Today we’re going to introduce a positively frightening scenario to you. Let’s say that you were dealing with a string of unfortunate events—a foreclosure, health problems, and a dying relative. You go to take care of your ailing loved one, and come back to meet a stranger who is “legally” living in your home. Terrifying, right? Here are the details of this bizarre tale.

A Springdale couple, who preferred to remain anonymous in the WLWT report due to the sensitive nature of this case, describe returning to their home to locks changed and personal effects vanished as being “really hard.” Well, you can say that again!

Upon their return, the couple realized something was amiss when they could not unlock their doors. They originally suspected a break-in. A window had been busted on their bottom floor and the air conditioning unit had been removed to allow access inside. The cherry on top was the strange man who was actually living in their home of 21 years!

At this point, we’re sure that you are scratching your head over this one. You’re probably asking yourself how exactly the man, a Mr. Robert Carr, was able to get away with the crime. Well, he actually had documents stating that he was in the process of becoming the rightful owner of the couple’s home. A fact that turned this ordeal into a fight against a big legal gray area.

You see, as we mentioned, due to this couple’s hardships, the house was being foreclosed on by their bank. It’s clear that Carr was casing the area for homes like these, and chose this particular one because he assumed that it had been abandoned by the original owners.

So, the man headed over to the Hamilton County Courthouse and applied for what is called a Quiet Title, a curious aboveboard loophole that allowed him to request full ownership of the house without paying any money to the homeowner or their bank!

The reporter on this story was able to locate Carr and actually landed quite the candid interview with the bold gentleman—it appears as though he thinks that he has done nothing wrong, on both a legal or moral level!

Interestingly enough, after this story originally aired, it seemed that at least some justice has been served. According to Cincinnati.com, several months after the anonymous couple participated in the WLWT report, Carr did in fact plead guilty to a breaking and entering charge in connection with one of the four houses in which he “gained ownership.”

He was initially facing eight counts involving the aforementioned houses, but, fortunately for him, the out-of-town banks that owned the mortgages did not send representatives to court.

To listen to this crafty squatter share his unique rationale about real estate, be sure to click on WLWT’s video below. You just have to witness the nerve of this guy for yourself!

What do you think of this peculiar real estate transaction? Do you think that Carr was justified in applying for the Quiet Title? Have you been through a similar situation? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!