Squatters taken over my new home, need to backyard vanlife?

[WanderingRose]

I agree, Happy Camper, and thank you for your post.

The OP’s presenting concern is that he will be homeless because his lease is up but squatters are living in the home he has just bought.

He should live in a van or something similar so that people refusing to leave can have his residence?

That seems the first problem to be solved, and doesn’t reflect insensitivity to the squatters but logic and reason.

The mission of this forum is to help people live cheaply but also to aid those who come here in dire straits in finding help, whatever that help may be.

We try to problem solve, it’s what we do.

In my humble opinion.

 

[HomelessLandlord]

^^^I agree and have a hard time imagining anyone not wanting to help people that need shelter to get off the streets or at least into safe shelters. That includes treatment for mental illness, drug addiction and basic lack of education of how to work and sustain themselves. I also have a hard time understanding how people and the people around them allow them to get into those situations, but once there solutions need to be found for the betterment of everyone. It seems to me the jails are full enough and less costly more efficient solutions need to be found. When you buy rental real estate or even allow someone to stay on your property you need to do your research and do so knowing what you will have to deal with. Laws don’t always do a good job of dealing with criminals or societies problems. Where I was raised everyone’s family took care of every family member as best they could and there weren’t many people that lived around me that weren’t family. Guess that attitude is engrained in me but then again I live remotely so I don’t worry about other people so much! Lol!!!

From what I see and have been told, they are just leaching off the system. They are living in the most expensive part of town for free for over a year and they are home all day doing what I don't know, beyond smoking and leaving trash everywhere. I'm all for helping others, but my home is not a homeless shelter and I don't want to end up like them one day when I lose everything.
From what I see, they are all able to work but chose not to. They signed leases years ago, then during the Pandemic decided to just stop paying rent. If a pipe bursts or the roof leaks, I'm done. IT's like running a grocery store where nothing but homeless people come in and take food and don't pay. Nice that you giving free food, but you are obligated to pay your rent and will lose your store soon if you keep it up.

 

[HomelessLandlord]

Hi everybody,

Thanks so much for all your suggestions and help. Please note, I do have 1 excellent tenant who is paying and has been very helpful. He complains about all the noise and trash from the 2 that are not paying, but has a great attitude about it.

So I would not want to do anything that would cause issues for this person. I also consider my neighbors. Everybody has been so nice and helpful, so I would not want to do anything that would be a mess for them.
I do however recognize what one of you said about my safety. If I'm living there in a van and one of them has criminal affiliation of the violent kind, I have to realize, waking up to my van on fire while I'm sleeping, if I wake up at all, would be a possibility. Anything is possible, but the fact they have a violent past and links to criminal types, is not good. I would have to do it so they don't know I'm living there. It's just some random van in the back, who knows whose it is or what it's doing there, kinda thing. If I park it in just the right spot, I could pull it off but it would be risky.

Maybe if I never get into or out of van in the yard. I go there to park only. IF I need to go to the house, I leave the property, then park a couple blocks away and walk back. This way, they would only ever see the van arriving, parked or leaving. No chance of seeing who is in there.
Worst case, what would be the monthly charge typical to park somewhere? An RV park or something?

 

[bullfrog]

Cheap RV living works, but it works better if you can follow the seasons, especially with a van. If you have a secure safe place to park with your family with grid electricity then simple ceramic heaters and a good enough sleeping bag to keep you alive should they fail will work while you get busy cleaning out the basement. Another option is to take a seasonal job with housing furnished like a lodge, ski slope or facility. You might find something by looking at coolworks.com.

 

[CopperK]

The dirty rat idea sounds terrible, but clearly plausible.
The legal aspect is questionable however, and your "neighbors" will likely hate you for letting the house get so rundown as to attract dirty rats!
A professional exterminator would likely have to get involved eventually, especially if town/city municipal agencies were involved.

But just about any code enforcement officer worth his/her salt would instantly condemn the house if infested with feral/dirty rats...

You don't have to let the house go - taking up the driveway and parking in front only impedes their ability for easy access (groceries or whatever). You don't need trash to attract rats ... bird seed around the foundation, peanut butter - and they love french fries ... hardly noticeable! lol

 

[peteg59]

Worst case, what would be the monthly charge typical to park somewhere? An RV park or something?

This all depends on location.
RV parks would not be cheap or inexpensive.
Especially IF you could even get a park to allow a stock looking van to stay there.

Do the "squatters" know what you look like?
If not, your plan to just show up in the yard with a van should work.

 

[rvwandering]

HomelessLandlord has been given excellent advice by all of you but the thread has gone way off topic and some of the off-topic advice may be dangerous or illegal, so I am closing the thread.
HomelessLandlord, please feel free to start another thread in the appropriate forum section if you have questions about outfitting your van for full-time or winter living.