squater guides

[Sasha]

Russia (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=russia)
Netherlands (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=netherlands)
USA (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=usa)
Italy (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=italy)
England (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=england)
France (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=france)
Germany (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=germany)
Spain (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=spain)
Denmark (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=denmark)
Sweden (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=sweden)
Australia (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=australia)
Belgium (http://legal.squat.net/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=belgium)

[Bandito]

I've been in EKH in Vienna, Austria, and I recommend it to everyone.
http://www.med-user.net/~ekh/ (http://www.med-user.net/%7Eekh/)

[ellipsis]

Thanks for the link, I am cleaning out an abandoned cabin that my comrade and I found in the woods. I won't be living there but it good to have just in case.

[Plagueround]

Stickied. :)

[rebelmouse]

squatter guide doesn't mean only links than description also.
in switzerland in mostly squats you can get place for sleeping, if you stay more than one week, they must speak with you to meet you better.
in germany you must have connection/recommendation to sleep there, they will not let you to sleep if you don't have it.
in holland I try to contact only one squat, I think in utrecht, they answered they don't accept guests.
in copenahgen in ungdomshuset was possible to get place for you but squat is abolished. for christiania you need recommendation, you must know someone there who will accept you at him/her. the same as anywhere in capitalism.
in belgium, occupied church and former embassy of somalia, in bruxelles, don't accept guests. they occupied it for themselves and it is not open for sleeping for other people.
squat in belgrade don't exist anymore, it was open for anyone who needs it, we don't have possession behavior with property, if there is physical space, you will get place for you 100%.

[Sasha]

^ this is not an couchsurfing guide it are squater guides, i.e. How to squat your own house/ the possibilities and the likely problems you would encounter in the country the guide is refering to.

[rebelmouse]

yeah, okay.
there was a news at RevLeft that law about squatting in holland is changed.

[Sasha]

not yet, a law that bans squating outright just passed in the parlement but still has to go through the senate. it wont be in effect until the 1st of januari at the earliest and even then we will have to see if and how it will be implemented, there is big recistance of local goverments who are of the opinion that the law will be imposible to enforce.

[The Ben G]

Good to know when me and my freinds start an anarchist commune out in the woods.:thumbup:

[Foldered]

Does anyone have any similar links for Canada?

[Ele'ill]

Has STP (http://www.squattheplanet.com/) been listed here yet?


(http://www.squattheplanet.com/)

[Squat For Shelter]

Squatting has been with us for many hundreds of years. The earliest cases can be traced back to 1381 when the Forcible Entry Act was passed. Following the end of the First and Second World wars, some soldiers were forced to live in empty or derelict properties due to lack of decent housing.

From the 1960s onwards, squatting has been on the increase, with co-operatives and organisations springing up attracting people from all ages and backgrounds. In fact, one of the better-known squatting co-ops was a cluster of streets in the London Fields area of east London, which was home to artists, the unemployed, students and even office workers living a nine-to-five lifestyle.


Why do squatters choose this particular way of life?

Sometimes it's because they've been made homeless and have been living on the streets, or cannot face the local council's policy of housing the homeless in bed and breakfasts or hostels (that's if there's space). Others will also see it as a lifestyle choice.
According to the empty homes agency, there are nearly one million empty homes in the UK.

The Advisory council for squatters offers legal and practical advice for anyone who may want to (or needs to) squat. It says: "There is enough empty property other than homes, e.g. offices to be converted into the equivalent of 700,000 homes.

The number of squatters has been estimated recently to be as high as 30,000 (The Guardian), but a more realistic estimate would be a little under 20,000, very few of whom are outside England and Wales, and most of those are in London."

Hackney Council, which has had well-publicised battles with squatters in the past, had this to say on the subject: "It's a fallacy that Hackney council has lots of squatted premises anymore. These days we have very few. If we do we move very quickly to sort the problem out. We have a policy of regenerating empty properties."



What you can and can't do:


Squatting is a civil offence against the landlord/owner of the property, which to all intents and purposes means that it is an unlawful practice, but not illegal.
You can be convicted of a criminal offence if you have caused damage to the property by gaining entry, covered under the Criminal Justice Act 1994.
The landlord/owners are well within their rights to evict squatters, but they must go to a civil court in order to gain a possession order.
Squatters do have limited rights. A landlord cannot remove you by violent or forced means, only through the legal process.
Under squatters' rights, if a property has been lived in for 12 years then it effectively becomes the property of the squatters.
The number-one squatting rule, though, is to enter only empty and unused properties. Long gone are the days when holidaymakers would return home from a fortnight in the sun to find their homes had been taken over. These days, it's more likely to be an empty and abandoned office block or warehouse.

[Ele'ill]

Whose sockpuppet was that?

[ellipsis]

Whose sockpuppet was that?


i dont think anyone would like to squat with such an obvious sockpuppet... bye masslinedemarchist/cultural revolution

.

[ellipsis]

I was recently told that establishing tenants rights is an easy way to get some legal protection for squats in the US. Basically if a cop shows up, and you can make them believe that you have tenants rights, they will basically can't evict you right then and there, they have to send it through the civil courts systems.
You can establish tenants rights by:
1) having a key to the property
2) getting mail at the property, particularly utility bills
3) having a driver's license for that address, this one is the most useful.

[Ele'ill]

We should get the links updated for the USA

[ellipsis]

We should get the links updated for the USA

Have a good one?

Good time to plug a local fav, who squat properties to give away and for direct action/propaganda events, Homes not Jails (http://www.homesnotjailssf.org/wb/), bay area group only :( but people should start new chapters!

[Zhu Bailan]

The link for France is broken, here´s a new one:
France (http://www.jeudi-noir.org/)

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

The problem is getting in. There are loads of empty homes near me, but its hard to get into them without attracting loads of attention from neighbours; breaking windows, kicking in doors etc etc.

[ellipsis]

The problem is getting in. There are loads of empty homes near me, but its hard to get into them without attracting loads of attention from neighbours; breaking windows, kicking in doors etc etc.

You need to be more creative. I have a good comrade who squats dozens of properties without breaking a single window.

[ellipsis]

Found this guide (http://shwagr.com/posts/a-squatters-50-state-guide-to-stealing-property-by-adverse-possession) to US adverse possession laws, state by state.

also in the latest issue of slingshot (http://slingshot.tao.ca/displaybi.php?0105016) there is some good information about alternative ways to gain squatters rights/ tenants rights. From talking to squatters in california, these seems to be a tried and true techniques.


Squatting 4 Dummys - Creating radical infrastructure through housing liberation
By The BAsic Cereal Collective

Abandoned homes tell a story of violence. These forgotten buildings tell us that this capitalistic culture would rather throw it all away than to allow us a shred of human dignity. They are a visceral reminder that the dollar takes precedent over human rights and common compassion.

During this period of recession our landscape is dominated by these acts of violence. While the system shows its true colors, there is an opportunity to visibly resist the violence of this system, but also to build an infrastructure of resistance, which we can defend. Housing occupations, long-term squatting, and other land actions allow us to publicly and in very real terms reject the system of private property while creating alternatives and a network of support for others who resist. We have no chance of changing the world if we lack a space to organize and lay our heads. Nor do we have a chance if we are slaving our lives away to pay rent.

A successfully defended squat (especially one rooted in its neighborhood community) could provide the spark of inspiration leading to a surge of reclaimed and occupied spaces. As occupied spaces have a vested interest in the defense and survival of other occupied spaces, strong networks of solidarity could be created that in turn could be applied to liberation struggles outside of the squatting / occupation scene.

If you're interested in rent free living, finding an abandoned building will be easy. Finding the right abandoned building, and the right people to collaborate with can be hard, so make sure to be picky with both. Ride around town on your bike with a pen and pad. Jot down address of houses you think are abandoned. Some clues are overgrown lawns, overfilled mailboxes, and boarded windows. A nifty trick is taping the door to the doorframe somewhere discrete and coming back to check if the tape had been broken. Search on-line for a city blight / board-up list which has properties that the city had to clean or board up.

Research the spots you scope by using your local on-line assessors map to find the parcel number (APN), and use that on the county tax record site to view its tax history. Some counties won't let you get owner's info on-line, so just call the assessors office. Relevant information would be the current and past 'owners', and their address (don't stress, people ask for this information all the time and for many different reasons). If the goal of your occupied space is longevity then consideration must be given to what the chances are of owners coming to the space (be they banks or individuals). If the goal is to defend the space then it should be considered what type of owner would be more universally resisted (probably a bank).

It is not illegal to enter a building if it's wide open, but I doubt you will be that lucky. It might be a good idea to scope it out during the day to get an idea of what tools you might need. Most would agree that exploration should be done at night. Be mindful of light and noise. It might be wise to minimize your time carrying tools as they can be hard to explain should someone ask. If the space is to your liking it could be a good time to change the locks. If there isn't one already, put up a mailbox and have mail sent, in your name, immediately. It will be useful later.

Often, the first major trial for a squat is the initial police encounter. The longer you've been established before this encounter the better. As it is often suspicious neighbors that will call the police it is extremely important (and neighborly) to communicate with those living in the area. When the police do come, your attitude of legitimacy, proof of occupancy, and knowledge of local law will be your greatest tools. Keys to the house (to prove access) and mail (addressed and stamped) can be considered the bare minimum but utility bills add to the legitimacy. Research of state, county, and city law can be done over the internet but your local law library can be an invaluable resource. Try looking up state civil codes that deal with occupancy. The saying that 'possession is 9/10ths of the law' applies in some states where occupancy is considered ownership (unless proven otherwise).

City building and coding people can be a wild card. They have the power to declare a building unlivable and have people evicted immediately. This is more of a concern if the building lacks any utilities (many areas require a building have water, electric, and gas to be considered livable). Officials will most likely just look at the meters (and meters can be hard to get) so its preferable to chose a building with the meters preexisting.

In these days of economic upheaval, the iron is hot for us to take back our lives. Working a job to make your landlord rich is slavery, and squatting is nothing less than emancipation from the system of debt peonage. Collective revolt can happen if we know a better world is possible, and we can prove it with squatting and solidarity.

[ellipsis]

also, UK squatterguide (http://libcom.org/organise/squatting-guide) from libcom, link broken in OP.

[-marx-]

The Australian link no longer works. This one, however, does.
squatspace (http://squatspace.com/index.php)
Also:
shac (http://shac.squat.net/)

:)

[Smyg]

None of the links work for me. :(

[WindyCityNinja]

How about places like C-Squat in New York? If you don't know what that is, it's a big squat with a lot of people. How do you live there? Since it's fairly big, I assume people can't just walk in. Also, any in Chicago?

[ellipsis]

How about places like C-Squat in New York? If you don't know what that is, it's a big squat with a lot of people. How do you live there? Since it's fairly big, I assume people can't just walk in. Also, any in Chicago?

This is not a thread about squatting generally, if you have any questions like that, other threads/forums may be more appropriate.

[Nofuture]

Needs some updating..the Link for the US no longer works 404's

[ellipsis]

Yah all of the links are 404'd, i don't think the docuwiki part of squat.net is in existence.

Soo should I start a new thread with a new list of squatter's guides and Squatter groups in various countries? (public) Squat directory?

[Nofuture]

Yeah I think it would be good to start that up. I honestly would find it helpful. I would try to contribute as well, but haven't had too much luck in this venue lately.


You need to be more creative.
Real advice would be more helpful than telling people to be more creative. Human beings are all highly creative ffs.

[ellipsis]

Real advice would be more helpful than telling people to be more creative. Human beings are all highly creative ffs.

Not really the purpose of this thread but it looks like it will be reduxed and closed soon...

Real advice:
•learn how to pick locks
•learn how to remove and open lock-boxes (the ones that hold keys and are •locked on the outside of houses for sale) without breaking the key
try to go up fire escapes
•get onto the roof and attempt to gain access that way
•many property are secured with a simple padlock and can be opened quietly and quickly with a pair of bolt cutters

[Nofuture]

Haha cool..bolt cutters are definitely on my christmas list this year..I am not really going to squat for the purely political motives at this time in my life, but I continue to have itinerant housing..it's a long cycle that many people who start out as runaways go through well into their mid-20's (where I'm at now) and hopefully not forever. I find the institutional satisfactions unrealistic..but..I guess I'm ranting and should make a new thread (I am new to these forums)

[twindragon]

Anyone ever find decent site or info about squatting in amerika?

[ellipsis]

Only what I posted, u could also check out squat forums

[ellipsis]

Thread Closed. New Sticky posted.