Overheard in Twitterland
From a resident of Quincy Street in Bed Stuy: “Spent hours last night convincing cops that men breaking in to house next door were not owners – no arrests but they all left.”
From a resident of Quincy Street in Bed Stuy: “Spent hours last night convincing cops that men breaking in to house next door were not owners – no arrests but they all left.”
And, What, just because you said this would happen does not make it either legal or something that should be tolerated. Schadenfreude on your part is one thing–advocating illegal activity is another.
You guys are insane if you think anyone should be able to just break in to a house while it’s in the process of being sold and call it their own. As for minding your own business if something doesn’t affect you? Wouldn’t having a bunch of scammers and thieves with no stake in a property moving in next door to you affect you? Crazy talk.
> “If it does not effect you directly then leave it alone.”
Given that this was next store, I’d say it does affect the person directly.
Hey What….
“Do yourself a favor– Mind you own business. If it does not effect you directly then leave it alone.”
Everyone’s a lawyer because they can google Wikepedia.
“Not sure what’s scarier: The fact that this is happening or the cops’ complete inability to deal with it.”
I told you this was going to happen Brownstoner and everyone laughed at me….
The What
Someday this war is gonna end..
are they causing any trouble? it seems like a weird situation. isnt there something called “squatters rights” tho? were they moving actual furniture in?
*rob*
Do yourself a favor– Mind you own business. If it does not effect you directly then leave it alone.
Adverse possession
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_possession
Adverse possession is a concept in law which concerns title of a real property.
In common law, adverse possession is the process by which title to another’s real property is acquired without compensation, by holding the property in a manner that conflicts with the true owner’s rights for a specified period of time. Circumstances of the adverse possession determine the type of title acquired by the disseisor (the one who obtains the title as a result of the adverse possession action), which may be fee simple title, mineral rights, or other interest in real property.
Adverse possession’s origins are based both in statutory actions and in common law precepts, so the details concerning adverse possession actions vary by jurisdiction. The required period of uninterrupted possession is governed by the statute of limitations. Other elements of adverse possession are judicial constructs.
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
Not sure what’s scarier: The fact that this is happening or the cops’ complete inability to deal with it.
Hey, that was me, quoted above. And this is a really serious issue. We have a foreclosed house next door owned by Deutsche Bank National Trust, the realtor is a small local shop hired by the bank’s agent (a law firm in Philly).
On thursday night we heard someone break in, then saw flash lights upstairs so called the cops. Cops came but, as the would-be squatters wouldn’t come to the door, (!!) they left without doing anything. Friday night, same time — 10:30 — a Budget rental truck pulled up outside and a bunch of people started trying to move stuff in. Before they were able to get the door open I ran outside and asked to see their realtor credentials (I knew the place had not been sold as I had been speaking to the realtor only two hours previously). An older dude waived a print out from property shark and claimed it was the deed!! Younger dudes told me to go fuck myself. Nice!! I explained that the realtor had asked us to keep an eye on the house, and if he had actually bought it, I apologised in advance but joked he should think himself lucky to have bought a house in a street where people actually give a shit.
Anyway, I was again told to go fuck myself, so I called the cops, who arrived en masse — three squad cars and two under covers. The under cover guys were bristling for a fight while the uniforms just tooled around on the pavement. I explained to the under covers that the house had not been bought and that the guys were actually breaking in. After checking the older dude’s property shark print out the undercover cops declared: “Well he seems pretty legit to me”. At which point I told them that the house had been locked up by the US Marshalls Service last week and that anyone who bought the house would have a receipt saying that the lock had been removed. At this point the under cover lost his temper and said “look buddy, dont go telling me about the law, this all seems a bit civil to me. I’m out of here.” At this the squatters actually whooped and high fived. All our neighbours had come out by now, including our block president — who is also president of the police community board. We were all telling the cops that the house had not been sold and that these men were breaking in, but they still seemed disinclined to help. I was meanwhile calling and calling the realtor without any luck — it was now nearly midnight on a friday after all. In the end the undercovers came back from their cars after calling to the precinct and decided that the would be squatters should leave and bring the deeds to the house down to the precinct in the morning, at which point they would be allowed access to the house. Of course they left never (yet at least) to be seen again.
Surely there must be some sort of procedure the cops could follow to establish whether someone has legal access to a vacant property. And if not we should work together to establish one. Any thoughts?