A judge has ordered Camden Council to reveal its list of empty properties to a squatter under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). Under the terms of the ruling, Camden must publish details on all unoccupied council-owned properties and also information regarding private properties belonging to non-individuals that it knows to be unoccupied. Camden Council have 28 days to comply with the ruling.
The action was taken by Yiannis Voyias of the Advisory Service for Squatters. He argued that publishing the list would "rejuvenate the empty homes debate" and encourage action be taken on empty properties. He also said that academic researchers, homelessness charities and even English Heritage would benefit from disclosure.
Camden Council argues that releasing the list would hamper “the prevention or detection of crime”. The police supported the council and said squatting was related to increased cime including vandalism, drug use and other anti-social behaviour. Camden Council said that when a similar list had been released in Lambeth, the number of squatted properties in the area had almost doubled.
The judge disagreed. As part of her ruling, Judge Fiona Henderson said that releasing the information was likely to have "a negative impact on the prevention of crime" but added that there was a lack of evidence that squatters caused more anti-social behaviour than paying tenants. She also noted in her judgement that squatting “is not illegal”.
photo credit: Matthew Wilkinson
Dan - this is the best thing I've read this week. It has everything. Judicial bungling, a cheeky protagonist or the personification of evil (depending on how you view Yiannis). Joseph Heller-like absurdity.
I understand that the fire department runs fire safety reviews in old buildings. I wonder if me and my chums at the league of arsonists might get a copy...
M
Only in England! What sort of agenda does Judge Henderson have to release the empty housing list to squatters?
But this is nothing. Just wait till Turkey joins the EU
and half its citizens decide to come to anything-goes
UK
This is as about as left-wing anyone in Fiona Henderson's position can get. Does she really know what she is doing?
Well why not give them the keys to as well. And maybe even give
Them a grant and send them on a holiday around the world. This clearlyshows how out of touch the legal system is with the real world.
I would love for one of the judges houses to be squatted. Is there a list that's needs to be published like this ? I would pay good money for it and ensure their properties were used by homeless people. Mad country. Hopefully new laws will come on by next year to stop this.idiotic law
Just confirms what we already know..."the law is an ass!" (at least here in the UK).
Can we have a list of judges houses under the Freedom of Information Act? I'm sure other criminals would find this most useful!
Good on Judge Fiona Henderson.
Upholding the Law of this fair land as it stands.
The judge has no option other than to uphold the written (and debated and legislated) law as written.
Lets hope the sqatters do up the houses, (as many do), and after 14 years they can claim them off the council. The counci do not have the funds to do them up and there is a massive shortage of council homes.
Remember it is not illegal to squat.
WHAT RUBBISH. SQUATTERS IN MY EXPERIENCE STEAL ALL THAT IS VALUABLE AND LEAVE THE PROPERTY IN APPALLING CONDITIONS FAR WORSE THAN BEFORE.
Who is responsible for council tax on a squatted property? Under recent legislation a Landlord becomes liable for the tax at 100% of its charge after a property has been unoccupied for 6 months. (previously it was 50%). A single squatter will at least mitigate the tax due to 75%. Maybe Judge Henderson would rule that the Landlord should pay 100% and a 25% rebate given to the squatter. Human rights legislation is barking and those who create it along with those who uphold it deserve to live with all the negative consequences it causes.
It may not be illegal to squat.......YET; but it maybe if the governmment gets it's proverbial finger out.
They are proposing to make it a criminal offence.
They should also classify a tenant staying in a property and not paying rent as a squatter and they should be criminalised as squatters if they refuse to pay due rent.
Therefore they should be able to be arrested if rent for 1 month has not been paid and removed from the property without any silly county court procedures which take months.
This arrest would be done at the behest of a landlord.
So that the simple solution for tenants would be to pay the rent on time or risk the landlord calling in the police to remove the tenant if they refused to vacate the property.
I reckon magically lots of tenants who had missed a rent payment deadline would find the rent due to the landlord!!?