Squatting finally looks set to be made illegal in a victory for the “Stop the Squatters” campaign. Yet another case has highlighted how squatters are exploiting a legal loophole which allows them to remain in other people’s properties.
The latest case saw squatters take over Noel Kingsbury’s home as he was preparing to sell it, and this started a four month battle which exposed how the law is failing to protect homeowners. The illegal occupants refused to leave his property until he had gone through the courts to get an eviction order. When they finally did leave the property they also left behind a trail of destruction which included the walls being covered in graffiti, needles and excrement-stained mattresses.
Mr Kingsbury who has a number of properties covered by landlord insurance thought he had his house back but after cleaning up his property the squatters returned within two weeks. The property owner thought that having obtained an eviction order it would be easy to remove them again, but he was wrong. Due to an outrageous loophole in the law Mr Kingsbury had to start fresh court proceedings. By the time he finally evicted the squatters he was left with a bill of £40,000 for repairs and court fees.
Mr Kingsbury said “The damage done by the squatters has taken around £30,000 off the value of the property. Legal bills, a “specialist” clean-up and lost rent has cost me another £10,000. I think it’s outrageous, they are stealing property, stealing my services, it’s just so wrong to have to take months to get justice. I tell my friends from overseas and they look at me with wide-eyed horror at the lunacy of English law.”
The squatters had moved in to Mr Kingsbury’s home after they had been evicted from the property next door. Squatting is fast becoming an increasingly difficult problem for landlords and it does not help that squatters know exactly what they are doing and how the law works.