# Is Slab City Reproducible on Owned Land?



## Inhibition

I haven't personally been to Slab City due to its location and personal illness. But I've been researching and very interested in the possibility of creating similar anarchist spaces.

I've read it is currently state owned property. Is that why it is relatively free of zoning regulations? I've also read the State is interested in taking it back or cleaning it up?

So if someone (or a group) were to own property, can anyone knowledgeable point out the current advantages and pitfalls? I would personally prefer a location more accessible for people with disabilities and particularly mobility issues. Would a more accessible location be feasible, or catch too much public attention?

Also, is there some consensus that certain members of the community are trustworthy enough to handle donations towards such a cause? I've seen some success with crowdfunding attempts such as the Tiny Houses fund:



But property for those without shelter, it seems untested. What do you think?


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## ped

I think there's a good chance any small town would salivate to slam you with everything they got. Including new legislation. They used to raid communes all the time and slap them with enormous fines


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## Notmyname

I think there's wayyy too much liability to reproduce slab city. The reason the slabs works is because there isnt a single person to come after. If there was an owner the whole thing would be shut down by the state I think.


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## Dmac

also an owner could be held liable for any injury on his property, and would get sued sooner or later.


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## Notmyname

Dmac said:


> also an owner could be held liable for any injury on his property, and would get sued sooner or later.


This exactly. an owner would be liable for injury and maybe even people breaking the law on their property(drugs and what not) theres plenty of sketchy shit going on in the slabs.If the slabs had an owner I think the property would be raided or some shit lol. Also if there was an owner, it would change the camp dynamic because there would be a central authority to complain to(imagine if slabbers could vote people off the island) all it would take is a threat of legal action and the owner would be involved and he could get the cops involved to remove people. Obviously theres no way to know if this would happen, but it could happen.


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## ped

there's a fuck ton of research that's been done with every kind of structure. The vast majority of applied experiments are failures in 2-4 years.


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## Mankini

Inhibition said:


> I haven't personally been to Slab City due to its location and personal illness. But I've been researching and very interested in the possibility of creating similar anarchist spaces.
> 
> I've read it is currently state owned property. Is that why it is relatively free of zoning regulations? I've also read the State is interested in taking it back or cleaning it up?
> 
> So if someone (or a group) were to own property, can anyone knowledgeable point out the current advantages and pitfalls? I would personally prefer a location more accessible for people with disabilities and particularly mobility issues. Would a more accessible location be feasible, or catch too much public attention?
> 
> Also, is there some consensus that certain members of the community are trustworthy enough to handle donations towards such a cause? I've seen some success with crowdfunding attempts such as the Tiny Houses fund:
> 
> 
> 
> But property for those without shelter, it seems untested. What do you think?





The concept of land ownership is one of the original sins of Western Civ.


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## Hillbilly Castro

Do this: get a crew of hoboes who make no legal income to all go to community college. We all take the highest amount of student grants and loans, which means we get thousands of bucks in cash disbursed to us immediately. Each person buys a section of land, and takes the deed and stores it somewhere secret. Then, the land is opened up to everyone, slab city style. The owners of the land disappear, so that they are being squatted on in absentia. When the town comes to evict ya, they have to take you to civil court, and just when the adverse possession process begins, which would require us to abide by codes, the owner hobo shows up and says wait wait wait this is my land. This could be done on multiple adjacent properties so that we wind up playing merry-go-round until everything is ambiguous enough that we have recreated slab city's anarchic nature. 

As far as the student loans, if the hoboes who've got them get on Income Based Repayment, as long as they make under 10k a year, their adjusted payment will be zero each month, and in 25 years, the loan is forgiven. Even if they make more than 10k, the payment might be $10-$20/mo. So this is for 'hardcore' anti system folks who do not care about legal income or credit. ALSO, the ~50k you can get in federal loans could be invested in a business venture that runs through your tax name and builds credit - say, legal weed for example. Get yer credit pristine, get that business credit, max it out and buy up liquifiable assets on credit, and use that money for the land - we're talking hundreds of thou at that point. File bankruptcy, maybe take a trip to Colombia, and after the statute of limitations, you're good. 

All this is really good material for my next fiction novel, right folks?


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## ped

No, I bet it would work actually


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## Notmyname

ped said:


> No, I bet it would work actually


Everything posted on the internet is fictional lol


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## ped

If 10 of us went and did like the gate guard thing in a couple months we could buy 5-10 acres in PNW. And have enough left for solar, container bunker, and shed cabins. 10 people in by spring would net $70k. A team of 2 make $150 a day just sitting in a camper writing employees down in the morning and evening.

http://m.landwatch.com/results?s=FT_D&t=;268,6843;5,80;137,1378&q=&PX=19999


It's not all that hard.

Desert land is like $500-1500 acre


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## mcthumbin

I say be careful! if you create something like that be cautious of legalities.


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## Matt Derrick

i think my biggest complaint about plans like this is that there is always a million people saying why you can't do something like this instead of people coming forward with answers.

you could always put the land into a land trust with a board of organizers, that would alleviate the sole responsibility problem. also if you do your research before purchasing the land, you should be able to avoid parcels with local house association rules and counties that require your structures meet certain requirements.

just a few ideas...


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## ped

it's the way it is, unzoned land is becoming very rare. I mean in some places there's laws against collecting rainwater, installing solar with UL certified electricians, sewage, structures over 120 sq ft have to be permitted, no open fires, no wood burning stoves, building codes, etc. that's county, city, state stuff. Not merely HOA's.

And all it takes is a town hall meeting for disgruntled locals to pass a law intended to shut you down.

I remember an episode of pitbulls and parolees where they had to pack up and move to nola because the locals in some CA backwater county wouldnt grant them further permits to be an animal rescue due to fears of pitbulls getting lose. That's all it took, yokels standing up in town hall telling the board how scared they are and boom they're shut down.


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## Supposed Mocha

Much as there were some cool suggestions already, I have to almost suggest just finding places without zoning for now and just be prepared to defend that lack thereof zoning to the death. Metaphorically, or literally I guess hey its your life man. 

It's not totally accessible and there's little to no infrastructure, but Eureka County in Nevada is more than glad to tout the fact it lacks Zoning Codes. I'm not even sure they have any business licensing up that way, but I guess its a moot point when they have maybe a thousand or so people in the entire county? Something to think about though.


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## Hillbilly Castro

ped said:


> it's the way it is, unzoned land is becoming very rare. I mean in some places there's laws against collecting rainwater, installing solar with UL certified electricians, sewage, structures over 120 sq ft have to be permitted, no open fires, no wood burning stoves, building codes, etc. that's county, city, state stuff. Not merely HOA's.
> 
> And all it takes is a town hall meeting for disgruntled locals to pass a law intended to shut you down.
> 
> I remember an episode of pitbulls and parolees where they had to pack up and move to nola because the locals in some CA backwater county wouldnt grant them further permits to be an animal rescue due to fears of pitbulls getting lose. That's all it took, yokels standing up in town hall telling the board how scared they are and boom they're shut down.



Okay, serious question - what about Mexico? Or another country that is cheap, reasonably safe, warm, with a government that doesn't meddle with its people like the U.S.? 

Also, if folks want to have a rendezvous about this as a "let's actually fucking do it" project, post up - I think a sort of "jamboree for action instead of raging" (with maybe a lil raging) would be fuckin sweet.


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## ped

yeah or something like costa rica or puerto rico. Mexico has laws against foreigners owning land. (so billionaires dont come in and buy their country out)...not sure about ex-pats

quick search shows land prices around $20-30k
http://www.landwatch.com/Camuy-County-Puerto-Rico-Land-for-sale/pid/2561435


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## Supposed Mocha

ped said:


> yeah or something like costa rica or puerto rico. Mexico has laws against foreigners owning land. (so billionaires dont come in and buy their country out)...not sure about ex-pats
> 
> quick search shows land prices around $20-30k
> http://www.landwatch.com/Camuy-County-Puerto-Rico-Land-for-sale/pid/2561435



I almost feel at that point you should just find a place to take over or some empty island. Go all Pirate too just because.


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## Hillbilly Castro

Supposed Mocha said:


> I almost feel at that point you should just find a place to take over or some empty island. Go all Pirate too just because.


Yeah absolutely this. We got to work with our boat punk comrades on this one. I agree Puerto Rico is also a pretty neat option.


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## Supposed Mocha

Hillbilly Castro said:


> Yeah absolutely this. We got to work with our boat punk comrades on this one. I agree Puerto Rico is also a pretty neat option.



You made me realize, we really need Air Punks somehow. Fucktons of Gyrocopters and Cropdusters.


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## Mankini

Supposed Mocha said:


> I almost feel at that point you should just find a place to take over or some empty island. Go all Pirate too just because.



There are a TRILLION little islands suitable here there and everywhere in the US


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## Mankini

Supposed Mocha said:


> You made me realize, we really need Air Punks somehow. Fucktons of Gyrocopters and Cropdusters.



well, aviators. i dont think they have to be ''punx'' necessarily. i dont give a phuq if they blast Achy Breaky Heart at top volume.


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## Supposed Mocha

Mankini said:


> There are a TRILLION little islands suitable here there and everywhere in the US



Yeah I've always wondered what would be a good place for it, though with everything going on now in California and the healthy population of people more open to it I think it'd be the place to set one's eyes on in terms of an island community. Wrap some #CalExit BS in it or something for more approval. Ghost towns come to mind as well.



Mankini said:


> well, aviators. i dont think they have to be ''punx'' necessarily. i dont give a phuq if they blast Achy Breaky Heart at top volume.



I'm gonna get a biplane some day, and paint it all up in Catalonia's colors and you can't stop me.


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## ped

British Columbia has islands I hear


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## Hillbilly Castro

ped said:


> British Columbia has islands I hear


And terrible winter


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## Supposed Mocha

ped said:


> British Columbia has islands I hear



I almost feel that Canadians would tolerate American squatters less than local authorities in the US. Aside from the whole militarized BS you see out at the Dakota Pipeline.


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## AlwaysLost

Supposed Mocha said:


> I almost feel that Canadians would tolerate American squatters less than local authorities in the US. Aside from the whole militarized BS you see out at the Dakota Pipeline.


 
Idk Canada is pretty picky bout who they let in their country...


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## ped

Supposed Mocha said:


> I almost feel that Canadians would tolerate American squatters less than local authorities in the US. Aside from the whole militarized BS you see out at the Dakota Pipeline.



I was thinking so remote a place to be very hard to be seen. IDK


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## Vanholio

It would be great if you could find some little piece of ignored land, like Liberland did. http://www.againstcronycapitalism.org/2015/04/liberland-a-new-libertarian-country-in-eastern-europe/


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## Vanholio

It would be great if you could find some little piece of ignored land, like Liberland did. http://www.againstcronycapitalism.org/2015/04/liberland-a-new-libertarian-country-in-eastern-europe/


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## Supposed Mocha

AlmostAlwaysLost said:


> Idk Canada is pretty picky bout who they let in their country...



Exactly, that's why I think it wouldn't work out too well.



ped said:


> I was thinking so remote a place to be very hard to be seen. IDK



That could also work, you'd just need to go to the far north and be able to handle the horrid winters.



Vanholio said:


> It would be great if you could find some little piece of ignored land, like Liberland did. http://www.againstcronycapitalism.org/2015/04/liberland-a-new-libertarian-country-in-eastern-europe/



Sorry I just have to laugh every time I see "crony capitalism." Kind of an oxymoron. The idea is solid though.


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## AlwaysLost

Its a hellacool idea. There was a place called turtle island a few years back but they got nailed by the housing committee for unsafe residences. Not sure what happened after that.

You need to be close enuff to society to resupply but in a place no one cares about. But hey if u find that special place...I don't want to be a dream assassin.


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## Mankini

AlmostAlwaysLost said:


> Its a hellacool idea. There was a place called turtle island a few years back but they got nailed by the housing committee for unsafe residences. Not sure what happened after that.
> 
> You need to be close enuff to society to resupply but in a place no one cares about. But hey if u find that special place...I don't want to be a dream assassin.



I know a Place. Aint nobody cryin.

Talk to ppl who know Black Bear Ranch in Siskiyou Co. Theyve been doing it for almost 50 years.


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## ped

right down the road from where I am is a place with a bunch of campers scattered sporadically about on a few acres. IDK what it is, if its private property or an RV park of some sort or what.

Get some land and have a legit house/structure/trailer and then people can just camp on it. Or get it zoned as a private campground or whatever.


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