A serial squatter who hijacked a couple’s $2 million New York City home has been trying to bleed them dry financially with massive utility bills and costly repairs, according to the homeowners.
Joseph and Susana Landa, both 68, are currently embroiled in a months-long eviction struggle with Brett Flores, 32.
They claim that Flores has been running up huge bills and even caused a sewage flood at the property, which they bought to live in with their disabled son.
The couple told Fox News, Flores had flooded the backyard by allowing a cesspool to get clogged on the property, which resulted in them being forced to rip up a porch and much of the property’s landscaping.
‘He really knows the system and how to get by it on his own without an attorney, and living rent-free, renting out rooms, drawing income, vandalizing.,’ Joseph Landa told the outlet.
A man accused of squatting in a $2 million mansion on Long Island is said to have ‘done this before’ in other states
Joseph and Susana Landa, both 68, who purchased the property to live in with their disabled son
But they are embroiled in a months-long eviction struggle with ‘squatter’ Brett Flores, 32,
The couple say they have been given evidence to suggest Flores has pulled similar stunts in Ohio and California
The couple say they were also shown evidence that Flores ‘had done this [squatting] before’ at homes in Ohio and California.
According to their lawyer Anthony Mordente, Flores told the couple he would only leave the property once he was paid in excess $100,000.
‘We were ready to cough it up, but when we saw his record and met with someone that gave us a brief of his past deeds, we started to get really scared,’ Susana added.
It was after this interaction that they decided to hire a security guard to run a detail on the property.
Susana added: ‘The money’s on the table. We’ve offered the money with our attorney in court in front of a judge, and he said “not enough”.
‘So, money’s there, which is fine – painful, and I know what we’re going to be faced with, which will be a house totally torn apart.’
The Landas say they bought the home in Long Island as their family knew the neighborhood well, and had relatives that lived in the area that could help their disabled son Alex if something happened to them.
According to the Landas’ lawyer Anthony Mordente, Flores told the couple he would leave the property once he was paid in excess $100,000
They claim he has allowed the mansion to fall into disrepair as evidenced in DailyMail.com photos
The couple bought the home as a retirement spot for them and their son Alex (left) who has Down Syndrome
But they have been unable to move into the mansion for over four months, with Flores filing for bankruptcy to delay trial while he claims the former owner, Bernie Fernandez, bequeathed it to him when he died.
His attorney confirmed that he was a live-in caretaker for Fernandez who worked ‘around the clock’, but didn’t work for an agency and found the role himself.
Amid the ongoing delays, the Landa home has fallen into disrepair, as exclusive DailyMail.com images earlier this week showed.
The Landas say they have been forced to foot the bill for thousands of dollars in utilities and bills while Flores lives rent-free, and windows were left wide open despite a cold breeze gripping New York this week.
Splattered white paint has been left on several doors, windows and even security cameras.
A note purportedly left by Flores on the door of the home told the new owners they ‘don’t have my consent to enter’, and said their attempts to contact him would be ‘interpreted as harassment.’
While the home has fallen into disrepair as the Landas still can’t move in, the Landas also claim Flores was advertising rooms in their home-to-be on rental sites.
In the online listings, which appear to have been deleted, Flores advertised ‘The Prince Room’ for $50 a night to males, female, couples, families or students looking for a place to stay.
The Landas say Flores has flooded the backyard after a cesspool got clogged on the property
Scattered white paint has been left on several doors, windows and even security cameras.
His rental services had even garnered three reviews, suggesting that Flores could have hosted paying renters at the Landa’s home.
On Friday, an attorney representing Flores claimed his client has been ‘misrepresented’.
Dennis O’Connell said: ‘There’s definitely more to it… the buyers are not the victims they claim to be.‘
On Saturday, O’Connell also said that Flores has a newborn child who is suffering from a lung disease.
It remains unclear if the child is living inside the home with him.
While no one in the area had anything to say about Flores, an elderly couple on Friday told DailyMail.com the former owner ‘Bernie’ Fernandez was the ‘sweetest man and most beautiful person.’
They said he was known to have lived with a boyfriend in the mansion, named only as James, but they were ‘on and off for years.’
‘Bernie had a lot of money,’ they said, noting that he made his millions in Florida, and was known to sell high-end watches such as Rolexes.
The couple decided to hire a security guard to run a detail on the property after hearing about his past
‘He was the nicest most beautiful person you would ever meet,’ they said. ‘Bernie had a good heart as sweet as could be.’
They said they had only met Flores once when he was working on the estate, and felt he is ‘probably taking advantage of the situation.’
Carmen, who has lived in the area for 21 years, and lives a few blocks away, was astounded that this is ‘the house’ that has been making headlines right in her neighborhood.
‘Wow! This is the famous house. I can’t believe it,’ she told DailyMail.com as she stood in front of the house looking at it during her Friday morning walk.
‘I walk very frequently. I know he sold, but must of the time when I walk past the house it is always very quiet.’