Squatters take over foreclosed homes

[Peikko 1,575]

They are not stealing, they are using the property while it is empty and they do move if the police decide to enforce the law, which interestingly they are not particularly keen to do.

It is trespass at worst.

[peejay 327]

They are not stealing, they are using the property while it is empty and they do move if the police decide to enforce the law, which interestingly they are not particularly keen to do.

It is trespass at worst.

Actually, depending on individual state laws, I believe the people doing this could be in for some serious charges if someone with balls decided to press the issue. And the fact that there are organized groups doing this smacks of organized crime, no matter how noble they delude themselves into believing that their warped intentions are "for the greater good".

And if you look at what is going on here without selective rose colored glasses that filter out what you don't want see, this situation of unauthorized people breaking into homes they do not own to occupy them without permission is not desirable at all. In a modern civil society that believes in individual property rights, this is definitely not desirable.

Just because I don't happen to be driving my car at the moment certainly doesn't give anyone the right to change the locks and use it like it belongs to them. But I guess in your world that ain't stealing. I'm glad I don't live in your world.

Just because someone "ain't got" don't mean they have some sort of free license "to go get" just because nobody stops them from doing it at that particular moment.

[Peikko 1,575]

Peejay, you do live in my world. Look these people are squatting and not getting arrested, that's the world we both inhabit.

Now, you may believe yourself to be on the moral high road - indeed you may be on it. However, I didn't answer your question from a moral perspective, I answered it from a purely practical one. The neighbours of these squatters (the ones who upkeep the houses) are better off with the squatters than without them during the current financial crisis.

[Peikko 1,575]

I know what you want though, you want society to punish anyone who falls into poverty, any means justifies your crusading end. I don't happen to be on that bandwagon - I prefer to live and let live if the outcome of doing so is somewhat more beneficial than interfering in something I really do not have any moral imperative to weigh in on.

[S and S 12]

Isn't there some kind of squatters rights in some European countries? I thought I saw something about that.

Squatting wouldn't be so bad if the people actually took care of the home and respected the owners. Problem is that the vast majority of the time they do far more damage than good. It also makes it much more difficult to resell a home if squatters are sitting in it, trashing it, when you are trying to show it to potential buyers. Now if we were talking about big abandoned buildings that will eventually be torn down anyways, then I don't really care who lives in there for the time being.

[*Robert* 2]

Peejay, you do live in my world. Look these people are squatting and not getting arrested, that's the world we both inhabit.

Now, you may believe yourself to be on the moral high road - indeed you may be on it. However, I didn't answer your question from a moral perspective, I answered it from a purely practical one. The neighbours of these squatters (the ones who upkeep the houses) are better off with the squatters than without them during the current financial crisis.

Yeah, that's just what my neighborhood needs... squatters coming in and living in the empty houses. I'm sure they'll make excellent neighbors, because afterall, they have no money. And why don't we give them the cars we aren't driving either, and hey, what the hell, lets buy their fricking gas too!

[Mags 112]

Isn't there some kind of squatters rights in some European countries? I thought I saw something about that.

Squatting wouldn't be so bad if the people actually took care of the home and respected the owners. Problem is that the vast majority of the time they do far more damage than good. It also makes it much more difficult to resell a home if squatters are sitting in it, trashing it, when you are trying to show it to potential buyers. Now if we were talking about big abandoned buildings that will eventually be torn down anyways, then I don't really care who lives in there for the time being.

Yup, if you've been squatting in a property for a certain amount of years (I think it's may be 20 or so years) then the property becomes yours. I recall there being some empty council townhouses in London a few years back that were full of squatters. These houses had become worth a fortune, despite the poor condition, and I think the London council had to buy them FROM the squatter to get them to move out.

Each squatter walked away with a few hundred thousand. But...the council had abandoned the properties for decades - it was only when they realised they were worth something that they took action!

I'm not sure if Squatters Rights has changed since then though.

[Peikko 1,575]

I know, the idea that someone might benefit when they don't 'deserve' to is rather shocking isn't it?

But, it's only shocking when that person is poor. I know how the world works.

[dalegg 143]

Isn't there some kind of squatters rights in some European countries? I thought I saw something about that.

Squatting wouldn't be so bad if the people actually took care of the home and respected the owners. Problem is that the vast majority of the time they do far more damage than good. It also makes it much more difficult to resell a home if squatters are sitting in it, trashing it, when you are trying to show it to potential buyers. Now if we were talking about big abandoned buildings that will eventually be torn down anyways, then I don't really care who lives in there for the time being.

Yup, if you've been squatting in a property for a certain amount of years (I think it's may be 20 or so years) then the property becomes yours. I recall there being some empty council townhouses in London a few years back that were full of squatters. These houses had become worth a fortune, despite the poor condition, and I think the London council had to buy them FROM the squatter to get them to move out.

Each squatter walked away with a few hundred thousand. But...the council had abandoned the properties for decades - it was only when they realised they were worth something that they took action!

I'm not sure if Squatters Rights has changed since then though.

20 years! I think here they would level the houses in that time frame.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Squatters are a fact of life in the Philippines.

[dalegg 143]

Squatters are a fact of life in the Philippines.

It looks like they actually built those homes themselves though.

[S and S 12]

Isn't there some kind of squatters rights in some European countries? I thought I saw something about that.

Squatting wouldn't be so bad if the people actually took care of the home and respected the owners. Problem is that the vast majority of the time they do far more damage than good. It also makes it much more difficult to resell a home if squatters are sitting in it, trashing it, when you are trying to show it to potential buyers. Now if we were talking about big abandoned buildings that will eventually be torn down anyways, then I don't really care who lives in there for the time being.

Yup, if you've been squatting in a property for a certain amount of years (I think it's may be 20 or so years) then the property becomes yours. I recall there being some empty council townhouses in London a few years back that were full of squatters. These houses had become worth a fortune, despite the poor condition, and I think the London council had to buy them FROM the squatter to get them to move out.

Each squatter walked away with a few hundred thousand. But...the council had abandoned the properties for decades - it was only when they realised they were worth something that they took action!

I'm not sure if Squatters Rights has changed since then though.

Thats crazy they got all that money, then again it wasn't really bright on the council's part to leave the houses empty for decades either.

[Peikko 1,575]

With materials they pinched on land they don't own.

[dalegg 143]

Squatters are a fact of life in the Philippines.

Do I actually see A/C units on some of those shacks?

[Mags 112]

20 years! I think here they would level the houses in that time frame.

We are talking brick built, Victorian homes that don't tend to fall down in quite the same way as USA timber framed houses do. Add London into the mix, with its limited space AND a booming real estate market (at the time) and you have some rich squatters.