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Adverse possession
- Thread starter BladeoftheImmortal
- Start date
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Down to the individual but abandoned places are generally easy to spot.
Some people do more research, not always necessary though.
I suggest you have a read somewhere like here of you're interested in how it works usually: https://en.squat.net/about/
This is why i'd recommend against doing this even if it's 100% certainly that it's abandoned. 10 years is a long time for someone to change their mind and come back.
If it's 100% sure abandoned then OP is in their right to take it but it's still a huge risk.
Depending on what state OP is in the home owner would be SOL due to how long eviction proceedings can be.
I appreciate the info.
In the OPs situation it seems they haven't done any research at least. I'm all for reclaiming abandoned housing for those that could put it to much better use for the betterment of everyone
How is it a risk?
Put money aside that you save by not paying rent so you can find a new place if the owner returns.
You will also not be evicted immediately usually depending on your contry's laws.
Then OP would be fucked lol.
Honestly OP Id recommend looking into local foreclosure auctions cause this plan has lots of holes.
It doesn't. As long as OP takes care of the place and saves in case of the owner's return. There's no harm being done.
I mean sure but fixing a home ain't cheap and while agree no harm is being done I'd argue OP is really opening himself to needless stress later down the line.
well except for the part where he's in Alabama, in someone else's house and could get shot
All depends on the state of the house. OP could also do some research into the owner online or via public records.
It being where it is... that sounds like a risk I wouldn't personally take though. Were this in London UK it would be a completely different story.
Is the electricity all wired up legit? Has someone hacked it at all? it's quite simple to bypass a meter and tap straight into the line.
How bad, if any, is the disrepair?
I didn't actually realize how long the thread was, for some reason though this was the 2nd page. This could have all been answered already...
If I were OP I'd look up any information other squatters are sharing in that part of the world, if any. There maybe something to find via: https://en.squat.net or similar resources.
If he's actually in Alabama I can guarantee the house probably faulty or missing wiring.
Just browsed the thread, and it seems the house is abandoned currently. It's in good condition though, so this might be a very recent thing.
OP needs to do more research, I personally wouldn't risk it in a place where the owner could walk in and shoot you on site.
OP needs to do more research, I personally wouldn't risk it in a place where the owner could walk in and shoot you on site.
That's how this ends. A son or grandkid showing up to mow the lawn or whatever and seeing a squatter inside having taken up residence isn't going to be like, "Huh, why I do declare someone is living inside grandma's house! I could grab my shotgun but no, I shall instead engage them in calm and reasonable discourse. Perhaps over a coffee and donut at yonder cafe!"
Nah, he's getting a shotgun aimed at him and he'll be lucky if he ain't shot.
This is insane to me. This belongs to someone. When I go on vacation I lock my doors. I don't want random people coming into my house and sleeping there when I'm gone.
Except when the property is somebody elses? Am I going crazy? This likely belongs to a poor old lady in a nursing home. It's THEIR property, they likely have to wait to sell it. If it was straight up abandoned and sitting unused yes, repurposing those houses is a great idea, but not just stealing somebody else's property and essentially using it behind their back.
There are signs a place is abandoned, they don't appear when you go on vacation.
Read up on squatting and the ethical side to it, it doesn't always apply but it is there. This situation may not apply, but there are signs the property is not currently in use.
OP needs to do more research here.
I'm aware of that and this place has none of them. The electricity is on, The house is clean, the lawn isn't perfect but it's CLEARLY not 5 months unmowed, the inside and outside is in fantastic shape, etc. The only sign of it being abandoned is the car in the driveway (I see rusted out "antique" cars in driveways all the time so this is hardly a sign), and the squatter beers.
There are, there are signs there was someone squatting before. It is not currently in use. They have noticed the property hasn't been in use for months. There is a car that is falling to pieces in the drive.
But as there are many reasons for that OP needs to do more research.
They live 10 miles from this property, they wouldn't know if anybody has been there or not. I pointed out the squatter beers show that someone isn't there constantly.
As mentioned there's a picture of an older woman with grandchildren. This woman likely passed recently or is in a home. The children are likely figuring out how to handle the situation. There are tons of scenarios where they are in waiting on how to handle her affairs.
Hypothetical twist in the story that the beers are OP's and he's been squatting there for months and only now coming out with a public plan to take it completely. That's how he's certain no one has been there.
In any case, I hope this thread goes on for years.
In any case, I hope this thread goes on for years.
Nothing I said is unreasonable, no need to argue here.
There are signs it's not in use, OP needs to do more research. I'm agreeing with you.
OP has no idea if the property is vacant. Their entire basis on it being abandoned is a car with flats, the porch lights being on 24/7 and then the neatly piled cans they saw when they tresspassed.
There are signs it's not in use.
I am literally saying they need to do more research.
If those are the signs that it is not in use, then a shit ton of college house better watch out for squatters.
Actually the electricity on, the house in great condition, and the lawn recently mowed is enough to say "hey this valuable asset belongs to somebody", there are countless houses that sit unused temporarily for a litany of reasons- medical, death, vacation homes, etc. we don't have to research every single one, use common sense. How do you guys even survive?
The existing signs overwhelming point to a house that is unoccupied, not abandoned, which is a world of difference.
It's not at all uncommon for a house to sit unoccupied for some months because the owner ends up in a nursing home or dies. Affairs take time to sort out, her family could be waiting for the summer to sale which is the best time to do so, and so on. Could also be someone's vacation home - who knows? But that the property is obviously being taken care of is all the research that needs to be done.
4 months? Thats nothing. The owner could be deployed overseas or something
You're going to update this thread from jail
There are signs, the signs of previous squatters, the car, the fact they have seen little activity. These are signs. Electricity could be hacked, they don't seem to have checked it. It might not be super apparent at a glance.
Like I said, multiple times, there are signs now they need to do research.
OP
OP
Op, considering the house looks fully furnished, in good condition, has electricity, and the lawn is not more than 5 months over grown... I think it's more likely an elderly person died or was placed in nursing. In which case, the house will most likely not be abandoned. The grandchildren/heirs will take over. I seriously doubt they will forget about that house for over 10 years so you can take it by adverse possession. The heirs will probably want to liquidate it all and split the assets. You should stop tresspassing, especially without even looking into basic tax records or inquiring with other neighbors.
No no no it's ok he's just doing his due diligence, all signs point towards abandoned. The thread has inspired me, I've been out scoping out some cars today. Gonna try to snag a Tesla or something that appears unused.
I feel bad that part of me really wants the OP to carry on and actually try this.
I don't understand how anyone can think it's "ethically right" to steal an old lady's house though? Put yourself in the shoes of the owner (or her children): how would you react if you came back to your house after a long period away (or finally went back to your deceased parent's home to try and sell it) and found someone brazenly living in it? I think it would make me scared to ever leave the house again.
Even in the incredibly unlikely event that they come back and are totally chill with some random guy living in their house, what are you going to do when they ask you to leave? Just go around the house packing up all your belongings, wave them a cheery goodbye and find somewhere to store your stuff and sleep until you spot another house that belongs to an elderly person in a home/member of the armed forces/holiday-home owner/whatever so you can try again?
I don't understand how anyone can think it's "ethically right" to steal an old lady's house though? Put yourself in the shoes of the owner (or her children): how would you react if you came back to your house after a long period away (or finally went back to your deceased parent's home to try and sell it) and found someone brazenly living in it? I think it would make me scared to ever leave the house again.
Even in the incredibly unlikely event that they come back and are totally chill with some random guy living in their house, what are you going to do when they ask you to leave? Just go around the house packing up all your belongings, wave them a cheery goodbye and find somewhere to store your stuff and sleep until you spot another house that belongs to an elderly person in a home/member of the armed forces/holiday-home owner/whatever so you can try again?
Realistically the best you can hope for is getting a small piece of your neighbors property through adverse possession. The law is a holdover from a very different time in american history.
I remember having to deal with a spate of Sovereign Citizen members trying to get property deeded to them based on adverse possession when I was working as a court clerk a while back. They would come in with hand written letter right as we were closing threatening to sue us, ect. if we didn't deed the property to them immediately. Suffice to say that did not happen.
Think that is as close to adverse possession as a court will normally end up getting in the modern era.
I remember having to deal with a spate of Sovereign Citizen members trying to get property deeded to them based on adverse possession when I was working as a court clerk a while back. They would come in with hand written letter right as we were closing threatening to sue us, ect. if we didn't deed the property to them immediately. Suffice to say that did not happen.
Think that is as close to adverse possession as a court will normally end up getting in the modern era.
It can make sense in crowded city centers. It doesn't make any sense in rural Alabama.
The issue here is the house looks like it's not in use but it is far, far too early to call it abandoned.
In this instance you are very likely going to be causing issues for a person who is just not using the house right now for a large variety of possible reasons.
Also, if I understand what people are saying about the place you are, you're running the risk of being shot.
This doesn't look like a good place to squat, it looks like you'll be causing some people some pointless hassle.
Squatting itself is something I support, but not every place you find is suitable. Read through that site I linked and do some research.
The car is not a sign. A car doesn't get rusted out and decrepit in 5 months. It takes years. The house hasn't been empty/abandoned for years which means that the car was likely sitting there for a long time while someone was living in the house (assuming it actually is abandoned). The beers are also neatly piled and not strewn about the whole place which makes me think someone was cleaning the place. If there was a pile up of mail, the OP would have mentioned it. Abandoned houses have mail pile ups. The electricity is on. Someone is paying for it. There seem to be more signs the house is not actually abandoned.
They are all signs. OP hasn't said they have checked the electric, as their are signs of previous squatters they may have hacked it. A simple thing to do.
Like I said though, this not only needs more research it appears to be a poor choice, as even if there are signs it's not currently in use it's far too early to call ti abandoned.
The car.
The signs of previous squatters.
The fact the previous squatters trash is there.
OP also says they have scoped out the house for a while and seen no signs it's currently being used.
So yes, there are signs it's not currently in use.
But it's clearly too early to call it abandoned, it's in a place where people can be shot, and it is probably just going to make some person's life more difficult when they inevitably return shortly to do whatever it is they will with the place. So it seems like a pretty bad idea to continue trying to squat this.
Again you can find a ton of homes that loosely fit this criteria. Please don't abandon common sense.
Please. Those photos look nothing like a squat. That shit is cleaner than a typical house.
And an abandoned car in the driveway is basically the Alabama version of a lawn ornament.
I literally say this in the post you quote.
Signs it's not being used, but obviously not abandoned and detail that it's a bad idea to try to squat...
But they aren't signs that the house isn't being used.
Old car means nothing.
House is clean.
Power is connected.
Lawn is mowed.
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