Someone had squatters after working 3 months outside the country. He basically had zero rights to throw them out, and the law considered him as a sort of landlord for non-paying tenants, with all relevant responsibilities. As his and their legal address where now identical, he was partially responsible/paying for their healthcare.

But the law allowed him, as a good landlord, to work on the outside of the house, for the good of his tenants. So he did.

He installed security cameras, and reported every minor infraction of the squatters to the police. The police loved it, and duly did everything. Oh look, a cm of your wheel is parked outside the allowed boundary. That's a ticket. Of course he duly tested the very loud alarm every evening, to make sure it works.

He did a paint job, first removing the old paint with the noisiest dustiest old tools he could find, then painting it in an old ugly pink he found on a flea market somewhere. Then decided the quality wasn't good and removed the paint again. One day, the squatters had enough and actually went to a court to demand he let their poor baby sleep. Judge just laughed, and told them all work happened before 22:00 so he was in his right.

Squatters ran away after a few months, which supposedly is a happy outcome, at least compared to what the law could do for him.

Truth is stranger than fiction. I cannot believe this happening in the first world.

ficklepickle is poking fun at the fact that the crime is minor, relative to the weight behind the warrant. It would be like if the FBI put you on their website and the news stations aired your photo, for driving without a license.

Sure, it's a crime, but it's a relatively minor one. I suppose if you were the victim you'd have a different point of view.

Still, doesn’t seem like the best use of Europol catching squatters.

Squatting is about occupying uninhabited places. It should be welcomed or at least tolerated.

I Don't know about France but in some places its near impossible to evict squatters, meaning if your property stands empty a month (e.g. waiting for new tenant or repairs) and some squatters move in you are basically screwed for years to come - they won't pay rent, you'll lose thousands and much lifetime evicting them, and for a few years they'll run down your property as they have no legal or other interest in maintaining it, so you are out huge amounts of money.

This can happen to the slumlord (who will then send someone to beat up the squatters), to the big capitalist (who will go through the courts and win) and to smalltime owners where that is maybe their family home or future retirement apartment (who will suffer the most).

Homelessness/lack of housing is a problem, but squatting is in most cases not the right solution.

But if someone just moves into your property why can’t police just kick them out? That’s an illegal action. If someone came into your house and started stealing your things and you call the cops on them you don’t go to court to prove those things are really yours.

Because in many locations around the world, it's not as simple as a criminal offence, it's a civil dispute, as once you have commenced "squatting", you are now an occupant, rather than a clear trespasser. Many squatters find squatting manuals online detailing the local laws and how best to approach it to maximum time available in the property.

In France once someone entered your house (and stayed a generally agreed upon 48 hours) you have no right to evict them.

Then starts a possibly very long process to have them evicted/ If they have a child you are basically screwed and won't be able to get your property back. Or you will wait months/years and get a ruin back.

This is exactly the case in France.

I assume that you are not trolling.

Please give your opinion about squatting primary and secondary homes of people. Who worked to buy them and have zero rights afterwards, when a colony of parasites come and destroy their belongings.

This is what happens in France.