A man has shared a short and simple message with the squatters who invaded his mum's house just weeks after she lost her husband.
Flash Shelton, from Nevada, California, divided opinions after sharing a YouTube video of him evicting a homeless family from his grieving mum's house.
He explained how she left the property empty following his father's death, knowing she wasn't mentally or physically able to live in it alone.
But after discovering that strangers had moved into her home, Flash decided to take matters into his own hands and play them at their own game.
The trouble started when the house was put up for rent and a woman claiming to be a prison guard asked if she could move in. But as she didn't have any credit or money, Flash declined her offer.
However, it turns out this didn't stop her as he came across a truckload of the woman's belongings inside the property, with her claiming they were "delivered by accident and she was getting rid of it."
Next thing he knew, she had moved in. Flash quickly hatched a plan.
"If they could take a house, then I could take a house," he said. "They're the squatter, and they have rights. Well, then, if I become the squatter on the squatter, then I should have rights, right?"
He went on to explain how he successfully removed the squatters by simply showing up unannounced and installing cameras inside and out.
Flash says he stayed "calm but stern" when ordering them to move out before midnight - and was relieved when they followed this instruction.
However, not everybody was pleased with how he handled the situation - with some claiming he should have been harsher on the squatters.
Explaining why he protected the woman's identity, he sent a 7-word message to the squatters, explaining: "I wasn't there to ruin somebody's life."
He added: "I didn't post her name, I cut the video off, I didn't show the name tag on her uniform, I didn't do this to call her out. I did this to show what my experience was.
"I felt like I was nice but I was stern and I did go through with what I needed to get done. I just wanted to get through that situation."
Flash, who works as a handyman, tried to go down the official route by contacting the police - but decided to give his idea a try after hearing "horror stories about how the legal system gives the squatter more rights than the homeowner."
He said: "Even though you're at your house, and you're paying the mortgage… at some point, squatters feel like they have more rights than you, so they don't have incentive to leave until a judge tells them to.
"And that could take months, six months, it could take years. I don't know. I didn't want to take that chance."
He continued: "I don't suggest that everyone take a chance like I did on their own. It's worth noting that I have had special training, a license to carry and was prepared for whatever situation was to arise.
"The men and women I had to deal with remained peaceful and that may not always be the case. If you ever have a situation like this, it is best to expect the worst and you will be prepared."
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