I spent 9 months squatting in a friends house while he was away.

My friend inherited a house in small town upstate NY. He lived there for a year and decided it wasn't for him. He moved to NJ and left the house in our care to check on it every so often. It was the perfect opportunity, the house was fully furnished, had a full kitchen and it was already furnished it had a fully functional kitchen, a big backyard, and full basement and it was 10 minutes away from where I was living so I never even had to commute for my 12 hour shifts at the hospital. I lived in the basement and never even touched the main floors so if anyone came by they wouldn't have known someone was living there. I lived there for 9 months. I paid my taxes, my hospital bills, my car payment, my insurance, my outstanding loans, and my credit cards. I was only paying $300/month for food. I felt like Pablo Escobar.<br><br>Edit: Wow I can't believe the response this has gotten! To answer a few questions: 1) how did I pay rent? The money came from my mom, I told her the money was for my apartment. It was the only money that wasn't from my own check. 2) what about utilities? I did pay for my own electricity, cable, and internet. I helped with the water and gas bill. 3) how did I shower? There was a stall shower in the basement. I did use the main one once in awhile, I just cleaned up after myself and put my hair down so you couldn't tell. 4) was the water cold? There was a separate boiler in the basement so the water was always warm. 5) why did I need to squat? I made $40,000/year working full time at a hospital. $2000/month doesn't go very far after taxes, health insurance (bc we don't offer benefits), student loan payments, car payment, car insurance, etc. 6) why didn't I just get a different job? I had student loans from college and medical school. I couldn't just quit my job. I also couldn't move because the job was in a rural area. We were required to stay in the area for at least 2 years. I also worked 12 hour shifts, 3 days a week. There wasn't much time for a second job. I did work holidays, we got paid double for those days so it was worth it. 7) how did I get caught? My "roommate" told our friend. I didn't tell anyone about squatting. Not even my mom. I knew it was wrong. My "roommate" told everyone at work. Apparently it was a huge deal even though I didn't take anything or damage anything. And 8) what happened in the end? Our friend got angry and said he was going to report us to the police. He did end up changing the locks but it was too late at that point. We already moved out. <br><br>I also wanted to add that I didn't mean to convey that I think this was a good idea or that it's something anyone should do. There's a lot of comments saying I was desperate or that I made a rational decision. This was a stupid decision. I was young and moronic. I don't make excuses for myself. <br><br>I also wanted to say that I understand it's wrong, which is why I kept it secret. I didn't think it was right. Like I said I was young and stupid and I did it anyway.<br><br>I am not condoning squatting or committing a crime. I am just sharing my story as a confession.<br><br>Some people are confused as to what I did. 1. I didn't give my landlord money and live in the basement. I lived in the basement of a house that my friend owned. 2. I didn't cost anyone money. I paid for the services I used, I didn't damage anything. 3. I didn't ask my friend if I could live there. He specifically told me I could stay there if I kept an eye on it.<br><br>I also want to say that I am not my past. I live with the guilt of this everyday. I have dedicated my life to my work and try to make it up to myself everyday. I am not a bad person. I did a bad thing.