Squatters

Superewza said:
Daily mail...

I don't see anything wrong with squatting as long as they respect the property, leave everything as they found it and leave when asked/the owner returns. After all, if it's an empty property then why shouldn't someone make use of it?
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The source is irrelevant, its the article and the laws relating to it that I am commenting on , not where the article is held.

Well in an ideal world that might be ok, but usually the squatters dont leave when asked/when the owner returns and quite often they "trash" the home whilst there. When is a property empty though? My wife and I both go to work and our children are at school, so during the day the house is empty, does that mean its ok for someone to break into it and live there? Where do we draw the line, is it ok if I come round your house and take your car and drive it around when you arent using it? After all, its empty so why shouldnt someone make use of it?
 
dowie said:
They can't squat a house that's currently occupied - if you get back from a 2 week holiday and someone has broken into your main residence you're well within your rights to call the police or kick them out yourself.
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Who pays for any damages done to the home in that time? Or for the bills for services (water, electric, phone etc) used during that period?
 
dowie said:
In other cases - like these students from europe who are just squatting for fun/to party etc.. I'd assume they don't pay for anything, trash the place and just leave it all for the owner to pick up the tab.
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Indeed, which is a perfect reason why its not acceptable to simply allow people to "make use of a property" just because its currently "empty", as the owner gets lumped with the payouts.
 
"andy" said:
to be honest id risk 'up to' a 5k fine or an unlikely 6 month sentence for £1 million worth of house

i cant imagine many judges or jurys siding with a bunch of foreign soap dodgers in a battle of ''i was here first'' ''no i was here first''
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Trouble is I suppose, after 6 months in jail you'd come out to find someone else is now squatting in your house as its been empty for 6 months and you'd have to do the whole thing all over again :D
 
dowie said:
Well it isn't acceptable to damage it at the moment - problem is its rather hard to prove - if 30 hippie types squat your house how can the police charge whoever broke the window or curled one out in the bathroom - couldn't be any of them - tis an impossible situation. We really just need a change in the law where squatting simply has no legal basis as per Scotland.
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I concur, squatting is illegal in so many countries, just dont know why we allow it. Should just be illegal unless it is an abandoned or derelict building and even then there should be an official process you go through to gain the building rather than just turning up and busting in.
 
vonhelmet said:
I've explained the origins of squatting law before... It's archaic, though strangely relevant given the absurdities of the rental market introduced by excessive housing benefit.
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It's fair enough in the case of abandoned or derelict buildings but to squat at someone's home, that's just depriving a family of the home which they have spent decades of hard working life and saving to get. I feel for the kids in cases like that, innocent children who have their home taken from them by squatters and likely have their bedrooms trashed and their toys/clothes/belongings screwed around with.
 
It seems so bizarre that if someone takes my car, its theft. If someone takes my tv its theft, if someone takes my clothes its theft...but if they take my house...its squatting and is allowed. :confused:
 
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