5 ms·

Hired goons are a thing and probably well worth the price to keep squatters away from your property.

by lotsoweiners 3y ago

seanmcdirmid 3y ago
Very illegal. You want to turn a civil matter into a criminal one, that’s how you do it.
- pseudo0 3y ago
  If the squatter leaves to buy food and the locks get changed, it sounds like that would also be a civil matter.
- friend_and_foe 3y ago
  So is breaking into someone's house, but that doesn't seem to he an issue for the courts. When the court system fails you, I believe you have a right to take matters into your own hands. The court system is created so that we don't start feuds, harm people above and beyond what's reasonable response to their action, prevent abuses. It's here to protect us so that we don't have to violently protect ourselves. When it fails to do so, what choice do you have? The court is an institution of civilization, when it fails we go back to the natural way.
  - seanmcdirmid 3y ago
    Yes, very illegal also, if you can show it in time, best approach is to call 911 and say your house has been broken into. If the door is smashed or something, it will be obvious. But ya, we are approach “lawless enough that the law doesn’t help protect you against squatters” and “lawful enough that the law makes it very hard for you to act on your own against squatters.” Remember, you have financial things to lose, these people squatting generally don’t (besides their freedom, and they usually get out of any time).
  - shadowgovt 3y ago
    "The landowning class tired of squatters and so created an extrajudicial vigilante crew to beat up those who don't own property" isn't the virtuous solution you think it is. Nor is it safe for the goon squad. If squaters start responding to such behavior by shooting on site anybody who tries to break into the building, the law will protect them because threat of bodily harm is more important than abuse of property ownership. And it should be. Ownership of real estate implies responsibilities to the community who are inextricably tied to the geographic proximity to that real estate. Don't own more than you can maintain. Don't own more than you can use. If you have entire groups of people coming into your property and setting up shop for months at a time without your knowledge, maybe you own too much. (Incidentally, that ethos applies to more than just squatting. The Catholic church in Philadelphia got fined a pile of money because they abandoned a church and failed to either sell it or pay the money to maintain it. It ended up with a water main break in the basement that nobody detected because nobody was on the property, and the water poured openly into the sewer system for months. The city find them for every drop of water that got wasted in that open pipe because that pipe was their responsibility; it was in their property).
    - seanmcdirmid 3y ago
      Many of us are worried just about going on vacation. Will I come home to an empty safe home after a two week trip abroad? Because it isn’t guaranteed anymore.
      - shadowgovt 3y ago
        Is that an issue people are seeing regularly? This story does not indicate it is.
        seanmcdirmid 3y ago
        Yes, it is pretty common now (although, I guess it depends on your definition of common!): https://www.quora.com/I-just-arrived-home-from-a-beautiful-vacation-to-find-squatters-living-in-my-home-now-I-m-the-one-living-homeless-while-the-cops-and-legal-proceedings-handle-this-what-should-I-do-next https://www.quora.com/I-just-arrived-home-from-a-beautiful-v... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLegsj31Pp8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLegsj31Pp8 https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/07/03/squatters-rights-leave-homeowners-forgotten/70364321007/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/07/03/squatters-... https://www.foxnews.com/us/maryland-resident-squatters-bedroom-belongings-sold https://www.foxnews.com/us/maryland-resident-squatters-bedro... It has happened in Seattle already, enough for me to be worried about it. Everyone should think about it before leaving on vacation, since it is a real thing that you need to protect yourself against. Even if you rent, someone could break in to your place, change the locks, and then have a scrawled out fraudulent lease document. You would eventually get your place back, but being homeless for 3-6 months sucks. This just isn't a rich house speculator problem (though they are more at risk, of course).
taylodl 3y ago
"Hired goons" - upgrade to "Security." They can keep on eye on your place and notify the police if it appears someone is residing who shouldn't be there. As has been mentioned elsewhere, squatting laws only come into effect after so many days (where I live it's 30). It's not like you went away for a weekend trip, come back to squatters in your house, and you're now screwed. Doesn't work that way at all. Edit - confirmed with wife, who's a property manager. The key, at least in our state, is a property must be vacant before squatter rights applies, otherwise it's trespassing. Squatting then is a bigger concern for vacation homes, beach homes, and the like. What is considered vacant? Well, that varies by locale! Literally, YMMV.

Hired goons are a thing and probably well worth the price to keep squatters away from your property.

seanmcdirmid 3y ago

Very illegal. You want to turn a civil matter into a criminal one, that’s how you do it.

pseudo0 3y ago
If the squatter leaves to buy food and the locks get changed, it sounds like that would also be a civil matter.
friend_and_foe 3y ago
So is breaking into someone's house, but that doesn't seem to he an issue for the courts. When the court system fails you, I believe you have a right to take matters into your own hands. The court system is created so that we don't start feuds, harm people above and beyond what's reasonable response to their action, prevent abuses. It's here to protect us so that we don't have to violently protect ourselves. When it fails to do so, what choice do you have? The court is an institution of civilization, when it fails we go back to the natural way.
- seanmcdirmid 3y ago
  Yes, very illegal also, if you can show it in time, best approach is to call 911 and say your house has been broken into. If the door is smashed or something, it will be obvious. But ya, we are approach “lawless enough that the law doesn’t help protect you against squatters” and “lawful enough that the law makes it very hard for you to act on your own against squatters.” Remember, you have financial things to lose, these people squatting generally don’t (besides their freedom, and they usually get out of any time).
- shadowgovt 3y ago
  "The landowning class tired of squatters and so created an extrajudicial vigilante crew to beat up those who don't own property" isn't the virtuous solution you think it is. Nor is it safe for the goon squad. If squaters start responding to such behavior by shooting on site anybody who tries to break into the building, the law will protect them because threat of bodily harm is more important than abuse of property ownership. And it should be. Ownership of real estate implies responsibilities to the community who are inextricably tied to the geographic proximity to that real estate. Don't own more than you can maintain. Don't own more than you can use. If you have entire groups of people coming into your property and setting up shop for months at a time without your knowledge, maybe you own too much. (Incidentally, that ethos applies to more than just squatting. The Catholic church in Philadelphia got fined a pile of money because they abandoned a church and failed to either sell it or pay the money to maintain it. It ended up with a water main break in the basement that nobody detected because nobody was on the property, and the water poured openly into the sewer system for months. The city find them for every drop of water that got wasted in that open pipe because that pipe was their responsibility; it was in their property).
  - seanmcdirmid 3y ago
    Many of us are worried just about going on vacation. Will I come home to an empty safe home after a two week trip abroad? Because it isn’t guaranteed anymore.
    - shadowgovt 3y ago
      Is that an issue people are seeing regularly? This story does not indicate it is.
      - seanmcdirmid 3y ago
        Yes, it is pretty common now (although, I guess it depends on your definition of common!): https://www.quora.com/I-just-arrived-home-from-a-beautiful-vacation-to-find-squatters-living-in-my-home-now-I-m-the-one-living-homeless-while-the-cops-and-legal-proceedings-handle-this-what-should-I-do-next https://www.quora.com/I-just-arrived-home-from-a-beautiful-v... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLegsj31Pp8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLegsj31Pp8 https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/07/03/squatters-rights-leave-homeowners-forgotten/70364321007/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2023/07/03/squatters-... https://www.foxnews.com/us/maryland-resident-squatters-bedroom-belongings-sold https://www.foxnews.com/us/maryland-resident-squatters-bedro... It has happened in Seattle already, enough for me to be worried about it. Everyone should think about it before leaving on vacation, since it is a real thing that you need to protect yourself against. Even if you rent, someone could break in to your place, change the locks, and then have a scrawled out fraudulent lease document. You would eventually get your place back, but being homeless for 3-6 months sucks. This just isn't a rich house speculator problem (though they are more at risk, of course).

taylodl 3y ago

"Hired goons" - upgrade to "Security." They can keep on eye on your place and notify the police if it appears someone is residing who shouldn't be there. As has been mentioned elsewhere, squatting laws only come into effect after so many days (where I live it's 30). It's not like you went away for a weekend trip, come back to squatters in your house, and you're now screwed. Doesn't work that way at all. Edit - confirmed with wife, who's a property manager. The key, at least in our state, is a property must be vacant before squatter rights applies, otherwise it's trespassing. Squatting then is a bigger concern for vacation homes, beach homes, and the like. What is considered vacant? Well, that varies by locale! Literally, YMMV.