British tabloids enjoy publishing these "smug squatters who steal houses" stories. They always leave the story open-ended, as if the squatters will never leave, protected by liberal policies emanating from Parliament. This isn't true. When a house owner finds squatters, he need not call a lawyer or file an injunction. He need only give 500 quid to these blokes:



...and the problem is solved within the hour.

CitizenTed: British tabloids enjoy publishing these "smug squatters who steal houses" stories. They always leave the story open-ended, as if the squatters will never leave, protected by liberal policies emanating from Parliament. This isn't true. When a house owner finds squatters, he need not call a lawyer or file an injunction. He need only give 500 quid to these blokes:

[static.guim.co.uk image 372x192]

...and the problem is solved within the hour.

Isn't that a picture of that gay, Irish gangster from Northern England? I wouldn't mess with that guy.

Squatter = squalor + house sitter

Wat

Hey, better than letting that property sit empty because Depp is too busy living in his spring home.

Squatters ensure that there is an efficient use of space.

/Deal with it

JasonOfOrillia: Isn't that a picture of that gay, Irish gangster from Northern England? I wouldn't mess with that guy.

But you're Handsome Bob!

They're going to feel really stupid once they realize out they've been eating dinner off of a pool table

Every celebrity has 4-8 6ft 10 500 lb black guys as bodyguards. If these people want to keep what teeth they have left, they should vacate now.

Don't mansions with 17 bathrooms (or whatever it was) have people that live there to, I don't know, take care of the lawn and other general maintenance.

How civilized countries handle the matter:

Sec. 30.05. CRIMINAL TRESPASS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person enters or remains on or in property of another, including residential land, agricultural land, a recreational vehicle park, a building, or an aircraft or other vehicle, without effective consent and the person:
(1) had notice that the entry was forbidden; or
(2) received notice to depart but failed to do so.

Then it's a criminal matter and the cops can deal with the squatters appropriately.

How, exactly, do they have a right to stay?

This is trespass, innit?

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Squatters ensure that there is an efficient use of space.

/Deal with it

That is assuming that "# of homes in America = # of people in America".

For some reason, I do not think that is an accurate assumption.

Someone 'splain this to me?

So glad I live in a country that allows gun ownership.

"Alright dude, you win - squatters rights gives you possession of my house... let me just grab my things.

.. Oh silly me, I almost forgot! These bullets come with the house too! Here, catch!"

Farking "travellers". Disgusting quasi-humans.

If dem sissy rich brits had gunz dem squarters'd be gone betcherass.

AverageAmericanGuy: How, exactly, do they have a right to stay?

This is trespass, innit?

It seems that, in this case, trespass is a civil matter rather than a criminal one, so the police can't do anything about it. I imagine the owner of the house would have to go through the court system to have them evicted or somesuch. Or just have them forcibly ejected by hired thugs.

redflag: [28.media.tumblr.com image 450x450]
Squatters ensure that there is an efficient use of space.
/Deal with it

Totally not fair. Unless you get to trade up.If you have a cheap apartment, you get a cheap house and the homeless gets the apartment. Then the people that had the cheap house get to move up to a better house. Then that person gets an even, better house, etc. etc. All while their payments stay the same.

Otherwise it just isn't fair or right.

TFA: I bet they are living somewhere else this time next month.

Youuuu don't know squat!

krafty420: They're going to feel really stupid once they realize out they've been eating dinner off of a pool table

Breaking and entering is a criminal offense, I beleive.

WTF is a house like that doing without an alarm system anyway?

Specious story is specious.

/Yeah, Brit tabloids lurve hese stories.

DragoonDM: I imagine the owner of the house would have to go through the court system to have them evicted or somesuch.

Right.
And by which time they would have stripped the inside of anything valuable (pipes, copper, etc), and then moved on to the next place.

Erebus1954: krafty420: They're going to feel really stupid once they realize out they've been eating dinner off of a pool table

[farm4.static.flickr.com image 500x379]

Weeee, doggie!

Them look like fine vittles!

loki see loki do: Breaking and entering is a criminal offense, I beleive.

Prove it. Often, the first thing is to replace whatever window or lock was broken to gain entrance.

YouPeopleAreCrazy: loki see loki do: Breaking and entering is a criminal offense, I beleive.

Prove it. Often, the first thing is to replace whatever window or lock was broken to gain entrance.

Yeah, I've read the handbook too.

Silly_Sot: How civilized countries handle the matter:

Sec. 30.05. CRIMINAL TRESPASS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person enters or remains on or in property of another, including residential land, agricultural land, a recreational vehicle park, a building, or an aircraft or other vehicle, without effective consent and the person:
(1) had notice that the entry was forbidden; or
(2) received notice to depart but failed to do so.

Then it's a criminal matter and the cops can deal with the squatters appropriately.

I'm thinking Tuesday afternoon.

AverageAmericanGuy: How, exactly, do they have a right to stay?

This is trespass, innit?

Because England is one seriously farked up country.

I have to ask, but what house could possibly need 10 bedrooms, but need a whopping 17 bathrooms?

Even if you're giving the place a huge layout...that's a lot of shiat.

Mock26: AverageAmericanGuy: How, exactly, do they have a right to stay?

This is trespass, innit?

Because England is one seriously farked up country.

A man's 'ome is 'is castle, even if it idn't 'is 'ome.

Point being, said squatters are not simply occupying a vacant building, but criminals (easily provable or not) taking advantage technicalities and 'modern sensibilities" which would, in any previous era, earned a quick and decisive asskicking for said miscreants.

Soulshorne: redflag: [28.media.tumblr.com image 450x450]

Squatters ensure that there is an efficient use of space.

/Deal with it

That is assuming that "# of homes in America = # of people in America".

For some reason, I do not think that is an accurate assumption.

It actually isn't assuming that, since 7*24 isn't 402.
(This is why you show your work....)

According to the poster:
1/402 of about 310 million is about 800,000 homeless people, which would mean about 20 million empty houses. That still seems rather high.

Silly_Sot: How civilized countries handle the matter:

Sec. 30.05. CRIMINAL TRESPASS. (a) A person commits an offense if the person enters or remains on or in property of another, including residential land, agricultural land, a recreational vehicle park, a building, or an aircraft or other vehicle, without effective consent and the person:
(1) had notice that the entry was forbidden; or
(2) received notice to depart but failed to do so.

Then it's a criminal matter and the cops can deal with the squatters appropriately.

Most cases of adverse possession deal with boundary line disputes between two parties who hold clear title to their property. The term "squatter's rights" has no actual legal meaning, but is generally used to refer to a specific form of adverse possession where the disseisor holds no title to any properties adjoining the property under dispute. In most jurisdictions of the United States, few squatters can meet the legal requirements for adverse possession.

YouPeopleAreCrazy: DragoonDM: I imagine the owner of the house would have to go through the court system to have them evicted or somesuch.

Right.
And by which time they would have stripped the inside of anything valuable (pipes, copper, etc), and then moved on to the next place.

Actually thieves do that anyway. Squatters at least want to keep the house livable.

I hope the British court system moves faster than the US. This system could work if they get their day in court in a timely manner. But I agree with the others that they must of done something to gain entry. I find it hard to believe the house was unlocked. So it wasn't abandoned. After all, if forcing your way into a locked house is OK to start squatting.Then you could find squatters when you return from vacation.

Lattices aren't Distributive: Soulshorne: redflag: [28.media.tumblr.com image 450x450]

Squatters ensure that there is an efficient use of space.

/Deal with it

That is assuming that "# of homes in America = # of people in America".

For some reason, I do not think that is an accurate assumption.

It actually isn't assuming that, since 7*24 isn't 402.
(This is why you show your work....)

According to the poster:
1/402 of about 310 million is about 800,000 homeless people, which would mean about 20 million empty houses. That still seems rather high.

well if you fit 100 per house it works out ok. If you have 14 bathrooms, anyway.

/better than most shelters I'd bet.

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Squatters ensure that there is an efficient use of space.

/Deal with it

Mock26: Because England is one seriously farked up country.

The laws in question in this case date back to the foundation of English common law, which was first instituted in 1154. Indeed a large part of early common law was nothing but issues of land use and tenant land lord relationships. And while modified over time, some of the stand precedents are over 500 years old now. Bonus, since the US adopted common law wholesale, some are also valid in the US.

a lot of times squatters will come up with a fake lease or such and sense the cops can't tell if its fake or not they can't do anything. This is cause a landlord could just call the cops at any time and say some squatters are in the house i own and have a fake lease come kick them out even it is a real lease and the landlord dose not want to go thought the courts to get the tenants out. So the cops just show up see a lease and tell the owner/landlord ok nothing we can do go though the courts and get a court order.

There is a strategy these people use to live for free for a minimum of 6 months at a property owners expense.

They come in and pay their deposit but never pay rent after the first month, before the month is out they start filing complaints about the temperature, water, etc. sometimes they break property and then take pictures to use in their claims.

The point is to make it a "civil matter", they represent themselves in court and always lose in the end, but they have learned how to push the can with motions and delays for months sometimes years before they can be legally evicted.

A couple tried this with one of my rentals and I could tell what was going on very early. The solution is to kick them on their ass (be creative) and have them fight this "civil matter" while living in a cardboard box... when the shoe is on the other foot, they stop showing up in courtmove on and and just move on to the next easy mark.

/They called the cops on me when they got thrown out.
//I explained the situation to the officers (local guys paid by my property taxes)
///civil matter indeed.

loki see loki do: Erebus1954: krafty420: They're going to feel really stupid once they realize out they've been eating dinner off of a pool table

[farm4.static.flickr.com image 500x379]

Weeee, doggie!

Them look like fine vittles!

Git yerself a pot passer and pull up a seat.

BokChoy:

"Alright dude, you win - squatters rights gives you possession of my house... let me just grab my things.


In most real estate contracts there is a detailed list of what's "your things" and what stays with the house. Even for an "empty" house. How do they solve that in the case of squatting? What happens when I want *my* crystal chandelier? And while I'm at it, those toilets, sinks, cabinets, appliances, furnace, and water heater are mine too. Oh, and I think that all those circuit breakers are mine.


/ I have to agree that "BOOM - head shot" would solve the problem

I might like squatter as neighbors more than Johnny Depp. I mean, really, is he ever a different character besides weirdo?

The first thing you do is.................

You quit linking to the Daily Star. And Johnny Depp has nothing to with this house. He may have breathed on it once.

vinn01: / I have to agree that "BOOM - head shot" would solve the problem

Or you could just work within the law as it exists.

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Squatters ensure that there is an efficient use of space.

/Deal with it

Why not? I've been making efficient use of your mom for years.
Now, there's some inefficiency in your wallet I need to take care of.

/Deal with it.

WhyteRaven74: Mock26: Because England is one seriously farked up country.

The laws in question in this case date back to the foundation of English common law, which was first instituted in 1154. Indeed a large part of early common law was nothing but issues of land use and tenant land lord relationships. And while modified over time, some of the stand precedents are over 500 years old now. Bonus, since the US adopted common law wholesale, some are also valid in the US.

Aha, but common law back then also included common sense, which meant someone trying to take your castle/house/hovel could get them killed. Especially if you were rich and they were otherwise homeless tramps, gypsies, and theives.

WhyteRaven74: vinn01: / I have to agree that "BOOM - head shot" would solve the problem

Or you could just work within the law as it exists.

Justice delayed is justice denied.

/ Mr. Bumble said the law is an ass (applies to England and every other country)

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