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Castillo said establishing that kind of unit is “way overdue,” contending that California law has too frequently left property owners at a disadvantage when dealing with illegal occupants.
“These professional squatters know how to work the system,” Castillo said. “They know how to cause the worst nightmare for a property owner.”
According to Castillo, many homeowners spend months absorbing lost income, attorney fees and mounting emotional strain as they try to reclaim control of their properties.
“It impacts their health, their stress levels, and their finances,” he said. “They’re literally losing money while somebody else is taking over their property.”
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Squatters took over this abandoned mansion in Hollywood Hills. (KTTV)
According to Castillo, one of the most significant failures has been the tendency to treat many squatter complaints as civil disputes rather than criminal investigations.
“When somebody breaks locks, breaks windows, gains access to a vacant property and then claims residency, that’s not a housing dispute,” Castillo said. “That’s a burglary. You’re breaking and entering to commit a crime. It should be investigated as a crime from the very beginning.”
Castillo said responding officers are often left trying to determine whether they are dealing with a legitimate tenancy dispute or criminal conduct, but argued that obvious cases of unlawful entry should not automatically be pushed into the civil court system.
“But they’re not doing that,” Castillo said. “They’re saying it’s a civil matter, go to the courts and get an eviction. They wash their hands of it and leave the victims, the clients and the landlords hung out to dry.”
Youssef, chief investigator for Blue Systems International and a licensed private investigator with more than three decades of experience investigating property fraud, unlawful occupancy and real estate-related crimes, said many squatter cases involve far more than a disagreement between a property owner and a tenant.
Taggers and squatters targeted another abandoned mansion on Sunset Boulevard. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
“They basically hijack the property and they hold it hostage until you pay them off,” Youssef said. “Most landowners describe it as hijacking. Their houses get hijacked.”
“They’re basically holding the house hostage,” he added. “It’s almost like the property is being held for ransom.”
Youssef said many squatters have become increasingly sophisticated, using online forums, social media groups and what he described as “criminal consultants” who provide step-by-step instructions on exploiting tenant-protection laws.
“They have forums and I call them criminal consultants that actually teach these people how to squat and what to do and how to deal with law enforcement,” Youssef said. “They give you step-by-step what to do and what laws to invoke.”
According to Youssef, many occupants learn how to exploit procedural delays, create documentation designed to support false residency claims and remain in properties for extended periods of time.
“They’ll make fake leases. They’ll try to get mail to them so they can prove their residency to law enforcement,” Youssef said. “It’s crazy.”
Castillo said professional squatters are often unconcerned by the prospect of police involvement because they understand how the system works.
“They’re not afraid of the police. They’re not afraid of attorneys,” Castillo said. “What they do fear is when a private investigator gets involved because they know somebody is going to start digging into their background and exposing what they’ve been doing.”
One investigation in particular, Youssef said, illustrates how quickly an unlawful occupancy complaint can evolve into a serious public safety threat.
According to Youssef, individuals associated with documented gang activity allegedly occupied a Long Beach residence, attempted to transfer ownership through a fraudulent quitclaim deed and demanded approximately $500,000 in exchange for vacating the property.
The situation escalated far beyond a property dispute, he said.
“They were asking for half a million bucks,” Youssef said. “They fraudulently transferred title to the house.”
Youssef said the homeowner’s wife had died and the homeowner was hospitalized when the alleged scheme unfolded, allowing the occupants to establish themselves at the property.
Youssef alleged the property later became associated with gang activity, narcotics activity, prostitution and violence.
“We had a very aggressive case in Long Beach where a gang was squatting in a house and there was prostitution, selling drugs,” Youssef said. “This nice neighborhood in Long Beach was completely ruined. It went as far as a shooting.”
Youssef said investigators assisted in exposing the allegedly fraudulent ownership claims and helped the owners regain possession of the property without paying the $500,000 demand.
The case, he said, demonstrates why squatting can create risks not only for homeowners but also for entire communities.
“It’s very dangerous, not just for the homeowners and landlords, but also dangerous for the communities,” Youssef said. “All of a sudden, your neighbors are criminals.”
Both men argue that cases like the Long Beach incident demonstrate why squatting should not automatically be viewed as a landlord-tenant issue.
“These are simply criminals,” Youssef said. “They go from one property to another property and continue doing it because they know nobody is going to stop them.”
A still image taken from cellphone video shows the squatters eventually began dragging their own belongings out of the house as home inspectors took a look at the house they had invaded. (Squatter Squad/LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)
Castillo said the impact on homeowners can be deeply personal.
“I’ve heard this described when a victim of a sexual assault gets violated — it’s a huge violation,” Castillo said. “These squatters, it’s like a house rape. It’s horrible to even say that, but that’s what it’s like for these homeowners. Their castle has been taken over.”
Castillo said many owners are left feeling as though they can no longer enjoy their own homes after unlawful occupants have damaged the property, engaged in criminal activity or left behind significant destruction.
The financial burden can also be staggering.
Castillo said some homeowners are forced to hire attorneys, private investigators and eventually pay so-called “cash for keys” settlements simply to persuade unlawful occupants to leave.
“You want me out? Then pay me $20,000. Pay me $40,000,” Castillo said. “That’s what’s happening.”
Youssef said he has seen even larger demands.
“In the Long Beach case, they were asking for half a million dollars,” he said.
Youssef added that one of the biggest shortcomings in many squatter investigations is the lack of follow-up fact gathering.
“A simple investigation could reveal who these people are and how they got into the property,” Youssef said.
He argued that investigators who identify occupants, verify documents, interview neighbors and conduct background checks can often uncover evidence that fundamentally changes how a case should be viewed.
Youssef said investigators conducting background checks during the Long Beach investigation discovered that one occupant allegedly had an outstanding warrant for battery and assault.
“If they had simply identified him and ran his name, they would have found the warrant,” Youssef said.
Youssef said responding officers are often required to make immediate decisions based on limited information and frequently classify complaints as civil matters before additional facts can be developed through investigation.
“A lot of times law enforcement is going to ask a couple of questions and tell the property owner to evict the person,” Youssef said. “A thorough investigation can reveal what’s really going on.”
Castillo said he hopes Los Angeles officials will consider creating a dedicated anti-squatter task force that would provide property owners and investigators with direct access to officials who can quickly assess complaints and intervene when criminal activity is suspected.
“I want to know how people can connect with these detectives or police officers or officials if a task force is created,” Castillo said. “How can we have access to them so they can get some justice and hopefully minimize the harm they’ve already suffered?”
He also argued Los Angeles should serve as a model for other jurisdictions facing similar problems.
“I think Los Angeles should create a task force, and other cities throughout this country should follow that lead,” Castillo said. “Property owners are being held hostage in their own homes, and that’s not acceptable.”
News Agency reached out to the LAPD, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ office, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Long Beach Police Department for comment. The LAPD and Long Beach police said they could not confirm the alleged Long Beach case based on the limited information provided. The mayor’s office and the district attorney’s office did not immediately respond.
For Youssef, the issue has grown beyond a housing dispute and into a broader public safety concern.
“This is a growing crime,” he said. “A task force is really needed right now more than ever.”
