[andyt]

It's a civil matter. The "squatters" can show they have a key and are moved in. The police aren't going to get involved, doubt if they would in Canada either. But it should be a simple matter of going to court, getting an order and the baliffs will come and evict.

[saturn_656]

andyt andyt:

It's a civil matter. The "squatters" can show they have a key and are moved in. The police aren't going to get involved, doubt if they would in Canada either. But it should be a simple matter of going to court, getting an order and the baliffs will come and evict.

Simply having a key to a home is not sufficient to show that a home is yours. Legal documents do that.

[andyt]

Cops don't really sort out legal documents. The squatters are moved in with their stuff, have a key and I would guess a receipt for the deposit. The police will let the courts figure it out. But it should be a slam dunk unless they have nutso laws in TX.

[saturn_656]

andyt andyt:

Cops don't really sort out legal documents. The squatters are moved in with their stuff, have a key and I would guess a receipt for the deposit. The police will let the courts figure it out. But it should be a slam dunk unless they have nutso laws in TX.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ ... itoba.html

They won.

$1:

The couple claimed they had a verbal agreement to live in the trailer, and also claimed squatters' rights, a Texas law that allows people to move into abandoned properties.

But Brian Rider, a law professor specializing in real estate law at the University of Texas, told CBC News that squatters can only claim property that has been abandoned for more than five years.

Apparently this case has been in courts for months. This should have taken hours, at worst days to resolve. Squatters right didn't apply and verbal agreements are worth next to nothing.

Nothing mentioned about the theft and sale of the Harrison's possessions from the trailer. The squatters should be up on charges.

[andyt]

Agreed.

[DrCaleb]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

There is the problem. They took money and gave the people permission to enter. Without a written contract, the police don't know the difference between squatters and a crooked landlord just trying to keep the deposit.

I don't like Realtors, but they have their uses - and one is to control access to a property.

Without a written contract, the squatters don't (or shouldn't) have a leg to stand on. They don't own the home, and the home has not been abandoned so squatters rights they're trying to claim don't apply.

The rightful owners want them out. If the police won't do it they should find seven or eight good 'ol boys who will help them drag the lowlifes (and their crap) out of their house.

This is Texas, after all.

I quite agree, but.. even in Texas, a handshake is considered a binding contract. Proving the 'handshake' happened (ie: no contract) in court is the hard part. Until then, there could be a legally binding rental or sales agreement in place and it's a civil matter.

Glad they ejected the bastards, however.

[andyt]

Do you think they took their banjo with them when they got kicked out?

[DrCaleb]

andyt andyt:

Do you think they took their banjo with them when they got kicked out?

Assuming it was their Banjo to begin with.