From: "Dave Coull" <coull2-AT-btinternet.com>
Subject: Re: "Squatters Rights? 
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2002 14:42:36 +0100



Heather mentioned in a recent post that her address would soon
be the van with the red patches on Broughty beach. So, just 
in case anybody read that and thought "Poor Heather, why 
aren't the other Scottish anarchists helping her to fight eviction 
from her home?"    -    the answer is, because she doesn't
want us to do this. Heather lives in a beutiful old house with
a great view, right by the beach. This house would probably 
be worth quite a lot of money on the open market. It used
to belong to Heather's grandma. Since grandma died a few
years ago, legal title has been settled with Heather's aunt.
Auntie has been trying to get Heather out. Auntie offered
Heather forty thousand pounds to leave quietly, by agreement.
That's about sixty two thousand dollars, I believe. Now, that
is more money than most folk in Dundee ever see in their
whole lives, and it could certainly buy you a pretty good
house in most areas around here, although perhaps not
a beutiful old house with a great view, right by the beach.
With that much to spend, you wouldn't even need a mortgage,
you could buy outright. Alternatively, you could  _rent_
a really nice house, and pay the rent for a long time to come.
You would certainly have more security than most folk
in Dundee have. You wouldn't be receiving notices
about rent arrears, like I received a few days ago. 
However, Heather turned down her auntie's offer. 
For one thing, she apparently felt she was owed more 
than that from her Grandma's estate. For another thing, 
she wanted auntie to give her an official "Notice To Quit". 
With an official "Notice To Quit", you can go to Dundee 
City Council and say "Look, I'm homeless, and you have 
a legal obligation under the Homeless Persons Act (Scotland) 
to house me".  

I don't know if Heather will really end up in a van on Broughty
beach or not. But what I  _do_  know is that, if she does,
there will be an element of choice in this happening.


Dave Coull