Announcing a batch of proposed new measures yesterday, Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke, said he intends to make squatting in residential buildings a criminal offence. Mr Clarke also wants to strengthen people’s rights to use force to defend themselves from intruders in their own homes. The proposals will be debated in the House of Commons next [...]
squatters
Squatting to be criminalised… finally!
Handing over our petition to criminalise squatting
Regular readers will be aware of our campaign to criminalise squatting. In April, we presented our initial petition to 10 Downing Street calling for squatting to be criminalised.
Yesterday, the campaign took a big step forward, with the government committing to criminalise squatting as part of the new Justice Bill. It is great that everyone is now talking about squatting and seeing how it affects property owners. However, there is still a very long way to go.
Before any plans to fully criminalise squatting become an act of law, there will be consultations to discuss ideas about how squatting should be criminalised. Often, brazen proposals go through an undressing in these stages to try and get to a regime that stakeholders are satisfied with.
It is for this reason that it is so important to keep the pressure on decision makers in Westminster to ensure that squatting is criminalised in a way that is satisfactory to property owners – the ones who are the victims of squatting.
We don’t want any ridiculous law that overly burdens homeowners with red tape and administration when trying to get rid of squatters. What we do want is an efficient regime for law enforcement to evict squatters quickly and at minimal cost.
That is why we are keeping our Criminalise Squatting petition open until squatting is officially a criminal offence. If you have not signed the petition yet, please do so. And, encourage others to as well.
SQUATTING: Campaign Update
The campaign to criminalise squatting has been gaining momentum.
Many landlords have signed the petition (although we still need more support). But, there have been encouraging signs.
An initial debate took place in Parliament on Wednesday (where our campaigning efforts were also mentioned). The Government are now considering full criminalisation of squatting and looking at ways to tackle the issues that are associated with it.
Of course, any proposals will go to a Public Consultation where their impact will be assessed. But, it is still an encouraging sign. It shows us that public pressure is working and decision makers in Westminster are paying attention.
There is still a long way to go. These changes will not happen overnight. It is paramount that we all continue in our endeavours to ensure that squatting is criminalised.
However, we still need more people to get behind our campaign. We will be presenting the petition to Downing Street next week. Please sign the petition here and spread the word.
Campaign to Criminalise Squatting
We are calling on all homeowners to support a campaign to criminalise squatting. An MP, Mr Mike Weatherley, has started a motion to make this happen.
You can help by supporting this campaign.
The background
Squatting is considered to be a civil matter. A squatter has only committed a criminal offence if they have broken into a property, or, caused any damage.
For homeowners, regaining possession of their property from squatters can be both expensive and stressful. Typically, it takes a couple of months to evict them properly.
Essentially, squatters consume services that they have not paid for. We feel that this is a violation of homeowner rights and feel that all types of squatting should be made a criminal offence.
Recently, we have seen examples of squatters banding together to find empty properties to squat in. The level of organisation that they now use to target properties is shocking. In one example, squatters made a Freedom of Information request to find out which Council properties were unoccupied.
This abuse must stop.
1. Support the campaign
Sign the petition, here
The petition will be presented to Downing Street on the 4th April 2011.
2. Write to your MP
Use the template below to write to your local MP, asking them to support the campaign. You can find out who your MP is and send them an email here.
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Dear [MP Name]
Please support Early Day Motion 1545, sponsored by Mike Weatherley MP (Hove & Portslade) and other MPs, to criminalise squatting.
http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-11/1545
Yours sincerely,
[Your full name]
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Lock, Stock and 12 Smoking Squatters
Guy Richie is always laughing at London villains. Now, one group are laughing at him. OK, they’re not actually villains, they’re squatters. A group of 12, calling themselves Really Free School, have moved into one of Mr Richie’s £6m properties.
Squatters: Strike, resist, occupy
These groups of squatters are increasingly becoming aware of the law. This displayed a letter in the window which warned that anyone who tried to remove them would be prosecuted.
We advise Mr Richie to issue eviction proceedings immediately. The process could take a couple of months, so it is important for him to act right now. At the same time he should try negotiating with the squatters. However, if not handled correctly, negotiations can backfire. So always use a professional to do it for you.
We have warned so many times: Squatters will target absolutely anyone with an empty property. They are getting more organised now and they’re using the power of social-media to operate.
If work is being carried out on the property, or if voids are expected, owners need to ensure that the property is secure. For prime properties like this, a security firm should be used during the refurb.
And if you do get into trouble, always contact us fast. Acting fast can save you thousands.
Squatters go online for premises and rights
The threat of squatters occupying vacant buildings has led to a sharp rise in property owners seeking insurance cover to tackle the problem, Aviva has reported.
Currently, a third of claims on legal expenses policies provided by Aviva are connected to the eviction of unauthorised occupants and the firm’s underwriting manager, Matt Gordon, warns that squatters [...]
