I find it hard to believe you managed to legally squat in 4 properties in such close proximity to each other. How did it happen? They ALL just happened to have damaged back doors?

R they same bailliffs that Optima use to evict people?

JNC is lead by Optima and on there site they say they have a magistrate and a cop as supporters.

If the "owners" got possession orders in the County Court, the only bailiffs allowed to evict are County Court bailiffs. If they got possession orders in the High Court, the eviction is carried out by the Deputy Under-Sheriff for the county, who uses hired thugs to assist. Formerly called "Sheriff's officers", these are now officially called "enforcement officers". The Deputy Under-Sheriff will usually stick to hiring the muscle from one or two regular firms.

There is a different breed of bailiff which should not be confused with the above. Private bailiffs, otherwise known as "certificated bailiffs" and sometimes now also called "enforcement officers". They are basically debt-collectors. They have no power to carry out evictions whatsoever -unless they happen to be hired by the Deputy Under-Sherriff to enforce a High Court possession order.

High Court possession orders are very rare. "Owners" are allowed to use the High Court only in very limited exceptional circumstances. Doesn't sound like they applied here.

Yes, I agree. Very suspicious, isn't it? Against the natural order of things, I'd say. Obviously, these houses should be left to rot, shouldn't they?

What we want to see is:

The roofs leaking through neglect, so all the ceilings are brought down and the floors rot.

Loads of pigeons roosting there until the shit is 2 feet deep.

The guttering falling apart, causing penetrating dampness and damaging adjoining houses.

Local kids breaking in, trashing the places, and maybe injuring themselves in the process.

Totters stripping out all the wiring and piping to flog it -and any nice fireplaces or fittings they find.

Crack or scag dealers using the houses to stash stuff or do business from.


Then we can all sleep soundly in our beds, safe from those marauding, dirty SQUATTERS. I mean, these trouble-makers have the cheek to make houses wind and weatherproof, fix them up and LIVE in them! Whatever next? If this nuisance isn't stopped we could run out of homeless people to look down on and patronise if so inclined.

 http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2009/04/21/edgbaston-squatter-launches-rooftop-protest-97319-23435815/

.....and good luck for the future

Bit missed out in my comment about bailiffs (above). Blame late hour of posting.

A County Court possession order can nowadays be enforced by applying to the High Court for a Writ of Possession. Then you get the Deputy Under-Sheriff and his hired thugs just the same as if the possession order had been in the High Court in the first place. Not done very often, but more likely in the case of a resisted eviction or a place perceived to be a political squat. Reason is High Court enforcement officers have more powers than County Court bailiffs. They can get the cops to help them, whereas County Court bailiffs can't. If cops are present at a County Court eviction,it's supposed to be just to "keep the peace", not help with the eviction. Yeeees.....you may have seen cops errr..."not helping" with a County Court eviction.