Squatting

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marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 5:08 pm Post subject: Squatting

Reading this lead me to this.

I have mixed feelings about squatting and certainly I think it's wrong for squatters to occupy people's homes, but when it comes to buildings that have been empty for a long time and are being left to rot what's so terrible about moving in and making use of them? What sort of person would rather let a building rot than negotiate with people who want to live in it and are willing to do repairs?

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 7:24 pm Post subject: Re: Squatting

marigold wrote:

What sort of person would rather let a building rot than negotiate with people who want to live in it and are willing to do repairs?

Generally speaking, people with more money than sense.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 7:26 pm Post subject:
The sort of person who is worried about those occupying it getting rights to keep it ('adverse possession') or about them being difficult about getting out when they want the building back. Quite often empty properties are empty because the owner has other plans for them but can't get started on them because or planning or other regulatory / legal delays.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 7:31 pm Post subject:
local councils are one of the absolute worse for this. If you are interested in how the squatters movement began in the UK, then try Ron Bailey - The Squatters. I did a lot of reading on this as part of looking into the history of housing provision

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 7:45 pm Post subject:
London Borough of Lambeth used to be one of the worst. They lost some very expensive property in kennington as a result (including a 6 bedroom victorian town house that my OH's family used to live in until they condemned it and left it to squatters for 20-odd years).

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 7:47 pm Post subject:

Bebo wrote:

The sort of person who is worried about those occupying it getting rights to keep it ('adverse possession')

The simple way to prevent that is to have a deal with them...
Although nowadays you don't need to worry at all if the property is registered.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 8:10 pm Post subject:

Bebo wrote:

London Borough of Lambeth used to be one of the worst. They lost some very expensive property in kennington as a result (including a 6 bedroom victorian town house that my OH's family used to live in until they condemned it and left it to squatters for 20-odd years).

Villa Rd, by any chance ? Legendary.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 9:59 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

Bebo wrote:

Villa Rd, by any chance ? Legendary.

St Agnes Place.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 10:05 pm Post subject:
Not heard of those.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 10:08 pm Post subject:
I have, it upset a lot of people.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 10:11 pm Post subject:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Agnes_Place My info was wrong, looks like they didn't win the adverse possession case in the end.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 10:16 pm Post subject:

toggle wrote:

I have, it upset a lot of people.

It upset the MIL that they had to move out. The fact that the building stood there for donkeys years afterwards and was occupied was the icing on the cake for her. There was a really strong local community there, but it all got dispersed.

toggle

Joined: 30 Dec 2006
Posts: 11622
Location: truro

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 10:22 pm Post subject:
From what I can recall, there were other similar evictions going on at about the same time.

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 10:27 pm Post subject:
There was a big eviction on a block just down the road when we were living in Willesden. It was a dawn raid affair on a place with perfectly nice people who had done DIY and plumbing and things. I should remember the year really Mid 90s. Sean says 93.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 11 10:30 pm Post subject:

Hairyloon wrote:

Bebo wrote:

The sort of person who is worried about those occupying it getting rights to keep it ('adverse possession')

The simple way to prevent that is to have a deal with them...
Although nowadays you don't need to worry at all if the property is registered.

In what way is it simple to come to a deal with someone with no assets, no fixed abode other than yours, no security and nothing to lose? Oh yes, of course I promise not todamage the place and move out on demand as long as you don't throw me out.

You'd hand over a couple of hundred grand to someone like that, essentially on goodwill?

Got a spare house, please?

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