Exclusive | Meet the ‘Squatter Hunter’ who moves into hijacked homes to drive out intruders

Nypost · May 18, 2026 · 1571 words · By Mary K Jacob

Criminalization of Squatting Property Rights vs. Tenant Protections Vigilantism/Self-Help Eviction

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What to know about Criminalization of Squatting

Meet the ‘Squatter Hunter’ who moves into hijacked homes to drive out intruders See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 6

Techniques found 4

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center0%

Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Meet the ‘Squatter Hunter’ who moves into hijacked homes to drive out intruders See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleFlash Shelton never set out to become America’s anti-squatter crusader.

Common ground

The California handyman was grieving his father, caring for his mother and trying to sell her vacant Northern California home when he got the call that changed everything.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Fear: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Criminalization of Squatting story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that New York has been one of the biggest battlegrounds. For years, the state’s 30-day occupancy rule made it risky for property owners to remove someone without going through court once that person had been in a dwelling long enough to claim occupancy?
How does this story connect Criminalization of Squatting with Property Rights vs. Tenant Protections over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/18/real-estate/meet-the-squatter-hunter/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

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Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

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Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Fear 60% confidence

Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to fear helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Pity 80% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 3

info Single Source 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “New York has been one of the biggest battlegrounds. For years, the state’s 30-day occupancy rule made it risky for property owners to remove someone without going through court once that person had been in a dwelling long enough to claim occupancy.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence discusses Airbnb rules in New York and general occupancy expenses in Australia, but does not confirm the specific '30-day occupancy rule' mentioned in the claim.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Under the new rules, which were passed by the state legislature this summer, it is illegal for residents of “Class A” multiple dwellings in New York City—buildings designed for three or more families—…
https://qz.com/816486/new-york-governor-andrew-cuomo-signed-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Under CCP § 1161a, Unlawful Detainer proceedings “are expressly designed to determine who has superior title to the property, including the right to immediate possession.” Terminating Tenancy After th…
https://www.fastevictionservice.com/blog/terminating-tenancy…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — You can only claim occupancy expenses if you have an area set aside that has the character of a 'place of business'.To claim occupancy expenses when you work from home, you must show that: the nature …
https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/income-deduc…

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Claim 2: “A&E’s new docuseries “Squatters,” which follows Shelton and his team as they crisscross the country helping homeowners reclaim properties from unwanted occupants.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web search results confirm the existence of the A&E docuseries 'Squatters' featuring host Flash Shelton helping homeowners reclaim properties.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Flash is an American action television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns, airing on The CW. It is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, a costume…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Flash_episodes

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of awards and nominations received by American singer, s songwriter and television personality Blake Shelton. Throughout the course of his career, Shelton has been honoured with many ac…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The second season of the American television series The Flash, which is based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash, sees Barry recognized as a hero in Central City after saving the city, onl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flash_season_2

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 3: “the number of states that have criminalized squatting nearly tripled in just over a year, jumping from 8 to 23 between mid-2024 and mid-2025”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results provided do not contain the specific statistics regarding the number of states criminalizing squatting jumping from 8 to 23 between 2024 and 2025.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Squatting in the United States occurred historically in large numbers during both the California Gold Rush and World War II.[163][164] Hoovervilles were homeless camps built across the country during …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Mozambique. 39.9. Us Virgin Islands. 40.1. Paraguay.Belgium. 50.6. United States.
https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings_by_country.jsp?title=2…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Squatting Statistics: US vs. Europe (as of March 24, 2024). United States: Squatting is illegal in all states. Eviction processes are typically swift, with few legal protections for squatters.
https://mohammedbrueckner.medium.com/squatters-vs-society-a6…

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Claim 4: “The show premiered May 12, with new episodes airing Tuesdays.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the premiere date of Tuesday, May 12, and the network as A&E.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 12 May Karachi riots, also known as Black Saturday riots, were a series of violent clashes between rival political activists in Karachi. The violence resulted in 58 deaths. The unrest began as the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_May_Karachi_riots

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — May 12 is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 233 days remain until the end of the year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_12

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the off…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_in_Europe_Day

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “A 2024 change to state law clarified that squatters are not tenants”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that New York state legislation in 2024 (FY2025 budget) included language clarifying that squatters are not tenants.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 season was the New York Giants' 100th in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen—the first time since Tom…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_New_York_Giants_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 United States presidential election in New York was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, as part of the 2024 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Colu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 6: “Eviction filings — a rough proxy — topped 1.1 million in 2023, up 500,000 from 2021, per Princeton’s Eviction Lab.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'according' and general Wikipedia entries on evictions, but no specific data from Princeton's Eviction Lab regarding 1.1 million filings in 2023.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The China Initiative was a program of the United States Department of Justice under President Donald Trump to combat alleged economic espionage and intellectual property theft purportedly linked to Ch…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Initiative

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eviction in the United States is the pattern of tenant removal by landlords in the United States. Landlords in the United States can evict tenants from a property for failure to pay rent, violation of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eviction_in_the_United_States

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Epstein files comprise over six million pages of documents detailing the activities of American financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. So far about three and a half million fi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_named_in_the_Ep…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.