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Originally Posted by Mr Angry
PIO's apply only where the property in question was previously occupied by a tenant or in the ownership of a landlord, council, housing association or freehold owner - not a legal owner / occupier. Your analogy above applies only in those situations. In my situation, if the above were to happen to me, house owner as opposed to landlord / tenant, then a simple call to the police and, if necessary, my bank would be sufficient to prove criminal access (that, and my neighbours standing around asking who was in my house).
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If you left the door open, then no criminal access has taken place.
If they smash a window, unwitnessed, clean up the evidence, no criminal access can be proven (as is likely to have in the case Russ mentioned).
Once the locks are changed, the police have no legal access to evict them.
So make sure you set your alarm and video cameras going next time you go out.
You must make a claim for possesion (IPO) within 28 days of discovering your premises were being occupied by squatters.
So no, it's not a case of a quick phone call to the police and the bank.
It's no where to live until you get the IPO which then leaves 24 hours for the squatters to leave before they are considered criminals, although you can force your way legally into the property once the IPO is given.
I did not mention the 1977 act.
Squatting was criminalised in the 1994 CJA.