Hi all, I live in Springvale VIC, in recent months, there's been homeless people and druggies camping and staying in the abandoned house next door.
The council and the police have been notified numerous times, but the issue is still there. Some of them often wonder into our property and it really freaks us out. We have kids at home. Is there anything else we can do, I don't want to come home to find some junkies lying on my front yard.
Thanks in advance.
What if the abandoned house accidentally caught fire?
lol my own house would be in jeopardy
insurance job brah
Then start reviewing your policy and ensure you're not underinsured.
Better hope that fire insurance covers homeless campfires!
Get a camera or 2 to watch your yard. Make them obvious so they'll act as a deterrent as well
From someone who has access to 20 cameras on a daily basis: At the best of times cameras do NOT stop idiots from being idiots, let along drugged idiots being drugged idiots.
But it will provide evidence to the police after the event has occured.
homeless people and druggies camping and staying in the abandoned house next door.
Technically they're not homeless then.
…abandoned house next door.
Go and join them - if you can setup camp and hang around for 15 years, you can stake a claim on the property later as a squatter.
If you have occupied a property as a squatter for 15 years you are entitled to have your name entered on the land title, unless the land is owned by the government. This means that legally you own the land. You need to be able to prove your period of possession.
(https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/homelessness)
This is the most ozbargain response
This. A shotgun would also help.
:D
I bet it wouldn't hurt your home value if you got rid of them.
Maybe a motion activated sprinkler? eg, https://www.sureguard.com.au/shop/product/scarecrow-motion-a…
I bought one for about $50 a few years ago. Works well on some animals.
Conserves more water than leaving the sprinkler on.
homeless: oh boy free motion activated showers? This place is fancy as hell!
Stream the camera feed to OF / Tiktok and watch the 💰💰 roll in 🤑
Write in to your local council advising you have raised with police. In writing to police would be great, even through social media on a local community page might be useful as will get others on board. Photo proof of being on the property etc. It's all fine until something happens.
3AW
ACA or don't they do that stuff now Tracy has left?
.
I believe nothing, had this occur in an inner city suburb in VIC and police attended once, homeless returned after they left, second time police said it’s a civil matter and never attended again. Council also didn’t seem to worried. I guess the owner needs to call the police to report trespassing and not neighbours or concerned residents.. but who knows I think police are to busy to constantly go out to a house, move people along and then the people just return anyway. I agree with others camera and a sprinkler system should do the trick
Found this:
The correct legal method for an owner to evict squatters involves them applying to the Supreme or County Court for a writ of possession.
Speak to the owner and let them know what is happening?
Speak to the owner and let them know what is happening?
abandoned house next door.
OP probably would have if they are known…
Next post: how to find property owner for free?
It costs about $20 and probably worth it.
I'd try find the owner, easiest way to get it solved.
From the cops perspective booting them out solves nothing. They'll come right back again or they go somewhere else where they're also a hassle. Short of solving homelessness it's difficult to actually find a solution and so long as they're not bothering anyone too much this is probably better for them.
Council is the same, unless they can get a guaranteed way to get them out of Springvale and make it another council's problem then where's the benefit from doing all this extra work to push them out and just have them move into another empty house?
Such a shame they're not right enough in the head to realise they've got a windfall in a free house and should just stay quiet and enjoy it. Don't do meth, kids.
I was in a similar situation although not abandoned it was a drug den and almost every hour of every day there were shady characters visiting the place, there were fights out the front, their doors and windows were smashed, one time they even evacuated the whole house due to a 'chemical smell'. Neighbours homes were broken into, stuff was stolen inc from my garage.
I just kept calling Crime Stoppers and the police, each anti-social activity I recorded the time and date and any number plates etc to give to Crime Stoppers.
Eventually they were shut down.
Wow that sounds like a nightmare. Glad it's resolved now.
Concentrate on the drug side of it. Record incidents. Continually report it to the police.
If the police fail to respond then contact your federal, state and local government representatives to approach the police on your behalf. Politicians are allways wanting to get "tough on drugs" and "help the homeless".
I guess it depends how much it's worth to you to get rid of them.
You could try nailing all the windows and doors shut once you have paid some security professionals to remove all inhabitants.
If the owner doesn’t care enough to take legal action or properly secure the property there is probably nothing much you can do.
Infest the house with fire ants.
Procure an offensive chemical smell and pump it in.
Block the sewer
Have they actually caused any real harm, or are you just scared?
Opinion of other neighbours?
Collective action when alerting your MP will yield better outcome.
Build a giant fence. Motion activated flood lights that burn the eyes.
Bikies.