Mark604

"With regards the intruder alarms , I've heard that the Police will only respond if:

1. They are contacted by a person working for the monitoring alarm company.
2. That there is evidence of the intruder moving around inside the property
3. That the owner or his representative will be at the property when they visit"

My property was broken in to. I pay someone to check it regularly. He found a door broken in.
There is no alarm, hence no alarm company, but he phoned the local police and said he didn't want to go in just in case there was still someone inside. They came out, checked nobody was inside, took the crime details (only a couple of minor things stolen) and the house was re-secured.
I'm lucky it wasn't a squatters scenario.

agree_to_disagree

It all seems very clear to me now....

You want to have the phone number of these 'heavies' in your speed dial contact list on your phone.

First sign any of these parasites moving into your property, they simply extricate them on day1, with the mob!

Seems these 'rent a mob' have powers of persuasion, that go above and beyond...

Most effective....

Nand

Reading this... the injustice of it is staggering. Lots of deceit from the squatters all the way up to the court judges. I couldn't go for a weekend away for fear I'd be unable to walk into my rightfully owned home on the Monday!

Is it just Spain or do you know if these are the ways and legal rights of squatters in France also?

santaanita

can you find anywhere were they have really chucked them out,it seems to me that they have neg a fee for them to leave,iwould suggest they are in cahoots with the scwatters in the first place

agree_to_disagree

I have no experience of this to say one way or the other.

There are others on here who have more experience of such matter, than I.

But I am curious if you decided to chuck them out yourself who would the reprocussions be?

Would it be a fine, prison, or the act of kicking them out would be illegal and they could simply take up residence again. But if you changed the locks they could not gain entry. I imagine they would hover around the front door for a while and try to force entry, but they would soon move on, I suppose to 'new opportunities'...

missile

I have a friend who runs a property business. One of his clients had a Norwegian tenant who did not pay rent. When they were out, he changed the locks. He was arrested by the police and spent a night in jail. He was in court next morning. Fortunately for him the tenant did not appear and the case was dismissed.

santaanita

sorry thought i read that it was very clear to you

agree_to_disagree

What is clear to me is, if I had a property in Spain, I would ensure I had some heavies that were available at short notice...

santaanita

what woulnt be clear is that they might have put them in there in the first place

Mark604

You will always be suspicious of the motives/actions/information from some random company of heavies you got off the internet or even by word of mouth. If using them is the only option or what you consider to be the best option then you may have to live with the feeling of maybe being ripped off. Also, surely they don't have the protection from prosecution if they get up to the tactics as done by the owner in Missile's last post.
So does it seem that physical intimidation may be one thing, but to get a resolution, it always seems to need money changing hands.

What I'd like to hear is cases where purely intimidation or violence has worked without the knock on effect of the police or money (or both) being involved.
Has anyone or know/heard of anyone who has "evicted" a squatter just on that side alone?
If not, or it doesn't exist, then it's pointless trying to use force unless you are happy being prosecuted or paying out anyway, or both.
It maybe though that it needs the threat of violence to persuade the squatters to take the money.
Lastly, "I would ensure I had some heavies that were available at short notice..." - that's not as easy as you think. Where would you find these "heavies"? And by the way, the offence of 'Incitement to violence' is undoubtedly the same in Spain as in the UK.

Stingychips

or move someone where that you have reliable trust worthy neighbours that will look out for you. Spain is a poor country full of opportunists. Surly you could find some one willing to turf them out for some cash.

Stingychips

So that worked out well then in the end. I’d rather spend a night in a cell and have my property back than have to waste 20k on legal fees and property damage and still not have access to my own property.

agree_to_disagree

You crack me up Mark!

No shortage of them in Spain...

However, if you are a retired expat and go to the local bowls club or go on expat outings, I doubt you will find them there.

Suffice 'hired help' is there to find, if you go looking for it. You need to do your own 'homework', on that one...

UK debt collectors.

I saw it a few years back and it now just springs to mind.

agree_to_disagree

It seems to be a bit obvious that you need to bypass the legal eviction route, to resolve these 'squatter' issues promptly!

Mark604

That you know and trust?
That you know and trust will not just do the same as the ones who will 'negotiate' for you? Or end up being hand in hand with the squatters? Those that have a tendency to violence but are fair and honest people in their dealings with you? No shortage then? But where do you find them? In the local bar? Gym? And if you don't know them, what then? Do you trust them? If you do know them are you good enough friends with them that they'll throw their weight around for you? Without monetary compensation? Because if you offer them money and the police become involved, you're committing a far more serious offence and have no defence to it. Saying you were evicting your squatters doesn't go far other than maybe a bit of sympathy.

"However, if you are a retired expat and go to the local bowls club or go on expat outings, I doubt you will find them there." Is that a dig that you think that's how I am? That's all I know? You are very wrong in that. After many years in the UK police, then running a private security company the only thing you got right is that I'm a retired expat.
It is you who cracks me up in that you are opening a can of worms you know nothing about and have no experience of. Easy to say, "get some heavies", very perilous to try without having comebacks and more on your plate than you thought.

"Suffice 'hired help' is there to find, if you go looking for it. " - which is just the same as the BBC article, which throws up the recent comments of them inciting the squat or other suspicions regarding the ransom/payments associated.
Either do it yourself, and I mean personally, or go through the Courts.
Drafting in hard men to whom you have to trust with all the attendant complications of payments, police, suspicion of ripping off, them knowing your property is empty and what they then may do (repeat business and vicious circle?) etc etc......... is not viable unless you want to live, as I said, with the consequences.
An honourable debt collecting company/eviction company is an oxymoron.

You appear to be a nice chap but put your feet back on the ground.