PORTLAND, Ore. — The sound of dripping water inside Lu'kas Porter's Southeast Portland condo is not uncommon. It's the aftermath of flooding from the vacant unit upstairs that's been overrun with squatters for the past three years.
Porter described living under them as utter chaos with everything from fights and music loud enough to knock the pictures off his walls to gun violence.
"They usually shoot out the windows towards people," he said.
It became unbearable for Porter when the squatters started flooding the upstairs unit by routinely breaking the water heater. On Monday, a clear tarp funneling water into a trash can took the place of Porter's kitchen ceiling. It was damage from the most recent flooding. Portland Fire & Rescue said they have responded to Porter's apartment five times.
"In my living room, water has fallen three times. My bathroom ceiling has fallen through three times. My bedroom has fallen in three times," Porter said. "The sound of water just brings me so much trauma."
A KGW crew decided not to approach the squatters after being told they were dangerous and threatening when someone knocks on their door. On Sunday, Porter said a man was beating a woman right outside his window. While a KGW crew was there, they heard screaming coming from the upstairs unit.
Porter said the squatters have offered him drugs as a compromise for the damage and disruption. Porter said he has never accepted their offer. Instead, he calls police nearly every day but receives little response. He has also called the city and the FBI. He said his landlord has stopped helping.
Porter lives paycheck to paycheck planning birthday parties at a local bowling alley and doesn’t have enough money to move. “I really can’t live with this. It’s been really difficult,” he said.
He was once homeless himself and finally has a place of his own but is living in another kind of nightmare.
“I’m always on edge. I feel like I’m constantly wondering what’s going to happen,” he said while fighting back tears.
According to auction.com, the unit the squatters have taken over is now owned by the bank and is scheduled to go up for auction on March 14 at 1 p.m. with an opening bid of $130,000. Porter said it was supposed to be auctioned off last month, but it got rescheduled. He’s hoping that doesn’t happen again.