The UK is screwed up...

[DarkNeji]

squatting is indeed for abandoned buildings
doesn't he have a contract or whatever..

it's indeed fcked up, where is bin laden when you need him..

 

[Mkilbride]

Squatting to me is wrong. My Father feels the same way. It's pretty ****ed up in general.

 

[Brosiris]

Breaking and entering isn't a criminal offense?

 

[Z Power]

Apparently not. Just replace the lock, tell people you don't have money and the house is practically yours.

 

[Tenzo]

Breaking and entering isn't a criminal offense?

This should be enough. I can't imagine not finding something good enough in the laws to use against those guys. C'mon... it's the 21st century for crying out loud.

 

[Grega]

Squatting to me is wrong. My Father feels the same way. It's pretty ****ed up in general.

I see nothing wrong with it. One of our biggest multi culture centers is a squatted yugoslavian military base. There is absolutely no problem with using an abandoned building. But again ABANDONED not just currently vacant.

 

[Mkilbride]

I see nothing wrong with it. One of our biggest multi culture centers is a squatted yugoslavian military base. There is absolutely no problem with using an abandoned building. But again ABANDONED not just currently vacant.

**** is happening in America. People can't afford their rent, they decide to stay without paying in a home. Gov tries to push them out, but they claim squatters rights and all that BS. Basically want the world handed to them. They seem -proud- to be squatters. If you have to do it, ok, but don't act like you're some kind of Hero for being a selfish-jackass.

 

[Grega]

Whats that got to do with my post though?

 

[Zeonix]

**** is happening in America. People can't afford their rent, they decide to stay without paying in a home. Gov tries to push them out, but they claim squatters rights and all that BS. Basically want the world handed to them. They seem -proud- to be squatters. If you have to do it, ok, but don't act like you're some kind of Hero for being a selfish-jackass.

I've never met someone proud to be broke. I've also never seen tenants "claim squatter's rights". They're pretty upfront about being unwilling to pay their rent, and stick around until the statute of limitations is up.

 

[Z Power]

Whats that got to do with my post though?

While squatting is legal due to reasons like yours , it is those same rights that allow people to take over houses in UK. I guess thats what Mkilbride meant.

Seriously, this can be easily rectified. When it is SO obvious what happened is wrong, why can't they modify those rules and disallow squatters from squatting in houses that are already being lived in. Pff... politics.

 

[Grega]

While squatting is legal due to reasons like yours , it is those same rights that allow people to take over houses in UK. I guess thats what Mkilbride meant.

Which is why i threw out the "abandoned" word round like 5 times in this thread.

 

[Z Power]

Well it seems the government doesn't know the meaning of "Abandoned" then. Oh the irony.

 

[Synth]

I suppose if this guys goes crazy and attempts to kill all the squatters in his house, he'll martyr-in a new law.

 

[Rocky]

Yeah...I kinda don't really get how this is even possible, they've basically stolen this guys expensive house, the best part is they can afford to change the locks. How can the police not do anything about this?

 

[Grega]

Im baffled by that myself. How can he not get them on the breaking and entering charge. The house was locked and if his permanent residence is stated to be the house, no squatting law should be able to protect them.

 

[-Origin]

I don't anyways, but I'm not in the UK.

Christ, just saying, in the US, this would take 30 minutes to resolve.

Maybe so, but then again, Americans take everything to court. I love your litigation culture.

"Where did it say I couldn't put my cat in the microwave to dry him?" Bam, insta-money.

"My coffee was too hot, you didn't put a sticker on the cup telling me to be careful when drinking scorching, steaming coffee!" Bam, more money.

An eviction hearing is expected to be held in the next two weeks.

As "subtle" as the law may be, there is no way this is going to fly. It's Mr. Gupta's property, regardless whether or not someone is living there. Owning a house does not mean you have to live there.

Under the terms of the Land Registry Act 2003, "squatters" are permitted to enter an uninhabited property and apply for ownership after the 7 year period under the following conditions:

(1) They did not break in to the property (doing so is a criminal matter and they could be prosecuted). Basically, they have to have to entered the property by simply opening the door.

I always triple-lock the house and when I went away I made sure everything was locked.

‘It is really scary that you can go on holiday and come back and your house has been taken. I’m profoundly shocked that this can happen.

‘I tried to open the door and found the locks had been changed. Then I saw the note, and banged on the door saying I was the owner and a voice inside said “Just go away”

(2) They have to prove that they have lived in the property for that time and produced gas, electricity and water bills and dated pictures.
There is no gas, electricity or water according to the article.
(3) They have to have a key to the property, allowing them unhindered access in and out of the building.
They have a key because they changed the locks. Without money, apparently.
(4) The property cannot have been furnished by the "previous" owners, prior to them inhabiting the property.
All of Mr. Gupta's stuff is in there, as evidenced by the photos in the article.
(5) They can prove that they reasonably believed that the property belonged to them during this time.
They can't, because there's a reason they changed the locks.
(6) The owners are notified and have the right to fight them in court.
The owner came knocking and they kept the door closed and told him to leave.

That's the law, right there. He'll get his house back. These squatters are idiots. Especially this part made me facepalm;

They claim the fact they cannot afford to rent gives them the right to take over the Victorian property in Camberwell, South-East London.

So.. if you can't afford the rent, you can live for free? There are so many holes in that entire article and I'm really quite sure that once this goes to court, it'll be over and done in minutes. I just hate seeing people take advantage of someone else's property and hard work. It's despicable.

EDIT: Also, you might want to rethink the thread's title... not trying to pick a fight here but generalizing over a misinterpretation of a British law might give people the wrong idea. Especially considering all the **** going on in America. You really don't want non-Americans pointing out all the silly stuff going on in America. >_>

No offense, of course.

 

[Zeonix]

EDIT: Also, you might want to rethink the thread's title... not trying to pick a fight here but generalizing over a misinterpretation of a British law might give people the wrong idea. Especially considering all the **** going on in America. You really don't want non-Americans pointing out all the silly stuff going on in America. >_>

No offense, of course.

As if that hasn't happened umpteen times in the past (or even in the first paragraph of your post).

In any case, though the law is seemingly clear-cut, the issue has yet to be resolved. As such, one has to wonder why these laws aren't being enforced. If someone breaks into my house, takes charge of my property and refuses to leave, I'd expect the law to protect and aid me in a timely fashion. In this case, timely fashion should probably have been the day someone took control of his ****.

 

[Grega]

though the law is seemingly clear-cut, the issue has yet to be resolved.

Wellcome to the european justice system, where you have to wait a few months to get to the court. Some times even a year. Mind you though not everywhere in europe its like that, but it seems like its most of the place.

 

[Zeonix]

The same is mostly true in America as far as lawsuits are involved, but when someone breaks into your house, the police are typically able to resolve the situation with great haste. I mean, it's your goddamn house.

 

[-Origin]

As if that hasn't happened umpteen times in the past (or even in the first paragraph of your post).

You're right, I apologize. I just get a bit defensive when people generalize entire countries on the basis of one article, and you caught me doing the same thing. I'm sorry.

Wellcome to the european justice system, where you have to wait a few months to get to the court. Some times even a year. Mind you though not everywhere in europe its like that, but it seems like its most of the place.

Oh come on. How many times have you taken something to court? It's really not as bad as you make it out to be. Cases like these for example, are relatively minor civil cases. It won't get bumped to the top of the list, regardless of how crappy the situation is for those involved. I'd say the 2 weeks the article states is perfectly reasonable.