Urban homesteading

[jerb2]

Howdy I am Jeremy .I'm a chef and multimedia artist in Oakland and I am new to this site. I am currently squatting in an abondonded burger joint in El cerrito , California and I would like to see if anybody knows about how I should go about turning on the water .I believe i know where it's located and I'd like to get the bill in my name , but don't want to alert the heat! Advice would be welcomed! My all beings feel real peace!

 

[Sameer]

If it were me I would just turn on the water with a wrench if that were possible. I wouldn't put a bill in my name or do anything that might bite me in the ass later. It might be a nice squat but ultimately you are a trespasser. I wouldn't do anything to attract attention.

 

[DreadForest]

I looked it up and this is what you need to start service.
To start service, you’ll need:

• Service address
• New service start date
• Identification: Social Security Number (last four digits), Driver’s License or State Identification

customers such as multi-family units and businesses can call Customer Service at 1-866-403-2683, Monday-Friday (8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

There's no requirement there for you to produce a lease or any other sort of paperwork regarding authorization to occupy the property. Most of the time, clerks and city personnel are way too busy to dig into anything regarding leasing etc, so as long as you pretend you're using the property for its zoned purpose, as long as you pay the bill on time they aren't likely to come looking for you.

Someone else may have more expertise in this area as I have no direct knowledge of how CA authorities behave. I just know that most places don't really care what you're doing as long as you're clean, quiet, and pay the bills.