Author Topic: Squatting to be made illegal  (Read 4247 times)

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Alsatian

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Squatting to be made illegal
« on: August 31, 2012, 08:03:23 PM »
From midnight tonight it will be illegal for people to squat in houses, whether occupied or not:

http://www.periscopepost.com/2012/08/squatting-to-become-illegal/

Charity group Crisis say that this move will criminalise squatters!!!! For fecks sake they are occupying someone elses property and preventing the rightful owners their access - why shouldn't these people be criminalised?  >:(

Discuss (and show your workings in the margin!!!)  ;)
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Fly

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2012, 08:06:24 PM »
About time I think.
Whoever came up with squatters rights in the first place !!

Runs off to google it  ;)
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Pete

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2012, 08:10:30 PM »
Disagree.

When there are thousands homeless folks and someone owns a house that stands empty year after year, even decade after decade, then I think common sense should come in to play.

But I admit it's a tricky one.

Added. I'm not referring to where a house gets trashed by ex-hippies and travellers. You'd need to understand how squatting started.

Also added: in 2011 that the British government estimated that there were "20,000 squatters in the UK" and "650,000 empty properties".
« Last Edit: August 31, 2012, 08:16:13 PM by Pete »
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Fly

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2012, 08:23:24 PM »
So your NOT saying that if I nip down to my holiday cottage in Cornwall, which I might do once or twice a year,
and find squatters in it, then that's OK.

If I had a near derelict property that hadn't been touched for years, then found there were squatters in it,
I still wouldn't be in agreement with them having rights to be there.
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Spire

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2012, 08:27:33 PM »
Hi

As a property owner I think it's not a moment to soon to make squatting a criminal offence.

As for properties standing empty, the council already have powers to force owners off empty property to bring them back into use or the council has powers to serve a complusary purchase order on the empty property. I think even this is wrong however I can see the thinking behind it because if someone lives in a semi or terreaced house the last thing you want is a empty run down property next door.

My thinking is if I buy a car and leave it unused does that mean someone can take it and use it because I choose not to, if that is classed as theft, then surley  taking over someones empty property is a form of theft as well.




Fly

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2012, 08:30:47 PM »
I can understand that the squatters rights must have been a pain for such as Castle Estates etc, or other house/flat rent companies.
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Pete

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2012, 08:31:17 PM »
I saw a program on tv about it a few years ago and it was folks bombed out of their homes during the war who moved into long empty houses in London. It made me see a different side to the argument.

Even now I read there are houses bought and left empty as tax dodges, or left empty by councils for their own reasons - but lets not go there or I'll have my name dragged through the shit again.

Whilst with a huge number of other similar situations it appears to be a crime, but to me, the basic needs of food, drink and shelter for all are above politics and greed.

I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left.

Fly

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2012, 08:38:06 PM »
I did that quick google. Saw the bit about past war times.
To officially squat in a place, you must enter without breaking any existing laws, eg breaking and entry.

My gripe, and what is probably the man in the streets look on this is, someone breaks into your property and has rights.
Never right !!

Empty or derelict buildings, slightly different thing.
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Spire

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2012, 08:44:24 PM »
Well if squatters move they do it with no regard for anyone but themseleves and it will cost the property owner a fortune to get them out, not to mention any damage they may cause during the squat.

On the other hand if the council came to me and said that empty property you have (I don't have any empty) if you don't get it occupied then we are going to force you to sell it to us, then surly in a law abiding country that is okay because our politicians have made the law and in a democratic society I have had a chance to air my views regarding the law and lobby to get it changed or blocked or whatever.

If squatters move in they are trampling all over my rights and just saying to me as the owner we are going to use it because u are not.

That in my view is not how we should all live together.


Fly

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #9 on: August 31, 2012, 08:50:55 PM »
Quote
Well if squatters move they do it with no regard for anyone but themseleves and it will cost the property owner a fortune to get them out, not to mention any damage they may cause during the squat.

One of the points I was making. It's all at the cost of the owner.
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Old Cruser

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #10 on: August 31, 2012, 10:28:20 PM »
It's time this was put into place and time this country sorted out the derelict warehouses etc which maybe 'could' be made in homes, they don't have to be grand places but surely it's better than no home at all - having said that some people probably 'prefer' to squat!
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chesterfieldchris

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #11 on: August 31, 2012, 11:25:04 PM »
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Pete

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2012, 12:22:06 AM »
Then maybe you're right - it's time to make squatting illegal.

Most folks are against it - as has been pointed out.
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Slacker

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2012, 08:06:35 AM »
Loopholes are being closed where people who own second (empty) properties are council tax exempt which is a good thing. Maybe more could be done to encourage owners to rent these out.

Some people squat because they see it as a way of living free others out of desperation. Some get in the downward spiral of can't get a home without a job, can't get a job without a home address.

Major landowners such as the Duke of Devonshire (may not be so much the case now as I believe National Trust own a lot) didn't acquire this by accident but because their ancestors obtained it by force  presumably by early equivalent of squatting on what was public land. They should remember tat if travellers set up camp there.

k4blades

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Re: Squatting to be made illegal
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2012, 08:07:19 AM »
Also added: in 2011 that the British government estimated that there were "20,000 squatters in the UK" and "650,000 empty properties".

With so many empty properties, one would think that squatting would end homelessness. But no, because most genuine homeless people don't squat, (but do need help). Most squatters these days are proffessional squatters from relatively well off and well educated backgrounds who see it as a political statement. I saw one of them being interviewed on the news yesterday. Many could rent somewhere but choose not to, and that doesn't help the genuine homeless people.

If its about the morality of leaving houses empty, I wonder how they would feel if the law was amended so that someone CAN occupy an empty house BUT the owner would have the right to claim a market rent from them.

(slightly off topic, also saw on the News yesterday about "bed in a shed" dwellings used by some dodgy landlords, which is the other side of the coin, and the Govt seem to be cracking down on that too.)

We all deserve a decent home, but that doesn't mean anyone should have the right to take someone elses.

 

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