Couple buy £1.6M dream home to find stranger in bedroom who won't move out
A couple who thought they had found their dream retirement home in New York are living a nightmare after discovering a stranger living in it who refuses to leave.
Susana and Joseph Landa, both 68, bought a mansion in Douglaston, Queens, for $2million (£1.58 million) in October. They planned to care for their son Alex, who has Down's Syndrome, in their new home.
But now, they're having to take a man named Brett Flores to court to get him out of the property. Joseph explained: "It has become a nightmare, a total nightmare.
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The Landa family are going through hell to secure their property (WABC)"I wake up and I go to sleep about the same thing, when is this guy going to come out? We couldn't believe it, we could not believe it."
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Even though they bought their home over four months ago, they still haven't moved in and are facing a number of challenges. Court papers show that Flores was hired by the previous owner of the property, an elderly man, as his caretaker. But the man died in January 2023.
Records show that Flores was paid $3,000 (£2,300) a week for his work, and he says he has a "license" from the previous owner to stay in the house. In New York City, squatters can claim rights if they've lived on the property for 30 days.
The squatter is known as Brett Flores (WABC)Joseph told ABC7: "If you have no lease and you're not paying rent, what is your right? " He also said: "It makes me feel completely forgotten in this legal system, unfair and not able to do anything."
The Landa family say that Flores has even been putting ads online to rent out rooms in their house. Susana explained: "Long story short, he is still there," as they try to get Flores out by taking him to landlord-tenant court.
They've been to civil court at least five times, but claim things keep getting delayed. Delays have apparently included Flores turning up for court without an attorney and recently filing for bankruptcy. The next court date is scheduled for April.
The huge home in Queens, New York cost $2million (WABC)"So that prevents everything from going forward," explained Joseph. Even with all this trouble, the couple is still paying for all the bills for the house, which cost thousands of dollars in utilities.
"It's very crazy, our system is broken. I never would imagine we have no rights, no rights at all, nothing, zero," said Susannah. When approached, Flores' lawyer said "No comment".
The luxury house is next to where Susana and Joseph's family live, in an area where the Landas have always lived. Susana said regarding her disabled son: "I just want to know that I can die tomorrow and he's next to his brother."
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