An End To 'Squatters' Rights' ?

[Maz]

BBC.

Squatting in a residential building in England and Wales becomes a criminal offence on Saturday, meaning squatters would face jail or a fine. Ministers said it would offer better protection for homeowners and "slam shut the door on squatters once and for all".


Glad thatpeople will no longer come home from hols to find someone else living in their house, and not be able to do anything about it except take them to Court. It was always - whatever was said - house-stealing.


That said, I think the priority should have been done and should be done to address why people squat; which is a lack of affordable homes.

[Psychokiller]

If a property is left unoccupied for more than a year I have no problem with someone who needs a home making use of it. This is just another Tory "property before people" law.

[garronrav]

Originally Posted by Psychokiller

If a property is left unoccupied for more than a year I have no problem with someone who needs a home making use of it. This is just another Tory "property before people" law.

Pk, its people that own these properties

[Heb 7:4]

Originally Posted by garronrav

Pk, its people that own these properties

It's also people with nowhere to live. The tax system should be changed to raise money from owners who leave properties empty, with the money raised put into building new homes.

[Psychokiller]

Originally Posted by garronrav

Pk, its people that own these properties

Yes and they need them so much they leave them empty for a year. Tough shit. There's thousands of homeless people out there and thousands of properties that lay empty.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by Heb 7:4

It's also people with nowhere to live. The tax system should be changed to raise money from owners who leave properties empty, with the money raised put into building new homes.

Got to be something sensible in this.

I see where PK is coming from, even though theft is theft.

[Chunt]

If squatters weren't all crackheads and middle aged white guys with dreadlocks called 'Spider' maybe people would have more sympathy.

[Psychokiller]

Originally Posted by Maz

Got to be something sensible in this.

I see where PK is coming from, even though theft is theft.

The social housing stock that the buy-to-let market is awash with was stolen in the first place. A house should be seen as a place to live, not an investment.

[garronrav]

Originally Posted by Heb 7:4

It's also people with nowhere to live. The tax system should be changed to raise money from owners who leave properties empty, with the money raised put into building new homes.

Yes Heb, i agree something should be done i am just aggrieved at the moment due to the fact that i have just had a similar problem recently.
Although they were tenants of mine they ended up basically squatters and paid no rent for the last 3 months, never paid any utility bills, wrecked my house and furniture, moved other people into my house and since they have left i have had to deal with the police because he has been arrested for class A drug dealing from the comfort of my home

[Maz]

Originally Posted by Psychokiller

A house should be seen as a place to live, not an investment.

I agree 100%.

But a fair few BBS people who speculate wouldn't.

[FraserH]

It is about time really. Ridiculous how someone can enter your property and previously there was nothing you could do other than take them to court which takes months and can cost you, the property owner time and money.

[FraserH]

Originally Posted by Chunt

If squatters weren't all crackheads and middle aged white guys with dreadlocks called 'Spider' maybe people would have more sympathy.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by garronrav

Yes Heb, i agree something should be done i am just aggrieved at the moment due to the fact that i have just had a similar problem recently.
Although they were tenants of mine they ended up basically squatters and paid no rent for the last 3 months, never paid any utility bills, wrecked my house and furniture, moved other people into my house and since they have left i have had to deal with the police because he has been arrested for class A drug dealing from the comfort of my home

Your case is very different indeed.

You weren't a victim of squatters : but rather bad tenants/criminals.

[Psychokiller]

Originally Posted by Maz

I agree 100%.

But a fair few BBS people who speculate wouldn't.

Tough. A buy to let market is only really acceptable if there's enough social housing for everyone who wants it.

[FraserH]

Originally Posted by Psychokiller

. A house should be seen as a place to live, not an investment.

If anyone has worked hard enough to and spent their hard earned on another property, what gives anyone the right to break in and lay claim to it?

[Heb 7:4]

Originally Posted by Chunt

If squatters weren't all crackheads and middle aged white guys with dreadlocks called 'Spider' maybe people would have more sympathy.

They aren't. They had a squatter on Radio4 this morning. She's a teacher, who was in an abusive relationship. She went to women's aid, the council, etc, but despite the abuse she wasn't a priority (she doesn't have kids, and agrees that those should go before her, but still needed to escape the abusive relationship). She had no money for a deposit, was at her wits end, met someone who was squatting and moved in.

This was an empty property, left to rot by its foreign owned company, with no water or electricity. From midnight she now risks being a criminal, which will stop her getting a CRB and end her career. Madness.

Without a permanent contract she can't save enough for a deposit, or be certain of making rent each month, she's volunteering and doing a further open university course to increase her chances of getting that permanent contract and moving on with her life, and the state wants to make her a criminal because she has nowhere to live and no change of getting into even temporary accommodation?

I know some squatters are ***** who wreck places but there are clearly a lot more than the most extreme Daily Mail printed cases. Most are people with nowhere to live and nowhere to go for support.

[Psychokiller]

Originally Posted by FraserH

If anyone has worked hard enough to and spent their hard earned on another property, what gives anyone the right to break in and lay claim to it?

The morality of someone being without a home whilst another person has two and leaves one of them empty?

[Psychokiller]

Originally Posted by Heb 7:4

They aren't. They had a squatter on Radio4 this morning. She's a teacher, who was in an abusive relationship. She went to women's aid, the council, etc, but she despite the abuse she wasn't a priority (she doesn't have kids, and agrees that those should go before her, but still needed to escape the abusive relationship). She had no money for a deposit, was at her wits end, met someone who was squatting and moved in.

This was an empty property, left to rot by its foreign owned company, with no water or electricity. From midnight she now risks being a criminal, which will stop her getting a CRB and end her career. Madness.

Without a permanent contract she can't save enough for a deposit, or be certain of making rent each month, she's volunteering and doing a further open university course to increase her chances of getting that permanent contract and moving on with her life, and the state wants to make her a criminal because she has nowhere to live and no change of getting into even temporary accommodation?

I know some squatters are ***** who wreck places but there are clearly a lot more than the most extreme Daily Mail printed cases. Most are people with nowhere to live and nowhere to go for support.

There was a block of 8 Victorian townhouses on Bensham Lane in Thornton Heath that lay empty for over 30 years because nobody could work out who owned them. Only recently did the council take out a compulsory purchase order on them and revamp them but what the hell can be morally wrong with a homeless person taking refuge in such properties?

[garronrav]

Originally Posted by Maz

Your case is very different indeed.

You weren't a victim of squatters : but rather bad tenants/criminals.

agree maz, but i got the same bad feeling that any landlord would have when they have squatters to deal with ie-anxiety,stress, insomnia ect

[EdMan]

Originally Posted by Psychokiller

The social housing stock that the buy-to-let market is awash with was stolen in the first place. A house should be seen as a place to live, not an investment.

You can't really dictate how people see things, or what they invest in.

But society would benefit from a few changes to the law which made property less attractive as an investment, and more accessible to people who want to rent or buy somewhere to live.