[Pyramid*]

Originally Posted by MTVN

I don't know how they collect it, I'm no council tax expert but this is what I found online http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/...uncil_tax.htm:

The hierarchy of liability is:
- a resident owner-occupier who owns either the leasehold or freehold of all or part of the property
- a resident tenant
- a resident who lives in the property and who is a licensee. This means that they are not a tenant, but have permission to stay there
- any resident living in the property, for example, a squatter
- an owner of the property where no one is resident

So as you can see squatters do have to pay council tax, and even if for some reason they are not the homeowner is paying it whether there are people squatting or not so what's the big deal?

And you want some examples of squatters contributing to the community, here's a couple:

There's the famous St Agnes Place, a street which became one of Britain's most famous squats; over 30 years it grew into a large community offering social centres for the homeless as well as hostels and the place was visited by several artists and musicians including Bob Marley

Also in Dalston squatters kept the properties in good condition, did repair work to the roof as well as general weatherproofing and internal maintenence to buildings that would otherwise have fallen into disrepair.

But nah ****** them, better for them to be homeless and for streets to be filled with empty and derelict houses right

You still haven't actually answered what I asked; how do you propose that the council actually get the money from squatters when they fail to pay (on the premise that they even advise the council that they are there squatting....as they tend to do, as far as I understand, the council then have a legal requirement to provide them with running water).

Neither did you consider the example I gave about one person paying for their own property - and others thinking they should be able to use that property simply because the owner is currently not.....

As for your examples:

let's not coat it in sugar icing and scented flowers .....

On 1 June 1969 house number 54 was the first to be squatted. The council had acquired the unit and planned to demolish it for the extension to Kennington Park. The derelict buildings were completely rebuilt by the squatters. An attempt to evict it in 1977 was successfully resisted on the rooftops, although many buildings were demolished and most were badly damaged but were rebuilt again by the residents. The residents of St Agnes paid all utility bills and for several years were run by a housing cooperative. One resident of St.Agnes, on Lambeth's housing list for eighteen years, forced to squat with children was never offered housing by the council.[citation needed] There were many families there and it was only in the last few years that the population consisted of a larger number of young homeless people. In November 2005, Lambeth London Borough Council finally obtained a High Court of Justice order to evict the residents of 21 properties. This mass eviction was completed on 30 November 2005.

The bit that is missing in all of this .... they didn't rebuild anything for the good of the community...they did it for themselves and no one else. the homeless people bit was only very latterly - it wasn't as though this was something that went on for decades.

So yes, as you put it: ****** 'em.