Squatters+England=Strong WTF

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**Quintinus**

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361061/Father-John-Hamilton-Brown-begs-squatters-letterbox.html

An Englishman's home is his castle, so the saying goes.

After squatters moved into John Hamilton-Brown's new £1million five bedroom home he has been forced to beg them to get out through his letterbox.

The group of foreigners were granted legal aid to fight to stay - while he was forced to represent himself.

The father-of-two was having the property renovated for his wife and two young daughters before they moved in when a dozen people from France, Spain, Poland and England sneaked in during the night.

The occupants are part of a growing army of squatters banding together and seeking out empty homes.

It emerged today that squatters, often young people, are swapping information online as they move from property to property before they get evicted.

On a forum details of empty homes are being posted - and squatters are advertising for housemates to move in with them.

Squatting is legal as long as occupants do not use force to break in.

On the Advisory Service for Squatters, users swap tips for getting into properties and bypassing alarms.

One user said: 'i can help you to open/secure buildings. i have my own tools. price up on agreement, quality work.'

Another person asked for assistance getting into a different London home. He wrote: 'I'll be opening a new house in Highgate in the following days, if you can move in immediately and possibly help out opening it as it's kind of tricky, call me...'

The group occupying Mr Hamilton Brown's home qualified for legal aid because they are EU citizens and unemployed.

One of the squatters, who said he was 20, told the Sunday Telegraph: 'There are many empty homes and we should be able to live wherever we want.'

Shoreditch County Court refused to issue an interim possession order forcing them to vacate the property within 24 hours because of a technicality - and it could now be six weeks before they are told have to go.

An eviction order was made by the judge but it could be weeks before they are out.

Mr Hamilton-Brown, who has a wife and daughters aged four and two, bought the home in December and was having the place done up while living in a nearby flat.

‘I was horrified they were given legal representation,’ he said. ‘As I work and pay taxes, I’m at a disadvantage.
Room available: Squatters swap tips and discuss empty properties on forum

Room available: Squatters swap tips and discuss empty properties on forum

‘I’ve saved up for ten years to move into this house and this is what I get. It’s remarkable that they can get away with this.’

The house in Archway, North London, is near the homes of actress Patsy Kensit and comedian Rob Brydon.

A legal notice put in the front window by the squatters states that anybody who enters without their permission could face six months in jail and a £5,000 fine.

A neighbour said: ‘They have more rights than we do.

‘They know what they’re doing on the legal side of things as they’ve been in houses before in the area.’

Neighbours have told Mr Hamilton-Brown that squatters forced entry to his property - although it is almost impossible for him to prove in court.

The father-of-two, who has a business graphics company, has had to appear before a court five times to get the order made.

It is thought that squatting has increased dramatically since the onset of the recession.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman confirmed they are looking whether the law can be strengthened to give homeowners greater protection.

Cliffs:
Dude is renovating home
Random people come in and start living there
Dude who owns house has to represent himself in court to get the random people out

Srsly, strong WTF there England. you mad?

Discuss

**rubiksnoob**

That's ridiculous. Aren't they considered trespassing or something?

How is it not illegal to just refuse to leave someone else's house??

**Chowderhead**

That happens here in America as well.

**Ma55ter_fett**

It is stupid.

Someone will most likely disagree with me but too bad because I'm not budging from this position.

**rubiksnoob**

Chowderhead wrote:That happens here in America as well.

If this was me, I'd forcibly remove them from my house.

It's my house, so get the feth out or I'll make you. That kinda deal.

**Ma55ter_fett**

rubiksnoob wrote:
Chowderhead wrote:That happens here in America as well.

If this was me, I'd forcibly remove them from my house.

It's my house, so get the feth out or I'll make you. That kinda deal.

This is what guns are for.

And really big mean a** dogs

And NRA drinking buddies.

And Frazzled, I'm pretty sure being on good terms with him would help in this situation.

**Orlanth**

This happens all the time, the fact the press are making comments on it now is perhaps because the government wants to change the law.

**Avatar 720**

Some of the laws here in the UK are a complete mystery; why do we have them? Who knows? Why aren't they changed? Again, who knows? Only one thing is 100% about our laws, and it's that the average, working taxpayer will always get the gak-covered end of the stick.

**rubiksnoob**

Orlanth wrote:This happens all the time, the fact the press are making comments on it now is perhaps because the government wants to change the law.

Is there ever a case where the homeowner just forces the squatters out?

**Orlanth**

rubiksnoob wrote:
Orlanth wrote:This happens all the time, the fact the press are making comments on it now is perhaps because the government wants to change the law.

Is there ever a case where the homeowner just forces the squatters out?

Squatters know their rights and are real rules lawyers, they rely on the law of Forced Entry, which is intended to protect people against physical abuse. The law of Forced Entry doesn't take into account who owns the property it only takes into account that someone was inside and resisting being broken into.

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/business/After-Miamis-Ritzy-Bubble-Bursts-Squatters-Move-on-Up-61444367.html?__source=Facebook

I'm so moving to Florida.

**Orlanth**

The best way to change the current law on squatting without getting in the way of entry onto genuine derelict land is to create a time threshold. A property must be proven unoccupied for a minimum period before a squat can be attempted. So people back from holiday, or shopping cannot find their houses taken over.

**Frazzled**

Chowderhead wrote:That happens here in America as well.

It does? Just shoot them. Whats the problem?

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

Orlanth wrote:The best way to change the current law on squatting without getting in the way of entry onto genuine derelict land is to create a time threshold.

He's on the case.

**Kilkrazy**

The article is from the Daily Mail and should be regarded as "Little England" propaganda.

In this kind of case, where the house is unoccupied for repairs and building work, the squatters will be quickly evicted once a court order is granted.

Guy Ritchie got the squatters out of his home in about a week.

**Howard A Treesong**

Vladsimpaler wrote:
The father-of-two was having the property renovated for his wife and two young daughters before they moved in when a dozen people from France, Spain, Poland and England sneaked in during the night.

The occupants are part of a growing army of squatters banding together and seeking out empty homes.

Srsly, strong WTF there England. you mad?

Discuss

Daily Mail

I stop at this point and take a deep breath. It's worth pointing out that the rest of the article is likely to be distorted to fit the views of this particular rag. It's a wet dream for the Daily Mail, look, nice middle england married couple with little kids have had their house taken over by foreigners. "They have more rights than we do"!! Yadda yadda.

Squatting is and old thing based on very old laws, it's not unique to the UK and requires certain circumstances to occur. I've no real sympathy for squatters making someone's life a misery, but equally there are empty houses up and down the country that are being sat on by rich people who refuse to do anything with them so it's not always entirely unjust that squatting does occur. That said what irks me is an American reading a right wing rag like the Daily Mail and then ragging on as us saying "WTF there England. you mad?"instead of stopping and taking the 'facts' presented with a pinch of salt. Because it's almost guaranteed the situation isn't quite as they've painted it.

**VikingScott**

Howard A Treesong wrote:
Vladsimpaler wrote:
The father-of-two was having the property renovated for his wife and two young daughters before they moved in when a dozen people from France, Spain, Poland and England sneaked in during the night.

The occupants are part of a growing army of squatters banding together and seeking out empty homes.

Srsly, strong WTF there England. you mad?

Discuss

Daily Mail

I stop at this point and take a deep breath. It's worth pointing out that the rest of the article is likely to be distorted to fit the views of this particular rag. It's a wet dream for the Daily Mail, look, nice middle england married couple with little kids have had their house taken over by foreigners. "They have more rights than we do"!! Yadda yadda.

Squatting is and old thing based on very old laws, it's not unique to the UK and requires certain circumstances to occur. I've no real sympathy for squatters making someone's life a misery, but equally there are empty houses up and down the country that are being sat on by rich people who refuse to do anything with them so it's not always entirely unjust that squatting does occur. That said what irks me is an American reading a right wing rag like the Daily Mail and then ragging on as us saying "WTF there England. you mad?"instead of stopping and taking the 'facts' presented with a pinch of salt. Because it's almost guaranteed the situation isn't quite as they've painted it.

+1

If your naive enough to believe everything you read in the papers at face value then you need a reality check.

Everything is biased in newspapers towards making someone look bad. (this is the simple version there is a longer one)

And it's the daily mail as been said. That's like going to the Enclyopedia Dramatica for research.

**Avatar 720**

But the Daily Fail is the only paper worth quoting on the internet, it generates all the discussion. Quoting the Daily Telegraph would mean we'd all have to sit in armchairs in front of the fireplace, put on our reading glasses and finest evening gowns and remnisce about old times as we sip our aged whisky and smoke our pipes.

Then there's quoting the sun, where every other line you be "Get yer baps out love!" and page three would have strange white stains all over it that nobody will admit to.

For the purposes of the internet, the Daily Fail is the most appropriate paper to quote.

**Frazzled**

Kilkrazy wrote:The article is from the Daily Mail and should be regarded as "Little England" propaganda.

In this kind of case, where the house is unoccupied for repairs and building work, the squatters will be quickly evicted once a court order is granted.

Guy Ritchie got the squatters out of his home in about a week.

Again, why can't you just say you showed up to check on the house, they thre so you beat them with haggis?

**Kilkrazy**

Sort it out with feral Haggis down the chimney.

**Frazzled**

Exactly.

**biccat**

Kilkrazy wrote:The article is from the Daily Mail and should be regarded as "Little England" propaganda.

In this kind of case, where the house is unoccupied for repairs and building work, the squatters will be quickly evicted once a court order is granted.

Guy Ritchie got the squatters out of his home in about a week.

Here's the news from a free legal services company, dated 2 days before the Daily Mail. It's also available at the Telegraph.

Presumably these aren't "Little England" propagandists?

**Lord Scythican**

What about this? Fumigate your home.

Show up, announce to the squatters that you are getting rid of some pests and start opening up cans of this stuff:

**Frazzled**

Lord Scythican wrote:What about this? Fumigate your home.

Show up, announce to the squatters that you are getting rid of some pests and start opening up cans of this stuff:

excellent.

**Lord Scythican**

Frazzled wrote:
Lord Scythican wrote:What about this? Fumigate your home.

Show up, announce to the squatters that you are getting rid of some pests and start opening up cans of this stuff:
SNIP

excellent.

It has to be legal right? It's my house I need to get rid of pests

I mean it even says so on the box: "Use raid Fumigator to rid you home of Spider, ticks, fleas, sqautters, bed bugs, hornets, wasps, and any other pests". Or at least it should.

**CT GAMER**

thr brits never had much luck holding onto their property. Heck they let North America slip away to "squatters" as well...

**George Spiggott**

CT GAMER wrote:thr brits never had much luck holding onto their property. Heck they let North America slip away to "squatters" as well...

We were squatting in India at the time, it's only fair.

Just out of interest do any of Dakka's right leaning Britons think that the Mail is anything but a rag? I think we may need to educate our cousins on which UK Newspapers they should be reading.

**Avatar 720**

How about nobody reads any newspapers and just goes along with their own views instead of having other people's views spoonfed to them because they lack the willingness or ability to judge for themselves?

Or am I the only one who feels this way?...

Yeah... awkward...

**Kilkrazy**

biccat wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:The article is from the Daily Mail and should be regarded as "Little England" propaganda.

In this kind of case, where the house is unoccupied for repairs and building work, the squatters will be quickly evicted once a court order is granted.

Guy Ritchie got the squatters out of his home in about a week.

Here's the news from a free legal services company, dated 2 days before the Daily Mail. It's also available at the Telegraph.

Presumably these aren't "Little England" propagandists?

The Daily Fascistgraph is. They are pretty solid on defence matters but the rest of their stuff is basically Daily Fail for the elderly propertied classes.

If you want to trust a "free legal service" web site, I've got some Jackalope eggs I need to unload quickly, and I can let you have them for a good price.

Seriously, the reason why these squatters are still in the house is that a "technical error" invalidated the petition to have them evicted. It turns out the husband did his own legal work to save money. That turned out to be a false economy.

This is a man who reportedly was able to save £100,000 a year cash in order to buy the property. He was too cheap to spend a few hundred quid on a solicitor and now it has gone wrong he's run crying "wah wah wah" all the way to the right wing press, who embrace his cause because the squatters are from Yurop. My heart does not bleed.

As I said, Guy Ritchie was in the exact same situation, and had the squatters out in a week.

**biccat**

Kilkrazy wrote:
biccat wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:The article is from the Daily Mail and should be regarded as "Little England" propaganda.

In this kind of case, where the house is unoccupied for repairs and building work, the squatters will be quickly evicted once a court order is granted.

Guy Ritchie got the squatters out of his home in about a week.

Here's the news from a free legal services company, dated 2 days before the Daily Mail. It's also available at the Telegraph.

Presumably these aren't "Little England" propagandists?

The Daily Fascistgraph is. They are pretty solid on defence matters but the rest of their stuff is basically Daily Fail for the elderly propertied classes.

Perhaps I could get a list of non-fascist and non-propaganda websites that I could link to that would be appropriate for posting in the Off Topic area? Since you're a MOD, I assume you're the gatekeeper of appropriate topics and sources for discussion.

I have already learned that Fox News ("Faux News") is always false (see here) and Rush Limbaugh will subject one to derision and un-moderated scorn from certain posters here. It appears that the same is true regarding the Daily Mail and Telegraph, and that attempts to substantiate a story from such a publication is also unacceptable.

Are there any others I should be aware of? Presumably Alex Jones, Media Matters, Russia Today, and MSNBC are all acceptable sources. I would assume Pravda and other state-run media outlets are also allowable.