Zet

Age 33
Male
Brisbane, Australia
Seen September 29th, 2021
Posted May 16th, 2020
7,687 posts
15.7 Years
In the middle of completely refurbishing his five-bedroom house, Connan Gupta felt he deserved a week off.
It is a decision he is now regretting because 15 squatters took advantage of his short absence to occupy the £700,000 property.
The jobless Italians changed the locks and have taken up residence along with their three dogs and two cats.
They claim the fact they cannot afford to rent gives them the right to take over the Victorian property in Camberwell, South-East London.
Police are powerless to intervene because squatting is a civil rather than criminal offence.



Mr Gupta, a 40-year-old hotelier, has been forced to seek alternative accommodation and instruct a solicitor to have the intruders evicted.
He left the house on October 10 for his week off and returned on Monday to find he couldn’t open the door. A squatter’s rights notice was posted in a window.
‘This is just ridiculous,’ he said. ‘Everything’s in there. All my worldly possessions, clothes, valuables, and medication I need for a skin condition. It is hellish. 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”.
‘I just have to sit here and wait. It’s as if the squatters have more rights than I do.’



The squatters claim the front door was open when they arrived at the house two weeks ago.
One, Valentina, 26, said: ‘None of us have any money or jobs. I don’t feel guilty about being here because no one else had been here for at least two years, the neighbours told us.
‘There’s no sink, no running water, no electricity, no carpets and the place was filthy. All of the owner’s stuff was packed away and stored.
‘I’ve never squatted before but when three of us found it we called our friends who are having difficulties of their own and told them about it.
‘When the owner came on Monday in the morning we told him we were squatting, and he was really aggressive.
‘We’ll go if the court tells us to but until then we’re staying. If he wants his things he’ll have to wait. If I find a job then I’ll start paying rent like a normal person.’
They have turned the front room into a sixth bedroom and are using Mr Gupta’s wardrobes to store their clothes. They are also making use of his three leather sofas, sauna, hundreds of DVDs and television.
An eviction hearing is expected to be held in the next two weeks.

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1322246/Man-leaves-home-week-decorated-15-squatters-in.html


I find it absolutely ridiculous that police can't do anything about this, nor can the owner of the place. :/

I hope a court judge orders them to get out asap.

donavannj

Age 32
Male
'cause it get cold like Minnesota
Seen 4 Days Ago
Posted 1 Week Ago
22,513 posts
18.2 Years
If they manage to stay in that house for 12 years, the ownership of the place will transfer from the owner to them. Though as to how they are making full use of his TV without electricity sure beats me.
Now that is a ridiculous law that would never fly here in the United States.
whoops

Kura

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Age 33
Female
London, UK (orig. Toronto, Canada)
Seen August 30th, 2021
Posted August 24th, 2021
10,993 posts
18.7 Years
Squatting might be a civil right's law, but breaking and entering is a criminal law, and they can get locked up and thrown in jail for THAT.

:/ The police are the ones that are stupid.
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Zet

Age 33
Male
Brisbane, Australia
Seen September 29th, 2021
Posted May 16th, 2020
7,687 posts
15.7 Years
Squatting might be a civil right's law, but breaking and entering is a criminal law, and they can get locked up and thrown in jail for THAT.

:/ The police are the ones that are stupid.
The police really can't do anything if the door was "left open".

Kura

twitter.com/puccarts

Age 33
Female
London, UK (orig. Toronto, Canada)
Seen August 30th, 2021
Posted August 24th, 2021
10,993 posts
18.7 Years
The police really can't do anything if the door was "left open".
Claimed by who? They said they changed the locks.
And who goes on vacation without closing and locking the door? If he said that the door was closed, then it was closed. They can't base this whole case on one bias statement. It is obviously broken into. And what about the no trespassing law? That house is private property.

Edit: He specifically said... ‘Everything’s in there. All my worldly possessions, clothes, valuables, and medication I need for a skin condition. It is hellish. I always triple-lock the house and when I went away I made sure everything was locked."
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Age 34
Female
Australia
Seen December 29th, 2011
Posted November 3rd, 2010
352 posts
12.9 Years
Wow, I am literally shocked at this article!!! this is absurd! Surely the owner can just break the door down? its his own property, he can't get in trouble for that right?

And yeah, I'd have thought breaking and entering or trespassing would warrant police attention!
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Stellar

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Age 31
Female
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Seen December 7th, 2022
Posted November 27th, 2022
870 posts
14.1 Years
‘We’ll go if the court tells us to but until then we’re staying. If he wants his things he’ll have to wait. If I find a job then I’ll start paying rent like a normal person.
"Like a normal person?" Whether you like it or not, you're a "normal person" just like the rest of us. Regardless of whether you have a job or not you do not have the right to take over someone else's personal property like this. Just because you don't have the skills or the means to make a living for yourself does not entitle you to live someone else's life as if yours isn't good enough. It's childish and disgraceful and just... no. Get out, grow up, and work to gain your own property like everyone else.

Charliezard

A wild shroomish appeared!

Age 31
Male
Australia
Seen December 1st, 2014
Posted December 9th, 2011
1,274 posts
16 Years
LMAO! That's gotta hoit XD But that can't be right... Something HAS to be missing, there is no way they could get away with what they're doing 0.0 And he has to wait about two weeks to see IF he can get his house back? XD Poor guy, I'd be so damn mad.

SinisterEternity

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New Zealand
Seen January 18th, 2022
Posted August 26th, 2016
429 posts
13 Years
Like, seriously, this is really a stupid law.
If I were the guy, I'd gladly gather my friends and take MY property back ! Counter-attack I say, COUNTER ! /shot

Anywho, really, if that man gets his house back and the squatters endure no punishment, then I am sorry but that Police and the Court really have no sense of 'justice' and respect on the 'property right' (or so they call it I think).

We’ll go if the court tells us to but until then we’re staying. If he wants his things he’ll have to wait
↑ ...Excuse me ? ಠ_ಠ
God, if they ever find a freakin' job and house, do the same to them and tell them :
"Sorry, but you'll have to wait for the court, which I know clearly isn't the owner of that house, to tell me to give it back to you, HA."
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PlatinumDude

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Age 29
Male
Canada
Seen July 31st, 2020
Posted May 30th, 2020
12,958 posts
12.7 Years
You leave your home for a week (making sure it's locked) and you come back just to find that other people have taken over despite the locks? This is plain ridiculous. If this happened to me, I'd sue whoever took over my place.

Zebeedoo

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Age 28
Female
Northern Ireland
Seen March 7th, 2023
Posted December 3rd, 2014
989 posts
14.4 Years
..what the fudge. o__o;

That's just totally stupid and unfair... he spent a load of money on that house refurbishing it. And all for what? For squatters to move in? I don't think that was the point. Now I know they may be homeless and what not, but still, I really don't think they had the.. right to move into the house like that.. some of his belongings are still in there too, he has the right to go in there and take them all back, but he can't because they won't let him. :/ Seriously, they should go out and try to find a job instead of taking over someone else's house, maybe then they can find their own house. >__<;;



Age 29
Female
Scotland
Seen May 9th, 2013
Posted February 29th, 2012
392 posts
14.3 Years
Lucky for them that they didn't happen to settle into a house whose owner might have been less than co-operative. That really is a stinker of a law. Pretty sure you wouldn't get away with that in a car or something of the like. Hope this case is noticed by someone who can change it.
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Age 29
Male
Seen June 1st, 2013
Posted April 27th, 2013
2,276 posts
14.4 Years
The squatters are trespassing should be charged as such. They should also be sued in Civil Court for damages to the property.
Quoted for emphasis.

"You know, I'm really strapped for cash right now"
"Me too. Hey, let's call like a dozen other people and move into an empty house that nobody lives in!"
-----
"Oh hey, it looks like somebody's lived here at some point during the last 12 years."
"Well, we're already here, aren't we? Let's go sit on the leather sofas!"
"And then we can cook the food in the fridge that isn't cold on the stove we can't turn on, and wash the dishes in the sink we can't use!"

I believe we've reached the point of idiocy. Also, lies.

According to one commenter it is, in fact, covered as criminal under a theft act. This is so stupid on every side of the equation (minus the homeowner's) that it's almost literally hurting my brain.

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Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'

Age 97
Shimoda City
Seen 2 Days Ago
Posted January 25th, 2022
9,705 posts
15.5 Years
I may never leave my house to go on vacation again...

Really, this is completely ridiculous. Sad part is, the authorities seem to really be treating this as a "he said, she said" matter, which is really nuts. "Squatter's rights" apparently means something totally different over there, something that has me very concerned. It is completely unfair that this man cannot take a week off from a renovation job without having this type of riffraff invade his property.

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FreakyLocz14

Conservative Patriot

Male
Seen August 29th, 2018
Posted August 28th, 2018
3,497 posts
14 Years
What I would do if I were the owner is press the local police and prosecutor to file criminal charges against these squatters.

I would also, whether or not criminal charges are filed, sue for damages if anything was damaged or used, including any food of the owner's that was eaten.

Amai

やった! 私はあまい

Age 30
Male
東京
Seen November 13th, 2020
Posted December 13th, 2010
137 posts
12.6 Years
I can see this becoming some elaborate series of events.

First starting out with the owners leaving, then the squatters coming. The squatters leave for a bit, the owner comes back. The owner leaves again inevitably, and the squatters come back again. The cycle just keeps repeating.

Seems like a children's story.

Anyway, those particular laws that have been mentioned are stupid, out-dated (because there was a time when that did good, but that time has past), and needs to be changed.
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