N.Y.C. squatters use restaurant receipt as alleged proof of residence

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A pair of squatters in New York City are hoping a $25 meal from a fast-food restaurant will protect them after taking over a couple’s home.

All Denis Kurlyand and wife Juliya Fulmanof were trying to do was rent out their house in Queens, but two squatters saw it as an opportunity to snatch it from them.

The couple had secured tenants for both rental units in their investment property when their real estate broker discovered that the locks on the property had been changed and people were already living there.

Kurlyand and Fulmanof managed to temporarily get rid of two of the alleged squatters, previously identified as Lance Hunt and Rondie L. Francis, who said they had allegedly been living there since January, but were unable to provide proof at the time.

But it seems they may have found their evidence — in the form of a $25 Shake Shake receipt.

Hunt and Francis are now using their fast-food bill as one piece of evidence to show they have legal rights to live in the home.

Under New York law, squatters only need to occupy a property for 30 days before various legal protections kick in, making it next to impossible for the homeowner to evict them.

The pair of accused squatters sued the duplex owners and are banking on their Shake Shack delivery receipt to keep them from being “unlawfully locked out” of the residence.

Francis and Hunt also claimed in Queens County Court that they have a lease and paid rent. Their alleged evidence includes an application approval letter, a rental lease and mail that was addressed to them at the home, the New York Post reported.

They also presented a screenshot of an Uber Eats receipt from a local Shake Shack for $25.27, which showed they had food delivered to the address in January, according to the outlet.

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They want the court to force the owners to give them a key to the front door or grant them permission to change the locks.

The lawsuit listed Jan. 1, 2024, as the starting date of the lease with the men claiming they received an application approval letter and a lease from Top Nest Properties, the real estate company that handles the home, the Post reported.

The document also said that Francis and Hunt paid $4,000 to cover the security deposit and first month’s rent and have so far “dutifully” paid rent on Feb. 1 and March 1.

Kurlyand and Fulman told the outlet that the documents presented in court were fake.

“Everything they’re presenting is fraudulent,” Kurlyand said with Fulman adding that the documents are “clearly Photoshopped.”

The case is ongoing.