Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Time for a change in the law?
My childhood home has been invaded by Moldovan squatters
"After inheriting her childhood home from her mother and renting it out for a couple of years, Janice Mason decided to make a clean break with the past by selling the property. Having found a buyer, she hoped the heart-wrenching process could be completed swiftly. But a group of Eastern European squatters moved in before the contracts had been exchanged". "Justice Secretary Ken Clarke recently announced proposals to make squatting illegal in residential dwellings. The Ministry of Justice was unable to say when the law would come into force".
Posted by alan @ 08:07 PM (2167 views)
14 thoughts on “Time for a change in the law?”
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libertas says:
Surely this kind of squatting is not lawful. If a property has been abandoned then yes, squatting is legal, but to squat a property when contracts are being exchanged and when the property is on the market, well, that does not sound lawful at all and I very much doubt that our Common Law rights to squat have anything to do with this blatant criminality. Sounds like the Police are simply refusing to act.
d'oh says:
My understanding is that squatting is only permissible if entry is gained without breaking locks etc.Surely, in the case where entry has been forced it would be a criminal matter?
Overnightwill says:
Typical Mail: “Gypsy aliens killed Diana, and caused house prices to fall in my area.”
dude says:
It’s the DM — that well known paper of hate.
I’m not going to comment — opps, just did. 🙁
Garf says:
> The salt in the wound is that I even have to pay for the electricity they use
Huh? Sounds fishy to me.
mdmick says:
@3
Why oh why did they have to be Moldovan and not from these shores?!!
mombers says:
This lady pays no tax whatsoever on this property. Why should the government supply free police services to protect her asset? It’s a civil matter to be resolved by civil courts at the plaintiff’s expense. The police don’t get involved in disputes between people over assets most of the time. If they were directly harming her person, that’s what the police are for – protection of personal safety regardless of contribution to society. Assets are a separate matter. Cars are taxed and the police protect them. Shops are taxed, ditto.
mark says:
doh
someone breaks locks or window they leave the area, someone else walks past a couple of hours later and see the door or window is open and they walk in place a notice in window and squat, this is done on an almost professional level the same way gypsies gain access to private land etc
these people like this family will have paid someone for the service of breaking in and placing a notice in the window, it could even be organised crime from eastern europe setting up squats for a fee
mark says:
mombers police do very little unless they have a speed camera in their hands and hey presto they become mini columbos or hairy kojaks
d'oh says:
Mombers @ 7 – The police shouldn’t get involved in disputes over assets?! Theft and misappropriation are not crimes? Ffs!
d'oh says:
I hadn’t realised it was quite so organised Mark. Squatting laws really do need to be changed.
Hootsy says:
‘it is already a criminal offence for a squatter to occupy someone’s home, or a home that a person intends to occupy, under the Criminal Law Act 1977. A homeowner will be a displaced residential occupier, or if they are intending to move into the property, a protected intended occupier. In either case, it is a criminal offence for a squatter to remain in the property as soon as they have been told of the displaced occupier or a protected occupier. The police can arrest any trespasser who does not leave. The displaced or protected occupier can use force to enter the property and reasonable force to remove the trespassers.’
taken from here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/sep/25/squatting-law-media-politicians?INTCMP=SRCH
mark says:
private property should be just that, as in USA you can shoot, call police, set your dog on them etc anyone who enters your house by force or you decide you have to remove someone from your house by force those 3 options are open to you
Garf says:
@mark – I don’t think US law will look sympathetically at someone who shoots a squatter in a building that he happens to own. It’s OK to shoot an intruder in self defense (e.g. a burglar who breaks into a house that you’re living in).