When a commercial property goes vacant, the clock starts. Squatters, thieves, and vandals don't wait. We deploy in 24–48 hours and keep your asset protected until it's repositioned.
In San Diego, vacant commercial properties are identified within days by individuals and criminal networks actively monitoring for opportunity. It's not random. There are people in this city who track foreclosure notices, watch for utility shutoffs, and identify unoccupied buildings with the same diligence that a business owner tracks competitors.
Within a week of a property going unguarded: squatters move in, copper wiring is cut and stripped, graffiti appears on exterior walls, and drug activity establishes a foothold. Within a month: code violations accumulate, your insurance policy's vacancy clause may trigger a coverage issue, and remediation costs have exceeded what security for the entire year would have cost.
The math isn't complicated. A single copper theft event at a San Diego commercial building runs $10,000 to over $50,000 in materials and remediation. Legally removing established squatters can cost $5,000–$20,000 in court time, legal fees, and clean-up. Security is the comparatively predictable line item, and the one most likely to keep any of those events off your books in the first place.
These are the specific risks we're deployed to prevent:
A complete property protection program designed for banks, lenders, and asset managers managing San Diego real estate.
Fixed post or mobile patrol, around the clock. Coverage is continuous, not scheduled check-ins. When the property needs a human presence, we provide one.
Written incident log plus timestamped photos of all entry points, perimeter conditions, and any observations sent directly to your team every shift.
Alert and direct action within minutes of any intrusion attempt, trespassing, or security breach. Law enforcement coordination handled by our officers, not by you.
Direct contact line for out-of-state owners and asset managers. Weekly check-ins, full documentation transparency, and responsive communication, because you need a partner, not just a vendor.
Foreclosed property security isn't a side service for us, it's a core specialty we've developed over more than two decades working with the financial institutions and asset managers who manage San Diego's distressed real estate inventory. We understand your reporting requirements, your liability concerns, and the documentation standards your legal and insurance teams require.
Situation: An out-of-state contractor engaged MT Security to protect a foreclosed multi-building commercial complex in San Diego County while the property was undergoing repositioning. The property had been vacant for approximately 30 days prior to our engagement, and the owner had already received one report of unauthorized access.
Deployment: We had officers on site within 48 hours of the initial call. Because the owner was out of state, we established a daily reporting cadence: written incident logs with timestamped photos sent each morning before 9am. We maintained a direct line to the owner's asset management representative for immediate escalation of any incidents.
Duration: Over three months of continuous engagement while the repositioning process, title review, broker engagement, and eventual transaction, was completed.
Outcome: Zero security incidents over the full engagement. No squatters, no theft, no vandalism. The property was handed off to the new owner in exactly the same condition it was in when we arrived, which was the entire point. The owner cited our daily documentation as valuable for both their own records and the eventual transaction process.
Typically within 24–48 hours of initial contact. We maintain a dedicated rapid-deployment roster for exactly these situations. If you have an active incident or urgent need, call our 24/7 line at (619) 765-2222 for same-day assessment and potential same-day deployment depending on your location and situation.
Yes, and this is a specialty we've built deliberately. We are the eyes and ears on the ground for national and regional banks, CMBS servicers, and out-of-state lenders with San Diego holdings. We handle all on-site coordination and communicate directly with your team via daily written reports, phone, and email. You don't need to fly to San Diego to know exactly what's happening at your property.
Our daily report includes a written incident log documenting all observations during the shift, timestamped photos of all entry points (doors, windows, gates, loading docks) and perimeter conditions, a record of any individuals or vehicles observed, the condition of the structure and grounds, and a complete account of all actions taken. If there were zero incidents, you receive confirmation of that along with the photo documentation. These reports are designed to be legally defensible and usable in any subsequent legal or insurance proceedings.
Visible 24/7 guard presence is the single most effective deterrent available. Squatters and thieves consistently move to easier, unguarded targets, they are opportunistic, not determined. When a uniformed officer is visibly on post around the clock, the property is simply not worth the risk to those looking for unoccupied locations. In 24+ years of operation, we have not had a successful squatter occupation at a property where we had active 24/7 coverage in place.
Strip malls and retail centers, office buildings (single and multi-story), warehouses and industrial facilities, mixed-use developments, multi-tenant commercial properties, and residential foreclosures. If the property is vacant, in transition, or at risk, we can protect it. We cover any property type across San Diego County.
Tell us about your property and situation. We'll respond within hours, not days, with a clear assessment and quote. No obligation.
Every day a San Diego property sits unguarded is a day a theft or squatting event becomes more likely. We can have a guard on site within 48 hours.