How Queens squatter Brett Fisher-Flores wormed his way into $2M house — and never left after ailing homeowner died: source
It was a “takeover” that went off like clockwork.
The notorious squatter who allegedly refuses to leave a $2 million Queens mansion wormed his way into the estate by cozying up to its former owner — an ailing wristwatch exec whom he used to live a glamourous city lifestyle and then left to die alone, a source close to the late landlord claimed.
Brett Flores first moved to New York City from Los Angeles in 2019 to work as a caretaker for Bernard Fernandez, a one-time executive VP for watch giant E. Gluck Corporation, who was suffering from brain bleeding and was in the early stages of dementia, the source said.
The ailments made him an easy target for Flores, who soon forced other people out of the elderly man’s life as he got himself a $3,000-a-week salary and started being seen at wild parties around New York when he was supposed to be acting as caregiver, the source claims.
“I started seeing in various social media posts of him wearing really high-end watches that I know belong in the house,” said the source, who said he had known Fernandez for some 20 years and was in a relationship with him when Flores came into the picture.
He said the 20-something newcomer, a male model, even wound up with a job posing for a trendy menswear brand.
“He gets a huge ad campaign with Parke & Ronen. He’s all over social media, hanging out with gay celebrities at nightclubs. That’s not what he was hired for,” the source said, referring to photos he’s seen but have not been confirmed by The Post.
The source said that after Flores’ arrival, his relationship crumbled.
“I lost the man that I loved, and I couldn’t do anything to save him,” the source said.
Fernandez’s troubles began when he suffered a subdural hematoma in December 2018 and needed around-the-clock care upon his return to his Douglaston home.
After going through a revolving door of “various nurses,” he came into contact with Flores in 2019 through a relative, the source said.
“[Flores] reached out later in the spring that he was going to be in New York because he had a photoshoot. He was only in town for one day. And because of a connection with his relative, I met him for lunch,” said the source.
At first he seemed like a good fit, the source said, and he hired Flores to work in the home.
“In the beginning, he was very charming. It was a great relationship,” the source explained.
“[Fernandez] was reacting positively to allowing [Flores] to work him out and get him up and walking.”
What you need to know about squatters in New York:
What are squatter’s rights in New York?
Squatters in New York state can claim a legal right to remain on a property without the owner’s permission after 10 years of living there. However, in New York City, a person only needs to be on the property for 30 days to claim squatter’s rights.
Why is it so hard to get rid of a squatter?
Squatters are allowed a wide range of rights once they have established legal occupancy, making it difficult to evict them.
How does someone become a squatter?
Some of the scenarios in which a person becomes a squatter include: a tenant refusing to pay rent, a relative of a former owner refusing to leave the property or even a stranger who entered the property and never left.
According to Manhattan-based law firm Nadel & Ciarlo, squatters must have a reasonable basis for claiming the property belongs to them and must treat the home as if they were an owner — such as doing yard work or making repairs.
How can a property owner get rid of a squatter?
A property owner must first send a 10-day eviction notice and then file a court complaint if the order is ignored. If approved by a judge, the owner can get a summons and have a sheriff evict the squatter.
Why does the law provide squatters with rights?
The law was designed to help prevent long-term tenants from getting evicted. New York City’s law was partially made in response to vacant and abandoned buildings that were becoming a blight on the city.
How can property owners protect themselves from squatters?
Owners should avoid keeping any properties vacant for an extended period of time. They should also make sure the building is secure, has adequate lighting and has surveillance cameras installed.
If a squatter does appear, owners should notify the police quickly before squatter’s rights are established.
After working with Fernandez for nearly a year, Flores began to express interest “in taking a more involved role” in his care.
By July 2020, Flores was hired full-time and began staying in the home, according to the source.
A few months later, however, Flores began acting suspiciously as the source close to Fernandez was out of town to attend to a family matter.
Flores was captured on security cameras leaving the dream home in Fernandez’s high-end cars, apparently leaving the sick former watch executive home alone for hours on end, the source claimed.
That’s when he started seeing Flores partying in images on social media and became suspicious.
The source said he was right to be wary.
When he came back to the city in October 2020, Flores managed to get him out of the home and out of Fernandez’s life by obtaining an “order of protection.”
The order was signed by Fernandez, and it banned the source from returning to the home or contacting him.
Flores also filed a similar order.
“My hands are tied legally. It was just horrible,” the source shared.
Fernandez, who had shown signs of memory loss since 2015, had dementia that accelerated after his injury and was only worsening over time, according to the source.
“[Fernandez] was very vulnerable … I don’t know what happened when I was not in the house. But ultimately, Brett became his whole world,” the source told The Post.
From that point on, “Flores isolated [Fernendez],” and nobody was allowed into the house, including “close friends” of the watch executive, the source claimed.
In the years to follow, the source, still living in the Douglaston area in Queens, said Flores called the cops on him multiple times — with four incidents resulting in arrests.
“He would complain to police he saw me driving by him in a park. While out jogging. I flipped him off, you know?” the source said.
“This resulted in what was considered violations of the order of protection. And so I would be arrested, and ultimately, those charges were dropped.”
Fearful of legal repercussions, the source stayed clear of the house and also clear of Flores and Fernandez.
The source said that after he was forced out of Fernandez’s home, he continued to get calls from hospitals and doctors as he was listed as the elderly exec’s emergency contact.
A particularly worrying one came from a pharmacy about a month before Fernandez’s death.
“The pharmacist was overly concerned because his [Fernandez’s] insulin had not been picked up,” the source claimed, adding that he didn’t know if the homeowner ever got the medicine.
The source claims that on the night of the elderly exec’s death, he got a call from the hospital saying that neither Flores nor the person who had Fernandez’s power of attorney could be reached.
The hospital had asked the source to come in to be with Fernandez, but “having the experience that I’ve had, I couldn’t even go.”
Death came in January 2023. Fernandez was 80 years old.
“[He] died alone. I wasn’t able to be with him. There was no funeral. There was no memorial. There was none of it. It was horrible,” the source claimed — adding that the funeral “would have been well-attended.”
“He was beloved in the Douglaston community. He was a titan in the wristwatch industry.”
The person with Fernandez’s power of attorney would sell the house to Susana and Joseph Landa in October 2023.
The couple purchased the “dream home,” where they hoped to care for their disabled son.
Flores, 32, however, has reportedly refused to vacate what was now the couple’s home.
The Landas said he claimed he had an agreement with Fernandez to remain at the property, which has sparked an ongoing legal battle between the couple and the squatter.
Flores allegedly claimed Fernandez gave him a “license” to live in the house despite the Landas’ legal purchase of the property, according to reports.
The couple has struggled to evict Flores in part because he recently declared bankruptcy and has had five civil court hearings since purchasing the property in October.
A landlord-tenant court hearing is set for April.
Reps for Flores did not return requests for comment and he could not be reached at the home.
