Sword-wielding man offers his services to help Bay Area homeowners evict squatters amid California housing crisis, report says

A sword-wielding man is offering his services to homeowners in Northern California who want help evicting squatters from empty properties.

On the official ASAP Squatter Removal website, owner James Jacobs claims he has a 95%+ success rate and leverages his combat training and mixed martial arts experience to remove squatters from vacant properties, according to a report in The Oaklandside.

“We are the only squatter removal service that actively defends your property. While others rely solely on law enforcement relationships – often leading to delays and failed removals – we bring real-world combat training and experience to the table,” Jacobs’ site reads.

“Our team leader has over 20 years of mixed martial arts expertise, advance melee weapons training and four years of NRA AND USCCA certification, ensuring both strategic and physical preparedness for any situation.”

In an interview with The Oaklandside, Jacobs said his experience with martial arts was unfamiliar to most squatters when it came to evictions.

“The average squatter has no melee experience,” Jacobs told the online outlet, explaining that he views squatting as theft regardless of the housing crisis and homelessness in the East Bay area.

“I’d much rather make a squatter homeless than have a landlord lose property,” Jacobs added.

Jacobs’ website further added that squatter removal in the area can be unpredictable. It claimed some groups operate as organized crime, which he said he was prepared for with professional-grade tactical gear.

The gear includes firearms, ballistic full-body armor, flash bangs and smoke grenades, tear gas, gas masks, and custom ammunition and tactical gear.

“With ASAP Squatter Removal, you’re not just hiring a service – you’re securing your property, your investment, and your peace of mind with professionals who are ready for anything,” according to his website.

The Oaklandside confirmed a recent eviction completed by Jacobs in Oakland earlier this year, but he declined to provide the outlet proof of other evictions, claiming he’s signed non-disclosure agreements and that his attorney advised against providing further information concerning legal proceedings. Videos posted online by Jacobs in the past year show him working at several properties, including one titled “Another Squatter Removed” and “Tour of a Squatter Property.”

His services come as Californians face a pronounced housing crisis, which has seen rising rents and housing costs and a dearth of new construction price out many residents. Home values in the Golden State are among the steepest in the nation, and the state has among the highest rates of homelessness, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

Housing prices in San Francisco are so high that a new housing company has rolled out stacked “sleeping pods” for $700 per month in an attempt to solve the city’s affordability crisis, The Independent previously reported.

Under California law, squatters can acquire title to a building after five years, typically much faster than in other states.

In a statement to The Oaklandside, The Oakland Police Department said it handles calls about squatters by responding to all issues locals report.

“Our officers will respond to investigate the nature of the call,” they said in a statement.

“If our officers determine this is a landlord-tenant issue, the case will be referred to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation.”