Squatting in Italy

[The Cheshire Cat]

Hello everyone, I recently visited Rome for a trip with my class and was struck by Rome's beauty, altough it had been my second time in Rome. When I got home, I searched for the prices of houses and appartments in Rome, and I tought they were a little expensive.

But then another option popped into my mind. Squatting. In the outskirts of Rome I remember some empty houses and factories. So would it be legal to squat those buildings? I'm not saying I am going to squat them, as I am only 16, but it would certainly be an option to think about when I am a little older.

[ed miliband]

areas like san lorenzo have historically been associated with squatting, but then i only know this through books/articles on autonomia and i imagine things have changed since.

[The Cheshire Cat]

I just found that there is no legal basis in Italy, but it is done. So does anyone know wether the police takes action or not?

Small piece of a wikipedia article:

'In Italy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy), squatting has no legal basis, but there are many squats used as social centres (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_centre). The first occupations of abandoned buildings began in 1968 with the left-wing movements Lotta Continua (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotta_Continua) and Potere Operaio (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potere_Operaio). Out of the breakup of these two movements was born Autonomia Operaia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomia_Operaia), which was composed of a Marxist-Leninist and Maoist wing and also an anarchist and more libertarian one. These squats had Marxist-Leninist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxist-Leninist) (but also Stalinist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalinist) and Maoist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maoist)) ideals and come from the left wing of Autonomia. The militants of the Italian armed struggle (the New Red Brigades (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Brigades)) were connected to these squats.

The disobedience squats (see Tute Bianche (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tute_Bianche) and Ya Basta Association (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ya_Basta_Association)), which are much more common in Italy than the other squats, refuse communist ideology and all its ideals (class war (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_conflict), anti-imperialism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-imperialism), anti-capitalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-capitalism)). They are simply inspired by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapatista_Army_of_National_Liberation) and part of the ideology of taken the thoughts of Antonio Negri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Negri). Then there are antagonist squats which are inspired by the Marxism-Leninism of the 1970s: workerism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workerism) and autonomism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomism).

There are also anarchist squats.
The Italian squats are known as C.S.O.A. (Centro Sociale Occupato Autogestito, "self-governing squatter social centers") and include: Leoncavallo, Cantiere, Cox 18, Cascina Torchiera, La Fucina, Vittoria, Transiti 28, Panetteria Occupata, Bottiglieria Occupata and Villa Vegan Squat in Milan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan), Telos in Saronno (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saronno), Officina 99, SKA, Insurgencia, Cinema Astra Occupato and Terra Terra in Naples (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naples), Askatasuna, El Paso, Gabrio, Murazzi, la Boccia Squat,No way squat, Mezcal Squat, Asilo Squat and Barocchio Squat in Turin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turin), Brancaleone, Corto Circuito, Forte Prenestino, La Strada, Acrobax, Spartaco, Torre Maura, Horus, L38 Laurentino Squat, Macchia Rossa and Villaggio Globale in Rome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome), Buridda, Pinelli, Terra Di Nessuno, Aut Aut 357 and [B]Zapata [probably by Zapatista supporters] in Genoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genoa), Rivolta in Mestre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mestre), Gramigna and Pedro in Padua (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padua), La Chimica in Verona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verona), Bruno in Trento (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trento), Dordoni in Cremona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremona), Magazzino 47 in Brescia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brescia), Pacì Paciana in Bergamo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamo), Barattolo in Pavia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavia), CPA Firenze Sud, La Riottosa, Villa Panico and Next Emerson in Florence (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence), Experia and Auro in Catania (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catania), Ex-Karcere in Palermo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palermo), Ex-Mattatoio in Perugia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perugia), Mario Lupo in Parma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parma), la Scintilla in Modena (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modena), Mezza Canaja in Senigallia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senigallia), Kontatto in Ancona (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancona), TNT in Jesi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesi), Godzilla in Livorno (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livorno), Rebeldia and Newroz in Pisa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisa), Teatro Polivalente, Lazzaretto, XM24, Livello 57 and Crash in Bologna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bologna), Cartella in Reggio Calabria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggio_Calabria), Rialzo in Cosenza (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosenza), Fiumara in Catanzaro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catanzaro), Cloro Rosso in Taranto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taranto) and many others.

Many famous Italian Oi! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oi!), ska (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ska), hardcore punk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardcore_punk) and rock (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_music) bands, such as Los Fastidios (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Fastidios), Klasse Kriminale (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klasse_Kriminale), Banda Bassotti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banda_Bassotti), Negazione (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negazione), Wretched (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wretched_(band)), Raw Power (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_Power_(band)), and Cripple Bastards (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cripple_Bastards) tour in the areas of these social centers. Recently, several far-right (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far-right) squats have also emerged, the best known being CasaPound, with many social centers all around Italy.'

[Sasha]

There is a big squat movement but I think it is mostly focussed on big social centers and not so much on personal livingspace...

[ellipsis]

yah, third the social centers, italian comrades with ya basta! mentioned those to me,

squatting isn't legal anywhere, tolerated maybe, but not straight up legal, i believe.

[harte.beest]

Squatting is perfectly legal in Italy, but you have to the pay taxes on the property, for it to be completely legal.



Adverse possession may take place after twenty years in instances in which the user of the property possesses no deed at all. The user of the property lives in the property hoping to establish the semblance of ownership until the twenty-first year.
It is essential to understand that in addition to the various time elements Italian law introduces several other conditions. For adverse possession to take place, the squatter must comply and meet the following acid test: the squatter must continuously and uninterruptedly openly occupy the property, pay taxes over the course of the years, and be in good faith in believing that he or she is really the owner.
With regards to the last condition, if you wish to free up the property you may be in a more favorable position if you can prove the user of property was aware of your existence.



Here in America though, most states will allow you to live there and eventually claim the property as your own, without paying any taxes at all, as long as you meet you meet certain stipulations:



First, the trespasser must take actual possession of the land (i.e., that the squatter must enter and occupy the property). Usually, the trespasser does not have to be physically present on the property at all times to meet the actual possession requirement. Continuous use of the property such as through farming, hunting, or building structures is often enough.

Second, the adverse possessor must take exclusive possession of the land (meaning that the true owner and all other people are denied occupancy and use of the land being adversely possessed). Most states do not allow more than one person to claim adverse possession to the same piece of land, but a few do allow this where one adverse possessor has color of title or some other superior claim. This means that in most states, the presence of another adverse occupant prevents the limitation period from beginning to run, or resets it to zero if a newcomer comes to the property at a later date.

Third, the possession must be “open and notorious,” in that the squatter does not conceal his or her actions. This means that the adverse possessor blatantly and obviously uses the land for his or her own purposes, thereby giving actual or constructive notice to the true owner. Actual notice amounts to delivering notice directly to the owner, either by mail or orally, while constructive notice is given when the adverse possessor’s acts are so visible and obvious that an alert owner of property would have reason to know of their presence. Actual notice is not usually required for a valid adverse possession claim; constructive notice is enough.

Fourth, the possession must be adverse or hostile to the true owner’s property interest, meaning that the squatter occupies the land without the true owner’s permission and with an intention to remain. A tenant’s occupancy is not hostile to the owner’s title to the property, and hence in our original scenario he or she is unlikely to acquire title by adverse possession. However, if the tenant were to overstay the lease (i.e., become a “holdover tenant”) he or she may become “hostile” and the limitations period may begin. Some jurisdictions require that a holdover tenant must vacate the property and then re-enter to start the adverse possession.

Fifth, the adverse possession must be continuous for the entire time period required by the law of the state in which the property is located. Check your local laws to determine the statutory time period required for adverse possession in your state. Keep in mind that even a brief departure from the property can be enough to end the prior occupancy and start the limitations period anew. For instance, if the trailer had been removed from the land for a few weeks beginning in the eighth year, upon reentry to the land you would be back at year one in terms of the adverse possession time requirements.

[ellipsis]

adverse possession in the US just doesn't happen, even if you can meet the pretty tough criteria, judges will not rule in your favor. i don't know about italy

[harte.beest]

Italy and the US aren't the most freindly to squatter's, the US actually does raids, most recently in detroit and washington ......

... but I did find this story about a $2 million squatter in the UK who actually won



Breaking into the exclusive Highgate property market in north London is notoriously difficult. But yesterday a homeless man apparently did the almost-impossible, managing to secure his very own slice of prime real estate on Hampstead Heath for free.

Harry Hallowes, 70, says he has been given the title deeds to a piece of land on the edge of the heath on which he has been squatting for more than two decades. The 65ft by 131ft plot has been estimated to be worth up to £2 million.
The Land Registry’s decision marks the end of a three-year dispute between Mr Hallowes and the property developer Dwyer.
The developers originally wanted to build on the land, which forms part of the grounds of Althone House. In 2005 Dwyer, which is turning a plot of land including a former nursing home into 25 luxury flats, failed in an attempt to evict Mr Hallowes.
At a court hearing over the eviction, lawyers presented evidence that Mr Hallowes had lived on the plot for 18 years. This later became the basis for his title claim for the land. Possession of the title deeds means the plot could now be sold or passed on.