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.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
SEATTLE – After making one turn through a six-man rotation following the return of Bryce Miller, the Seattle Mariners are making a tweak for the next time through.
Seattle Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Cal Raleigh and more
Manager Dan Wilson said Friday the plan is for the club to piggyback Miller and fellow right-hander Luis Castillo during the next turn. The M’s have yet to decide which of the two will start.
“That’s the approach we’re going to take and we’re ready to roll,” Wilson said. “I think our guys are in a good spot in terms of getting an extra day here, and I think that’s gonna come up huge for some of these guys.”
Miller, who started the season on the injured list with a left oblique strain, made his season debut Wednesday night in Houston, tossing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball on 81 pitches. Castillo pitched Thursday’s series finale against the Astros, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings.
The pair is lined up to pitch Tuesday’s home game against the Chicago White Sox. Miller will have had five days of rest, while Castillo will have had the typical four.
Wilson said both players have been accepting of the decision.
“I think they were definitely in a good spot with it and understand it,” Wilson said. “And I think these guys, as we’ve talked about, these guys in this clubhouse, all of them want to do what’s best for the team. And these guys have really taken to that and they’re ready to go.”
Wilson acknowledged that a piggyback situation could get complicated by game flow and situations, but pointed to the potential benefit it could have in giving the bullpen a night off. Either way, it’s a situation that will be evolving for the club as they go.
“This is something that we haven’t done before, so it’s going to be a lot of waiting and seeing and understanding and assessing and making our adjustments as we go,” he said. “But in theory, you can lay it out, and you just don’t know how it’s actually going to play out. So we have to be open to different ways to proceeding, but we’ll take a look at it when we get there.”
The Mariners’ decision to go to a six-man rotation then a piggyback situation with Castillo and Miller come after widespread speculation about what the club’s plans would be when Miller returned from the IL.
When the season started, the assumption was right-hander Emerson Hancock would once again find himself as the odd man out when Miller returned. However, Hancock, a first-round pick at No. 6 overall in the 2020 draft, has earned himself a spot in the rotation during a breakout start to his season. In nine starts this year, he has a 3-2 record, 3.02 ERA and 56 strikeouts to 10 walks over 53 2/3 innings.
Castillo’s spot in the rotation started to come into question after the veteran started to struggle following a strong first start of the season. In seven starts from April 5-May 9, Castillo posted a 7.79 ERA over 32 1/3 innings and batters hit .329 against him. But his most recent start against Houston marked a step forward for the three-time All-Star and highest-paid pitcher on the Mariners’ roster.
Seattle Mariners coverage
• Seattle Mariners trade DFA’d reliever to AL West rival
• Why Cal Raleigh going on IL is good for him and the Mariners
• Why Jeff Passan likes Seattle Mariners’ plan with six-man rotation
SEATTLE — Public Health – Seattle & King County officials are monitoring a fourth King County resident for possible exposure to the Andes type of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, health officials said Friday.
The Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified local health officials on May 14 about the additional resident, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.
RELATED | What exactly is hantavirus and how concerned should Washington residents be?
The resident did not travel on the cruise ship but was aboard a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam with an ill cruise ship passenger before departure.
Officials said the sick passenger was removed from the aircraft before the flight left Johannesburg and later tested positive for the virus.
The infected passenger began traveling before the outbreak was reported to the World Health Organization.
The King County resident is considered at low risk for infection because they were not seated near the ill passenger, health officials said.
The resident has returned to King County, remains asymptomatic, and is monitoring for symptoms.
Earlier this week, Public Health announced that three King County residents were under monitoring for the Andes type of hantavirus.
Two of those residents had been seated near the infected passenger on the Johannesburg-to-Amsterdam flight. Both have returned home to King County, remain symptom-free, and are monitoring for symptoms in coordination with public health officials.
A third King County resident who was a passenger aboard the MV Hondius is being monitored alongside other American passengers at the national quarantine center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Officials said that the resident remains asymptomatic.
Health officials said there are currently no cases of Andes-type hantavirus in King County, and no residents are showing symptoms. The risk to the public remains low, officials said.
“We were informed yesterday of a fourth individual with a low-risk exposure and were able to reach the resident today,” Dr. Sandra J. Valenciano, health officer and acting director for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said in a statement. “All our residents are following public health protocols, and the risk to the King County community remains low.”
Valenciano said monitoring exposed individuals allows health officials to support residents while ensuring early detection and rapid public health response if symptoms develop.
Hantavirus infections are rare but can cause severe illness.
The viruses are primarily spread through contact with wild rodents and exposure to their urine, droppings, or saliva.
According to health officials, the Andes virus is the only known hantavirus capable of spreading from person to person, typically through close physical contact, prolonged exposure in enclosed spaces, or contact with body fluids from an infected person.
King County Metro will run two free shuttles in downtown Seattle this summer. The Waterfront Shuttle will operate everyday between May 21 and September 7. Buses will arrive every 15 minutes from 10am to 10pm.
This route travels between the Chinatown/ International District and Seattle Center, via Pioneer Square, the waterfront (Alaskan Way), and Belltown.
On days with a FIFA World Cup match, Metro will also run a Match Day Shuttle. The Match Day shuttle will run every 3-7 minutes on the dates listed below. This route runs between Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field) and Seattle Center, via 3rd Ave.
The Match Day shuttle operates on: Both shuttle routes are free and will use ADA accessible buses. Everyone is welcome onboard, not just those attending the World Cup matches.
This is an open thread.
-
California2 minutes agoGovernor’s Race: Katie Porter speaks 1-on-1 on strengths, criticisms and priorities for California
-
Colorado9 minutes agoKeeler: Colorado’s best prep distance runner? Niwot’s Addison Ritzenhein makes case with 4A record
-
Connecticut14 minutes agoPolice investigating fatal crash in New Haven
-
Delaware21 minutes agoDelaware man charged with 2 gas station armed robberies, escaping police chase
-
Florida26 minutes agoCountry star Morgan Wallen walks out with Florida legend Tim Tebow, refuses to Gator chomp
-
Georgia33 minutes ago
Tech Mercy-Rules No. 23 BC for 6th ACC Sweep
-
Hawaii39 minutes ago9 Best Small Towns To Retire In Hawaii
-
Idaho44 minutes ago2A STATE SOFTBALL: Loggers fall to Pilots, finish second in …