Mike Haskell, the owner of a Windsor Mill house, told Spotlight on Maryland that a family of four was squatting in a property he spent tens of thousands of dollars renovating for sale. Haskell said that he called the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) after he and his colleagues noticed that the locks on the property had been changed and the sale sign had been removed from the front yard.

“The person who was in the house said they had been there for about a week,” Haskell said. “They said they had a lease, and the officer basically walked away.”

Police Detective Trae Corbin, a spokesperson for the BCPD, confirmed the call for service to Spotlight on Maryland via email on Friday afternoon.

“At approximately 11 p.m., officers responded to the 3400 block of Milford Mill Road for reports of a burglary,” Corbin said. “The call stated individuals were inside of the location. Officers are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident.”

A police report obtained late Monday regarding the incident showed that the agency classified the call as a civil matter.

Haskell said he had a buyer lined up, and the deal was to close within days. He offered to temporarily relocate the family of four who were unauthorized to occupy his house, to a spot 3 miles away. Spotlight on Maryland followed a U-Haul moving truck on Friday afternoon as it made a trip from Haskell’s driveway to the alternate location.

After initially refusing to be interviewed, a man and a woman, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of their safety, spoke with Spotlight on Maryland about their circumstances. The couple mentioned they found a social media advertisement offering a one-time fee of $7,500 to move into the Windsor Mill property.

A shady online marketplace illegally trades in properties owned by others. Individuals overtake empty properties, often changing the locks and turning on utilities, and then post them as their own to rent on social media sites.

The couple in Haskell’s home said they met the social media poster at Haskell’s home, made a cash payment, signed a leasing document, and began moving into the property. Despite asking multiple times to see a picture of the online advertisement and text messages between the social media user who made the transaction, the couple refused.

Spotlight on Maryland asked the occupants when they planned to vacate the Windsor Mill premises since they acknowledged they were there unlawfully and that an active sale to prospective buyers was underway.

“That (buyer) is not going to back out from getting that house. You’re not going to have to worry about that from me and my family,” the man said, recognizing that the sale was imminent. “But, it is just unfortunate. … where do we get compensated at?”

The couple then loaded their two young children into the U-Haul and told Spotlight on Maryland to meet them back at Haskell’s home to review a copy of the lease they signed with the social media poster. Spotlight on Maryland has seen multiple squatter or “last resort” homes listed on the social media accounts by the names that the couple said they were involved with.

Back at the Windsor Mill property, the man returned to the topic of compensation.

“It would be nice if I could get compensated something,” the man told Haskell. “Like a hotel? Something? Money?”

Haskell asked the man to agree to leave the property by Wednesday, adding that it would be a “cash for keys” situation, buying keys to his home from the occupants, because he wanted to ensure the sale did not fall through.

“Can I call you later,” the man asked. “We’re on the same team.”

The couple then returned to the property, shutting and locking the door after a few more minutes of discussion.

Local police departments in Maryland have a policy of referring squatter issues as civil landlord-tenant disputes, even if a lease is fake or fraudulently drafted. Civil litigation to remove unauthorized occupants, regardless of how they gain access to private property, can take up to two years to resolve.

The lease that Spotlight on Maryland obtained from the couple shows a cash receipt issued by the social media user for $7,500 on May 22, 2025. The social media user’s legal name is identified on the lease as the landlord, along with the man and woman’s legal names.

Several conditions, including permitting smoking and vaping on the premises, are included in the document.

“Beautiful Renovated 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home,” the lease says. “Buyers financing fell through, this is a serene retreat. Private fenced-in with a screened porch. Open floor plan eat-in 4 person kitchen island with stainless steel (appliances) and plenty of cabinet space.”

The lease included a “rental inspection report,” which listed “may change locks” under the keys and controls section.

Meanwhile, Haskell told Spotlight on Maryland that he is calling on law enforcement, prosecutors and government officials to take immediate action to hold social media users profiting from squatting accountable.

“Evidently, they were shown the property by a woman who had no right to enter the home,” Haskell said. “Now, from what I am finding, she is doing this all over Baltimore County and the city.”

“They know who she is and I’m not quite sure why an arrest has not been made, but they’re in a position where they’re money is gone, and the only way for me to get my house back is to go through the civil court system.”

Haskell told Spotlight on Maryland on Monday afternoon that he paid $3,000 to the occupants, who consented to surrender the property’s keys and vacate promptly.

Spotlight on Maryland is a partnership between The Baltimore Sun and FOX45. Have a news tip? Contact Gary Collins at gmcollins@sbgtv.com.