Letting someone into your home is supposed to be an act of goodwill, but for one man, it became the start of an all-out war.

One HOA homeowner’s attempt to evict a temporary renter turned into a devastating saga of violence, homelessness, and betrayal by the legal system that was supposed to protect him.

You’ll want to keep reading for this one.

Entitled Squatter Tried to Steal My Brother’s House

Several years ago, my brother Dan moved from California to Washington state and built a three-bedroom house on one of two parcels of land he had bought when he was 18 years old. He lived in a nice community with a small lake and an HOA.

During the 2008 economic crash, he ran into financial trouble, so we helped him.

The brothers made a trade that seemed to benefit everybody.

To repay us, in March of 2016 he came down to California for an extended period to work on our house, which had been neglected while we were helping him.

He was very proficient at renovating houses and did fantastic work.

Soon, the brother paid this kindness forward and took a chance on a stranger.

In November, my brother’s friend Jake called him and asked if a friend of his, Tuna, could stay in one of the rooms for $400 per month.

Dan had worked for many years with Jake doing construction for a house flipper, so he trusted Jake’s judgment.

So Dan moved forward with making arrangements.

Dan needed the money and thought it might be good to have someone trustworthy there to watch his house.

He drove back to Washington, cleaned out a room, put a lock on his bedroom door, and stored some of his belongings out of the way in the garage.

At first, everything seemed to be in order.

Tuna seemed nice and gave Dan $400 for the first month. There was never a written rental agreement—just a verbal one meant to be temporary, since Dan planned to return in six months.

But it didn’t take long for everything to fall apart.

Tuna never sent another payment. We called and asked her about it, and she always claimed it had been sent, but nothing ever arrived.

Eventually, we pieced together that something was very wrong.

Things turned out worse than anyone thought.

Dan’s neighbor called and complained that the house had turned into a drug house, with people and cars coming and going at all hours of the night.

In early June 2017, Dan drove back to Washington and handed Tuna a three-day eviction notice.

She left, saying she had somewhere else to live and would retrieve her belongings later.

They thought that was the end of it, but they were sorely mistaken.

Dan allowed her to come back for her things—he just wanted her gone. He started repairing and cleaning the house.

I mailed Dan a care package with clothes, a California-themed shopping bag, and gift cards for gas and food.

Five days later, Tuna returned with two men who tried to take the house back by force.

Dan went to the neighbor’s house and called the police.

Surprisingly, the police took Tuna’s side.

Instead of arresting Tuna and the men, the police took Dan to jail for missing a child support court date he didn’t know about.

Notifications had been mailed to the house, but Tuna had never forwarded his mail—something she had promised to do. A warrant had been issued as a result.

The police effectively handed the house over to Tuna.

She and her friends changed the locks, barred the garage door from the inside, stole the care package I sent, and spent the gift cards.

At the time, my family and I were on vacation in Hawaii when I received a call from Dan in jail. I spent an entire day trying to get him released.

Bail bonds could not be used for child support cases. He was finally released after I paid $350 toward child support.

By the time he was released, it was already too late.

Dan had been jailed for three days. When he returned home, the squatters had fully taken over, and he was told he needed a court order to remove them.

The police sided with Tuna again when she claimed she was renting the entire house. Dan was told to leave or be arrested—despite owning the home.

With nowhere to go, Dan slept in his minivan.

After ten days, Tuna still hadn’t left. Dan returned and called the police again, only to be told—again—that he needed to leave or face arrest.

The HOA tried to help, but it didn’t work.

An HOA board member tried to help and suggested a 20-day eviction notice. Dan followed her advice and waited.

Tuna did not leave.

Every attempt Dan made to clean up the property resulted in Tuna calling the police, claiming he was disturbing her. Each time, Dan was forced to leave.

He couldn’t even retrieve his construction tools. Without them—and without a home—working became nearly impossible.

Finally, someone took mercy on Dan.

Eventually, a friend named Adam offered Dan a place to stay. Dan worked with borrowed tools and attended landlord-tenant workshops.

He learned that only a court order would allow police to physically remove Tuna. We eventually hired a lawyer.

They started posting eviction notices to force Tuna out, but she stubbornly stayed.

Dan posted court notices on the door as required. Tuna never showed up in court, but the judge ruled against Dan anyway, saying notice wasn’t properly served.

Dan became homeless again. As fall approached, we paid his mortgage and motel stays when we could.

That wasn’t the end of Dan’s troubles.

At one motel, Dan was violently attacked by two men and suffered a concussion and broken finger. He refused to return to motels after that.

A nonprofit lawyer eventually took the case for free. The eviction process dragged on for months.

Dan was losing hope this would ever be resolved.

Dan deteriorated physically and mentally. He was hospitalized multiple times, harassed by police, and repeatedly had his van impounded.

At the same time, my husband was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, and I was caring for him while coordinating everything remotely.

Dan just couldn’t catch a break.

One night, Dan was released from jail in the middle of the night with no vehicle, no phone, and no money. That same night, he was found unconscious in a ditch with severe injuries.

Doctors confirmed he had been struck in the head. He was airlifted to a hospital in Seattle.

I flew up to see him. He had rods and pins throughout his body.

Finally, the law started working in his favor.

Shortly after, we finally obtained a court order. The eviction was scheduled for early December.

Dan, still recovering, was able to witness the eviction. Tuna was removed immediately, shocked that she was finally forced out.

The house was left in complete ruin—tons of garbage, destroyed plumbing, soaked carpets, traps, and stolen tools.

They had even burned the word “WASTED” into our deceased mother’s rocking chair.

Little by little, they started making things right.

We spent weeks cleaning. Dan slowly regained mobility and began rebuilding his life.

Most of his tools were eventually replaced. He sanded the damage off the rocking chair.

We later learned Tuna died a year later after no one would take her in.

If she had shown even basic decency, she might have had a home. Instead, she tried to take one—and destroyed lives in the process.

Eventually these squatters’ luck ran out.

What did Reddit have to say about this incredible story?

This saga emphasized the importance of always getting your agreements in writing.

Why is this even a thing?!

This redditor went through a very similar situation with their own family.

Justice moved at a glacial pace, but eventually the locks were changed and the nightmare ended.

What was taken by lies and corruption was returned by sheer persistence.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.