# Contacting property owners



## beat_tramp (Nov 6, 2008)

I found a great squat but some friendly homebums are already using it.The situation is like this:The guy who claims to have permission to be there had just got out of a long-term prison sentence and was sleeping in a room in the large habitable basement when the cops and the owner busted in and almost arrested him but the owner took pity and said he could stay their if he cleaned up the trashed-out property.Only he is supposed to be their but hes letting a couple live in the guest house in the backyard and an old schizophrenic guy sleep upstairs in the living room and now me in the room next to his in the basement.Theyre all (really friendly,cool and even somewhat respectable for-)drunken crackheads and havent really done much of shit cleaning the place and it smells of human excrement almost everywhere and theres turds laying around everywhere here and there from bums that had used the house before.I called this number and got the owner's mailing address and Im thinking maybe I should write them and explain that Im wanting to live their and really clean and fix the place up nicely and use it for positive purposes for as long as they would allow.The guy told me they said they plan on fixing it up and living in it one day and using the basement as a real-estate office or some crap like that but I still have hopes that just maybe if I cant claim adverse possession theyll work out a deal with me and let me stay their and rent it out or purchase it for cheap one day after I fix it up or maybe just let me have it especially if I explain my plans of using it for a charitable non-profit organization(its amongst other houses in a commercial zone).But I figured Id get advice from some of you veteran squatters first to see if this is a stupid idea or not.Should I contact the owners and try to explain myself(also I AM clean and sober and truly need the house) or should I try to take adverse possession or is their still even a chance to claim squatters rights over it? - Also I really want the crack-smoking homebums gone but I wouldnt want to fuck them over in any way.What the fuck should I do?


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## finn (Nov 6, 2008)

I don't think you can argue that you truly need the house any more than the others do, even if the way they're living in the house is going to blow it up. They were gracious enough to allow you to sleep there unmolested, so I can't see any justification in taking actions that will get them kicked out of the house. My first impression is that it's a temporary place for you to stay while you find a suitable long-term squat. 

The only other ethical way, which I don't think will work, is to come up with an alternative place for them to stay with their consent if the place is the only one in the entire area which will suit your specialized needs. Think about their situation, they've probably burned through their family and other respectable contacts, so they have far less options than you do, as a clean and sober individual.


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## beat_tramp (Nov 11, 2008)

Well Im a sober junky and I know that if I burn through my family and other respectable contacts than thats a consequence I caused myself and have to deal with but your right - It wouldnt be right for me to just take it over and kick them out when they found it first - even though they do rob peoples cars and houses and smoke crack.But I cant say its not tempting especially seeing as how the guy who let me in is now claiming that the owners said that I have to start giving him money to give to them wich is of course bullshit and wich of course I would never go along with in amillion years- wich is why I am going to contact the owner and get official permission to be there and continue cleaning and fixing the place up.And actually there is not only a large habitable basement but also a guest house in the back so I do plan on helping them fix that up and fully securing the main house for me to live in and just hope that theyll eventually move on or something.


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## nobo (Nov 12, 2008)

in order to claim adverse possesion you have to be living there specifically without the owner's permission. in california adverse possesion can be claimed after 5 years but if on the day before the 5th year the owner even posts a sign that says "anyone can live here....FREE!", the adverse possesion clock is reset. kinda sucks.


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## beat_tramp (Nov 15, 2008)

nobo said:


> in order to claim adverse possesion you have to be living there specifically without the owner's permission. in california adverse possesion can be claimed after 5 years but if on the day before the 5th year the owner even posts a sign that says "anyone can live here....FREE!", the adverse possesion clock is reset. kinda sucks.




Thanks - thats mainly what I was wanting to know.

Since the guy already there had claimed to have permission to be there I went ahead and wrote the owners requesting direct permission( to confirm that I had no obligations to give the crackhead homebum any money) to be there and fix the place up in exchange for my residency but the next day this guy showed up and was supposedly on the phone with the owners and he told me they werent going to respond to me because absolutely no one was supposed to be there and he said hes gonna be bulldozing the place within the next week.So I packed up my stuff and left but I think the guy may have been bullshitting though I dont doubt that he was in contact with the owners because he knew that I wrote the owners a letter.So now Im wondering since I dont have permision to be there and if they arent gonna bulldoze the house if there would still be a miniscule chance of claiming adverese possession after some time of habitating it - if it were ever possible to get away with it.(I bet anything it will still be there a year from now.)


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## katiehabits (Nov 15, 2008)

a squat i lived in a year ago in vancouver was going to get tore down eventually so the owner could built himself a "dream house". a friend of mine had rented the house for a few months before we started squating it & then everyone got evicted & he said they could stay rent free for 2 months so everyone could find new places to live and so crackheads wouldn't take it over. then he texted her tell her to get everyone out. then she left town so we stayed & cleaned it up soooo much. but then he hired a guy to come & tell us to get out in a week cuz he was going to knock it down; but it stayed up for another like 4 months. some of us stayed but the cops busted it 3 times in those months after the actor guy came.
so i would say don't believe this guy cuz he was probably hired by the owner to get everyone out.


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## IBRRHOBO (Nov 15, 2008)

Looks like ur in TN. I do a bunch of punch list shit for foreclosure outfits in TN for my $ to ride on. Granted, ur in a squat there now. Seems u don't like the scene. There are a SHITLOAD of empty houses in ur area if ur still where ur profile sayz u r. Go no further than researching either thru HUD.gov or simply roaming around looking for For Sale signs in a low key area. This time of year the utilities MUST be cut on in the vacant homes as the water lines will bust (unless it's been winterized). Check the meter. Never alarms either as fucks like me have to access the house to do repair work and we can't remember to tie our shoes let alone fucking access codes. Drop a line if u need more detailed info. I also side w/finn ... assholes or not, the crackhead homebums brought u in. Now if they were tryin' shit on u, that's a party foul and punishable, but they're not (other than the cat just outta the joint. Good hunting!


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## finn (Nov 17, 2008)

I think it's safe to say that the place has been blown up, now that the owner knows that there are more people than that ex-con living there. You could try staying there since I doubt it's going to be torn down anytime soon, but at this point it sounds like it'd be easier just to find a new place that isn't inhabited by others.


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## beat_tramp (Nov 18, 2008)

Yeah Im definently gonna go ahead and leave that house alone for a little while.I found an area in mid/down-town Memphis - its like 3 city blocks of boarded up houses and apt. buildings of wich afew have been arsoned and theres signs on every door warning about local arson attacks.In front of the neighborhood theres a big sign explaining something about the area being a sight for planned development or something like that and a local drunken "crackhead" told me that theyre gonna build a fuckin Target there.Anyway,I just started dating this hot lawyer girl and she told me it takes 21 years to establish adverse possession in TN.That sucks but anyway that neighborhood could be there for a long time(not implying 21 years of course).Its in a perfect location right in between downtown and midtown(artsy part of Memphis.)I suggest all of you move here and lets take over one of the apt. buildings or something.We could establish a small community of squatters.


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## katiehabits (Nov 18, 2008)

i'd group together on the apartment buildings if i where you. if the whole place is full of kids there's less of a chance of cops comeing at night & scareing the shit out of you. good luck man!


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## beat_tramp (Nov 19, 2008)

katiehabits said:


> i'd group together on the apartment buildings if i where you.



Ok then get here asap!


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