Evictions in Rushcroft Road, Brixton

[wjh]

Just walked past the (Ritzy) end of Rushcroft Road and there are a
lot of Police vans parked up. Talked to one of the officers and he
handed me a notice:

"Illegal occupiers of council property on Rushcroft Road are being evicted
by the High Court enforcement office on behalf of Lambeth Council.

The building will now be sold and the income will be used to refurbish
social housing for those in genuine housing need."
​

Lets just hope it doesn't get nasty today.

 

[tufty79]

oh shit

 

[tarannau]

Bollocks. I've got mates in there - may have to go and pay a visit.

 

[editor]

Fuck. I'll pop down later and take a look. There's at least one urbanite and several frinds living there.

 

[tufty79]

yup.
hopefully se you all later. got an appt in clapham at half eleven, otherwise my day is free

 

[tufty79]

there is also a (seemingly empty - nobody in the front, at least) police van blocking the street on the corner of electric lane and coldharbour lane, by living bar.

 

[Crispy]

"Illegal occupiers of council property on Rushcroft Road are being evicted by the High Court enforcement office on behalf of Lambeth Council.

The building will now be sold and the income will be used to refurbish social housing for those in genuine housing need."
​

So the council is decreasing its housing stock, and making people homeless at the same time!
Well done!
Cunts!

 

[quimcunx]

Ah. Wondered what the police presence was about.

So the council is decreasing its housing stock, and making people homeless at the same time!
Well done!
Cunts!

Rushcroft road is far too central and has far too nice housing stock to give to scabby old council tenants, silly.

 

[editor]

Hmm. I've texted the urbanite who lives there and not heard back yet.
Hope she's alright.

 

[tufty79]

the police are allowing residents in the building to remove their possessions.
anyone else isn't allowed in to help them cart stuff down.

once it's out the front door, looks like we need assistance to carry it away

the plice have also been making lovely comments about the evictions where they've beaten folk up in the past. and if anyone challenges them about it, they're accused of getting shirty. cnuts

councillor rachel heywood, deputy cabinet member for community cohesion and involvement, is involved - 0796110018 if anyone needs to get hold of her.

cheers xxx

 

[Bob]

I agree with evicting people living illegally in Lambeth property.

But what I can't work out is why Lambeth are prioritising this rather than refurbing the hundreds of empty homes they already have.

http://reportemptyhomes.com/reports/Lambeth
and
http://lambethlibdems.org.uk/news/000060/housing_watchdog_slams_lambeths_267_empty_homes.html
from a quick Google.

 

[editor]

Hmm. I've texted the urbanite who lives there and not heard back yet.
Hope she's alright.

She is OK.

 

[Ground Elder]

Squatting is not illegal.

 

[tufty79]

well, we have *some* of the stuff out....

 

[pboi]

chuck out the peasants and get those homes refurbed

 

[editor]

Just went past there. There's a van and a handful of cops from Kennington nick securing the building and what looked like a burly baliff outside but no other activity. The two blocks closest to Electric Lane have been closed down.

 

[bluestreak]

i heard about this from tufty but there isn't anything i could do. i'm all in favour of squatting, and even squatting council houses if the council isn't using them, but to be evicted so that the council can sell them during a recession when the same council has lost 20 million quid recently to fraud and incompetence... makes me fucking angry.

 

[teuchter]

i heard about this from tufty but there isn't anything i could do. i'm all in favour of squatting, and even squatting council houses if the council isn't using them, but to be evicted so that the council can sell them during a recession when the same council has lost 20 million quid recently to fraud and incompetence... makes me fucking angry.

What should they do otherwise? Refurb them and then let them out as council housing? I'm presuming the logic is that the money they can make selling them would pay for refurbing more m2 (or at least, occupant capacity) of housing somewhere else, than the m2 they would gain by keeping and refurbing these ones.

Certainly I can see why people would be angry that they have left them to languish for so long, though - presumably if they'd sold them a couple of years ago they would have gone for a fair bit more.

 

[editor]

A few pics:

http://www.urban75.org/brixton/features/rushcroft-road-evictions.html

 

[tufty79]

Raverdrew posting...

As some of you may know already, some of us were illegally evicted yesterday. Papers were not served properly, and certain people were not given the time and proper opportunity to get their possessions out of the premises. We have been promised to retrieve our possessions this morning when the storage contractors arrive. Unfortunately we are experiencing some problems and if anyone can make it down here to lend support/act as a witness then it would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[bluestreak]

What should they do otherwise? Refurb them and then let them out as council housing? I'm presuming the logic is that the money they can make selling them would pay for refurbing more m2 (or at least, occupant capacity) of housing somewhere else, than the m2 they would gain by keeping and refurbing these ones.

Certainly I can see why people would be angry that they have left them to languish for so long, though - presumably if they'd sold them a couple of years ago they would have gone for a fair bit more.

I understand the maths, believe me. It's maths that is imposed on them by central government, and it fucking stinks.

 

[boohoo]

They have to get permission to sell the properties. It's not that easy for a council to be allowed to sell council property at market value. Has it been part of a housing stock transfer?

Also I don't buy the idea that the money will go back into housing. In government, the money collected from housing transfer goes to treasury piggie bank.

 

[editor]

I predict that the buildings will lie empty for ages after being secured and becoming subject of some tedious council budget wrangling that will eventually see them being flogged off cheap to some developer.

 

[Badgers]

I predict that the buildings will lie empty for ages after being secured and becoming subject of some tedious council budget wrangling that will eventually see them being flogged off cheap to some developer.

Squatting seems honourable these days does it not

A council owned property down the road from us sat empty for ages.
Then it was squatted and at the taxpayers expense the police and council were all over the place.
The squatters got evicted and now the place has sat empty for ages.

The loop continues

 

[tufty79]

well now...
the eviction summonsy papers were served to somebody who has never lived at the address or had connections with it.
the documents for the storage company include a head office address which has not been used since 1993..

i'm on the phone to shelter to see if that provides any loophole/staying power

 

[bluestreak]

They have to get permission to sell the properties. It's not that easy for a council to be allowed to sell council property at market value. Has it been part of a housing stock transfer?

Also I don't buy the idea that the money will go back into housing. In government, the money collected from housing transfer goes to treasury piggie bank.

Not always. It's often the case that local councils are allowed to sell of properties in order to raise fnds funds for major project refurbs. Especially if the property is squatted.

 

[editor]

Squatting seems honourable these days does it not

A council owned property down the road from us sat empty for ages.
Then it was squatted and at the taxpayers expense the police and council were all over the place.
The squatters got evicted and now the place has sat empty for ages.

The loop continues

Cooltan in Brixton was a thriving squatted community centre before being closed down, left to rot for ten years and now we have a big flattened site full of rubble occupying the space.

 

[boohoo]

Not always. It's often the case that local councils are allowed to sell of properties in order to raise fnds funds for major project refurbs. Especially if the property is squatted.

There was certain control about this in stock transfer so that the rsl couldn't sell off all the nice houses of high value at market prices. Though thinking about it, I'm not sure why not, when many of the estates tennanted market values were negative and they were transfered (sold off) with nice posh houses which have a high market value and money from sales could have been invested into the poorer properties.

 

[bang]

well now...
the eviction summonsy papers were served to somebody who has never lived at the address or had connections with it.
the documents for the storage company include a head office address which has not been used since 1993..

i'm on the phone to shelter to see if that provides any loophole/staying power

that was the case for a couple of mates who were living there too, we thought that would be enough to keep the eviction off but since not please keep me posted on any updates you get - cheers

 

[sheothebudworths]

tufty - you may find that the Advisory Service for Squatters are actually able to offer much better help/advice than Shelter.