While reporting on the Memphis Grizzlies coaching change and posting an interview with Utah Jazz rookie Isaiah Collier, NBA insider Chris Haynes shared a shocking story about his encounter with squatters at his Atlanta home. In a 15-minute video, the former ESPN and TNT Sports reporter revealed how he took action upon discovering that squatters had been occupying the residence he intended for his daughters while attending Clark Atlanta University.
The incident began last October when a local realtor noticed unusual activity at Haynes’ property, where strangers appeared to be living and even using Haynes’ car. The realtor reached out to Haynes just before his daughter was set to return from a study abroad trip. “Immediately, I’m getting heated and concerned. I just dropped my daughter off at the airport, and she’s headed to Atlanta,” Haynes explained. “I said, ‘I’m going because I’m getting these people out of my house.’”
Upon arriving in Atlanta with his daughter, Haynes called the police and prepared to confront the squatters. “I was not familiar with the term ‘squatting.’ I didn’t know what that was,” he admitted. “I told the officers, ‘I’m going to my house and getting them out. Y’all can meet me there, but it’s going down tonight.’”
When they arrived and knocked on the door, three women emerged while two men hurried out the back. One woman began to argue with the police, claiming they were renting the property and had borrowed the vehicle from a friend. Under questioning, she stated they were paying $100 a month to rent. Frustrated, Haynes flashed the spare key to the car parked in the driveway and turned to the police for assistance.
“I politely but firmly told the officer, ‘With all due respect, they’re getting out of my house now. By any means necessary, they’re getting out of my house now,’” Haynes recounted. He warned them they had one hour to leave, stating, “If you’re not out by then, there’s going to be problems.” When he returned, they were just about finished removing their belongings. However, upon entering his home, Haynes found it in utter disarray.
“I go in there, my house is tore up,” he said. “Furniture gone. Dog poop all over the place. TVs pulled out of the wall. Mattresses not on the beds. There are pit bulls in a few rooms, and one was trying to charge at me in my own damn house.” After dealing with the chaos and the aggressive dog, Haynes began planning repairs so his daughters could return. He, however, learned a harsh lesson about the legal nuances surrounding squatting.
