Squatting illegal from 1st September

[woodrot]

no longer a civil item but a criminal one

thougts and comments please dear EDF

[RosieH]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

[????]

I miss squats, when I were young and a student they were everywhere in London and part of the culture. But much of that was becuase Local Authorities (and ironically mainly Labour ones) were just leaving their housing stock empty and rotting. Squatting then largely felt resonable rather than 'stealing' private property.

[woodrot]

You could probabaly post my response for me - im hardly opaque in my outlook . Given the changes made to housing benefit likely, I am concerned that a heavy handed application of the new improved law could cause more issues than it resolves.

[Parkdrive]

If I've understood this correctly, a person, or persons that occupy a property without the owners consent, they will face criminal charges? If so, its about time.

[Loz]

Sorry, long overdue. I never understood how you could have such a bizarre concept in the first place. I mean, we don't say, "ooh - an unlocked car. I think I'll drive it around until the real owner gets a court order to make me give it back."

This will clear a significant part of the squatter problem - the middle class 'anarchist' - away in a stroke. I mean - look at the squatter the BBC found to interview. She hardly looks like she has been begging in the streets, does she?

For those that *really* need shelter, well there are enough loopholes (i.e. commercial buildings) that they will make do.

[woodrot]

"Housing minister Grant Shapps said: "For too long, hardworking people have faced long legal battles to get their homes back from squatters, and repair bills reaching into the thousands when they finally leave.

"No longer will there be so-called squatters' rights. Instead, from next week, we're tipping the scales of justice back in favour of the homeowner and making the law crystal clear: entering a property with the intention of squatting will be a criminal offence."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19429936

It would appear so

[woodrot]

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sorry, long overdue. I never understood how you

> could have such a bizarre concept in the first

> place. I mean, we don't say, "ooh - an unlocked

> car. I think I'll drive it around until the real

> owner gets a court order to make me give it

> back."

>

> This will clear a significant part of the squatter

> problem - the middle class 'anarchist' - away in a

> stroke. I mean - look at the squatter the BBC

> found to interview. She hardly looks like she has

> been begging in the streets, does she?

>

> For those that *really* need shelter, well there

> are enough loopholes (i.e. commercial buildings)

> that they will make do.

Humans will always find way to make do wont they. Like cockroaches, the poor have an unnerving habit of self preservation

[Ridgley]

I am glad there is some sort of law to, protect members of the public who go on holiday and come back to find you have squatters that is very distressing for the person involved and then have to go through the long process of having them evicted. It was not too long ago this happen to someone on this forum so yes in that particular case yes. In this economic climate there will be more homeless people who use derelict buildings as a form of shelter this should be an issue for the government to look into rather than relying on Charities like Shelter.

I was listen to LBC last night on this topic and a woman rang up and called all squatters scum I was a bit annoyed that she made such a blanket statement people squat for all sorts of reason not just because they are lazy and cannot be bothered to work. It very easy to take the moral high ground when you are not in want.

[Jeremy]

I agree that this law is long overdue. But it should be accompanied by financial penalties for properties left unoccupied for long periods of time.

[Gingerbeer]

Well there goes my backup plan for a place to live.

[TE44]

All squatting has not been made illegal,see link below

http://www.squatter.org.uk/

[Mick Mac]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I miss squats, when I were young and a student

> they were everywhere in London and part of the

> culture. But much of that was becuase Local

> Authorities (and ironically mainly Labour ones)

> were just leaving their housing stock empty and

> rotting. Squatting then largely felt resonable

> rather than 'stealing' private property.

That's why we love you quids. Your were soo "edgy", but now just a mortgage man like the rest of us. (Well you might not have a mortgage but you know what I mean)

[dulwichgirl2]

Quite right. Ridiculous that your property and possessions could be taken over and that you would then face a long and expensive fight to evict those perpetrating the (new) crime.

[red devil]

Does this legislation affect tenants/landlords, i.e. if the tenant changed the locks and refused to leave?..

[Loz]

No. It specifically excludes tenants overstaying a lease.

[Mick Mac]

Bugger. Those pesky tenants. Just can't get them out.

[The Minkey]

Why on earth does it exclude tenants overstaying a lease I wonder?

[Dulwichmudlark]

We're will all the littel rich kids go know squatting is iligal

[KidKruger]

Well they probably won't need to enrol on a basic spelling course.

[char1i3]

The Minkey Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Why on earth does it exclude tenants overstaying a

> lease I wonder?

Squatters aren't people who have overstayed a lease. If you have/had a contract then you are not a squatter. A squatter (or an adverse possessor in legal terms) is not a tenant and cannot be on or in the property with permission.

I think this is an interesting development in the law and will have to be tested. For individuals who are living in property where the owner died years ago or where there is no registered owner what is the rationale for kicking them out or criminalising them?

I think it would have been better for the government to legislate to speed up the process of legally evicting squatters rather than making residential squatting illegal.

Charlie

[Asset]

squatters saved a rather important piece of Victorian architecture from being demolished by Southwark council in the eighties.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullens_buildings

[Annette Curtain]

Squatting

Ok, how about Star Jumps, are they still legal ?