Imagine living in a house for more than twenty years but only paying one month mortgage for it.

Sounds impossible?

A man in the United States actually got away with doing that.

According to a report by LadBible, Guramrit Hanspal, 52, has been living in the house in New York for 23 years and only paid one mortgage payment throughout his stay.

The report, citing some court papers seen by the New York Post, mentioned that he bought the house for $290,000 (RM1,191,465) in 1998 but only paid one mortgage payment of $1,602.37 (RM6583.34).

Bending the law to his advantage

He had filed four lawsuits and declared himself bankrupt seven times to avoid being kicked out of the property.

Not only that, debtors of the house (banks and a real estate company) could not do anything to collect what is due to them as Hanspal stays with at least three other people in the house and is temporarily protected via the automatic stay under the US Bankruptcy Code.

His housemates have also apparently filed for bankruptcy too.

Sounds fishy right?

An attorney of the property's owner Diamond Ridge Partners, told the New York Post that the house’s occupants are “more than willing to use the courts and abuse the courts to whatever extent they need to extend their illegal occupancy.”