When Does An Englishman's Castle No Longer Becomes His Own?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3589749/Pensioner-s-anger-squatter-wins-right-400-000-house-faces-losing-flat-pay-legal-bills.html

[Cloverjo]

I'm having trouble loading the site, and I hate the DM anyway, so not going to keep trying.
I thought squatters' rights were abolished a couple of years ago. What's going on here?

[naomi24]

Doesn't seem right to me.

[Baldric]

Seems to be based on this bit CJ;

///Judge Elizabeth Cooke denied his application to take back control of the property on the basis that he was not a registered administrator of his mother’s estate.
Mrs Curtis had died without a will and her son had not realised he had to apply to become an administrator.///

[naomi24]

Still doesn't seem right. Whatever the man has failed to do, the squatter can't possibly be deemed, morally, to own the premises. Weird law.

[steg]

When?
Obviously when he leaves it unattended for a long period of time and some one else moves in.
In the good old days if one wanted some one else's castle they just attacked it, killed the owners and took it

[gness]

It's a difficult one, AOG......of course the squatter should have no right to the house......I think it's theft.

But Mr Curtis left the house empty and becoming derelict for twenty years.... he couldn't visit and when he was told he no longer needed to pay council tax assumed it was due to the state of the house. So he was aware it was in a state it seems.
He could have appointed someone to keep the house up to scratch if only for the sake of the neighbours.....or maybe rented it out with an agent caring for it.

It's sad, but I wouldn't want a property next door to me neglected and derelict for that long.

[-Talbot-]

It must be nice to have a house that you can just leave to go into disrepair.

I hated the old squatters rights but I don't have much sympathy here.

[pastafreak]

It says that Mr Best-the squatter- started renovating the house when he moved in. It sounds like he cared more for the condition of the property than the owner,and actually kept it from deteriorating.
I don't understand why the owner never once in 20 years bothered to visit the property...surely it entered his head that his inheritance would be losing value in that time?
While I don't support squatting,it's difficult to feel sympathy for the owner

[Sammy48]

So basically the squatter has got a free house, no mortgage or rent to pay.. Wonder if he pays council tax, and what about gas and electricity and water bills, who pays them.

[ToraToraTora]

the law in this country favours theiving scum.

[Mamyalynne]

Difficult situation , the Gentleman should not have to sell his flat to pay costs though.

However should people be allowed to bight the neighbourhood by allowing properties to rot for decades?

There's one on my daughters road, all houses pristine and gardens bonny , this one - the guy doesn't care a jot and visits once a year if that. Even the Council's Empty Properties Officer has offered help, to no avail.

[Mamyalynne]

^ Blight

[ToraToraTora]

there's something badly wrong if someone can steal a house, end of.

[ToraToraTora]

millions work hard to pay a mortgage or rent, this lowlife gets given it on a plate. Mental judges as usual.

[mikey4444]

This doesn't seem to make sense to me either....perhaps NJ can come along and explain the law here.

[david small]

It never was his own. An illusion perpetuated by desire for security. A myth.

[Baldric]

///A pensioner who lost his empty house to a squatter///

Really ?

[Peter Pedant]

thro delay

adverse possession since 1997 - what a fool .....

[Mamyalynne]

Precisely, it could have been avoided decades ago by settling his title if any to the house when his Mother died and then set about renovating or selling it.

Fine for others to be angry for him but would you like to live next to an abandoned rotting house yourself?

[Peter Pedant]

govt info on squatters' rights here

https://www.gov.uk/squatting-law/squatters-rights-to-property

the squatter fits the bill.

also from the AB thread he inherited the house from his mum ( intestate on the facts ) and didnt put the house in his own name AND didnt eject the trespasser so when the time came for him to prove better title ... he couldnt. oops !