A shocking discovery awaited a California real estate agent when she uncovered the mess left by a squatter in her recently acquired property.
With over two decades in the real estate industry, Irma Mendez faced a grueling 10-month ordeal to remove a squatter from her newly-purchased, boarded-up home in Chula Vista. The house, which she bought without seeing due to an impending foreclosure, turned into an unexpected challenge, as reported by Fox 5 San Diego.
In a video that gained viral attention on social media, Mendez described how the squatter had gained entry through a window and settled in as if it were his own residence.
The video revealed the deplorable state of the home, showcasing heaps of garbage, torn carpets, and graffiti on the walls. One piece of graffiti read, “I pissed here,” while another insulted Mendez and dared her to “Come get me.”
“Oh my gosh, so I walked in and first of all, he said profanities towards me that were pretty bad, I saw he wrote graffiti on the walls and he did a lot of damage,” Mendez recounted to NBC San Diego about her distressing experience.
Among the bizarre acts, Mendez also noted that the squatter had thrown mice against the walls, as she shared with Fox 5.
‘He just seemed too comfortable knowing that he walked into a property that was boarded-up, ready for sale – and he knew- and it just seemed so casual,’ the real estate agent bemoaned.
The squatter even forced Mendez to pay for his water usage as part of the Homeowners Association fees, she said.
Irma Mendez, who has more than 20 years of experience buying and selling homes, was left horrified when she found a squatter living inside a property she bought in Chula Vista
Mendez posted a video showing the piles of trash and damage the squatter left behind and the graffiti he wrote on the walls
‘He wants to have gas and electric, he just calls or goes on the app and puts it on his name,’ Mendez explained.
‘Because this is an HOA, they pay for the water, so in essence, I am paying for his water while I’m paying the HOA fee while he is squatting in the property.’
In an effort to get the squatter to leave the premises, Mendez said she offered him ‘cash for keys.’
But the man declined and continued living in the home.
Without any other recourse, Mendez took the case to court – a process she said dragged on for months as the squatter argued that he had rights to the property and demanded he be allowed to stay.
‘Very clearly, squatters don’t have rights,’ said attorney Seth Barron, who founded Landlord Solutions San Diego, which specializes in eviction cases. ‘They are not tenants, they are criminal trespassers.’
‘The issue is the enforcement mechanism,’ he argued.
Finally, after bout 10 months, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department deputies showed up to the property and removed the squatter.
By then, though, Mendez said the property had suffered significant damage.
‘It was in pretty bad shape,’ she admitted.
Another message the squatter left included a derogatory term as he prodded Mendez (pictured) to ‘come get me’
Mendez said she has since repaired the unit and rented it out.
She has also already purchased another property she said is in the same situation amid a rise in squatting across the county.
According to data from the San Diego Superior Court, more than 9,000 unlawful detainer cases were filed between January and December 2025.
All of those cases were then handled by a single judge.
‘That process can take a while, six to 12 months, it just depends on how busy the courts are,’ said Gilberto Vera, with the San Diego Legal Aid.
He then said California property owners often have limited options when dealing with squatters.
‘If they are a squatter, the police are not investigating; the court system is your only recourse as an owner,’ Vera said.
