Seattle, WA
Seattle-area community protests 'con man' squatter who won't leave rental house: 'Exploiting the system'
Washington state landlord Jaskaran Singh is outraged by a serial squatter who owes thousands in back rent and has repeatedly thwarted eviction efforts from his rental property.
“He paid for the first month [or] two months rent and basically, after that, he’s living rent-free,” Singh told “Fox & Friends First” on Monday.
The unnamed Seattle-area tenant received assistance from the Housing Justice Project (HJP), a local homelessness prevention group who offered him free legal assistance and paid both the back rent and a three-month advance to afford him time to move out, according to a local report.
SQUATTERS WOULD GET BOOTED IMMEDIATELY UNDER BILL LAWMAKERS IN THIS STATE UNANIMOUSLY PASSED
Washington residents protest in favor of landlords rights. (X/@choeshow )
His refusal to leave, however, forces Singh to fight an uphill battle riddled with even more challenges to collecting rent.
“They are simply exploiting the system, and I’m not getting justice. Justice is delayed. I would say justice is denied. The judges are not ready to listen to me, and this is not what the American dream is,” he said.
Singh took the fight to the property’s doorstep, challenging the squatter in a confrontation caught on-camera.
After the brief confrontation, the squatter went back inside the home and slammed the door.
HANDYMAN-TURNED SQUATTER HUNTER OUTLINES ‘NIGHTMARE SCENARIO’ WHEN MIGRANTS CATCH ON TO HOUSING LAWS
Landlord Jaskaran Singh told Fox News about his struggle to evict a tenant he says owes thousands in back rent. (Fox News)
According to KOMO News in Seattle, the tenant lost his job during the pandemic and is still struggling to find work in his field. Singh’s attorney, however, noted that the tenant has new vehicles parked in the driveway.
The next court case on the matter is slated for April 5.
Meanwhile, community members have rallied against squatting in the area. Footage shared by Seattle-based journalist Jonathan Choe captured responses from a number of neighbors and landlords protesting outside the property.
“If you’re not going to pay, you shouldn’t stay there,” said King County Republican Party Vice Chair Kory Hahn, who led a “Get out, con man!” chant in Korean.
“We’re just tired of criminals getting away with stuff,” another protester said.
Others joined in chants of “no pay, no stay.”
Choe reiterated to host Carley Shimkus that Singh had gone through the appropriate legal channels to get something done, but to no avail.
“[This is happening in] an elite neighborhood, and these homes are all multi-million dollar homes,” he explained.
“This King County Housing Justice Project, a nonprofit for the King County Bar Association, somehow convinces these judges to get continuances, and it keeps getting delayed, delayed and delayed. What I’ve uncovered is that that’s the tactic. That’s the entire play. That’s the standard for success. Meanwhile, these mom-and-pop landlords are missing out. They’re being completely demoralized,” he continued.
Choe noted there are concerns about “vigilante justice” in the area as well. Footage taken from the protest captured community members banging on the rental home’s front door as police stepped in to usher people away from the property.
According to KOMO News’ report, approximately 200 locals showed up to the protest in the Bellevue neighborhood. Singh’s attorney, who attended, told the outlet he noticed representatives from the both major political parties as well as people who traveled from outside the community to join and said their presence is proof the issue affects everyone.
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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