Foreclosures Are Their Palaces
Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said about a dozen advocacy groups around the country were actively moving homeless people into vacant homes — some working in secret, others, like Take Back the Land, operating openly. In addition to squatting, some advocacy groups have organized civil disobedience actions in which…
“Were you in NYC in the early/mid 90s? Do you remember the squatters wars going on in the east village?”
Some of those squats turned into successful co-ops, as I recall it. And 13th street was totally fun.
Don’t get me wrong, I really despised the anarchist squatter types, but they weren’t the only kind.
Cheer up, good folk! We could soon have our own local versions of “Rent” playing out at every stalled construction site in the land!
what a mess. it’s absolutely defies common sense, and economic sense, to have *this* be the result. so working people and children get kicked out, houses get looted and destroyed and families torn apart, and then the houses are taken over by people who aren’t paying anyway? making any ultimate resale that much more difficult? isn’t there *anybody* in charge at these banks anymore?
that is awesome. i SO want to squat at the finger building on 4th avenue above cattyshack!! it’s actually pretty hard to get into that building tho now probably that three units appear occupied.
*rob*
“Yep…there was a huge battle around that time in Tompkins Square Park, as I recall…anarchists vs. gentifyers. It was a big deal back then.”
Oh yeah!!! That’s right! The archists vs. gentifyers was fight to see who would squat on Ave B!!! ROTFLMMFAO!!! Those was the good ole days and I wonder if they could make a comeback!!!
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
Maybe America will finally have its squatter movement- around 35 years after Europe.
In the 70′ & 80’s there was a real movement in European cities to occupy buildings. Basically what happened is that banks would let the buildings to rot-with the hopes of selling when the market picked up. The problem was that most of the cities had a major housing crisis-i.e lack of affordable housing. The squatters took over the buildings, later even gaining rights which are still on the books today.
Those laws are very helpful because banks know they can not leave a house empty otherwise a squatter could come and immediately gain rights of occupancy. Instead the banks try to really work with the owners before foreclosing. Once a property is foreclosed then, the bank must hire someone to live in the property-usually for free. I actually did this for a bank one summer in Amsterdam- it was great & I only had to pay the utilities.
Perhaps, coming soon to America!
“Were you in NYC in the early/mid 90s? Do you remember the squatters wars going on in the east village?”
Yep…there was a huge battle around that time in Tompkins Square Park, as I recall…anarchists vs. gentifyers. It was a big deal back then.
“Were you in NYC in the early/mid 90s? Do you remember the squatters wars going on in the east village?”
Sure do! Koch waged war with those squatters and they became Asshats later on.
“Alphabet City was one of the worst neighborhoods in Manhattan. East 13th street was a god awful mess.”
Yeah I agree!
“Maybe… maybe in the suburbs it’s better to have these places occupied. Not in the city though.”
Very soon no one will be able to afford their house/condos. They will stop making payments and just squat. It’s happing right now in some of the best neighborhoods in this city.
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
“Squatting is illegal, and certainly could cause a problem for potential buyers, BUT, in the real world, it may well be better to have these houses occupied, rather than empty.”
Maybe… maybe in the suburbs it’s better to have these places occupied. Not in the city though.
Were you in NYC in the early/mid 90s? Do you remember the squatters wars going on in the east village?
Alphabet City was one of the worst neighborhoods in Manhattan. East 13th street was a god awful mess.
“Squatting is illegal”
No it’s not!!!
Adverse possession
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adverse_possession
“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.”
Use it or lose it! If the American tax slave is bailing out the Assheads who made the loans in the first plane then the people should take these properties and live in them, Period!!!
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…