Suppose I hire some homeless people to stand in a specific neighborhood. Housing prices drop. I then buy a house cheaply. What can I be sued for?
The best idea I had is that if I had them target a specific house being sold, and one of them committed a misdemeanor, then a plaintiff could argue that they should be found to be my employees and that they were furthering a business purpose in committing the misdemeanor, and I be found under vicarious liability.
Even with that idea, still sounds like a good way to buy some cheap housing.
There are many variants:
- What if I had no business motive; I just wanted to de-gentrify the neighborhood at no personal gain?
- What if I give them a broader direction, e.g.: giving them a bunch of food and a bus ticket to Denver, and no further instructions.