A SQUATTER living by train tracks says he defended his plot with a SPADE when an eviction squad tried to turf him out.
Defiant Leo Fieran, 55, alleges cops and bailiffs then chain-locked him inside his three-metre high enclosure in April.
ShutterstockLeo Fieran says he defended his squat with a spade when an eviction squad tried to turf him out[/caption]
ShutterstockLeo, originally from Romania, has lived on his tiny plot since 2006[/caption]
As he faces his latest fight for survival, the handyman says he is willing to get King Charles involved to defend his rights.
He told The Sun: “The police showed up, members of the court, and eviction security. It was very heated.
“They were trying to evict me and get me off my land. They threatened to break down my door.
“I asked them to leave, I said they cannot just show up at my gate.
“I got the shovel and raised it above my head but I was inside and they were outside. I was ready to fight back.”
Leo, originally from Romania, has lived on his tiny plot since 2006 – living there part-time two years before moving in permanently.
He does not pay council tax, receives no benefits and has no electricity or running water at his camp in Kings Cross, London.
Instead, he showers at local leisure centres and gets handout meals from local churches.
He sleeps under blankets and a sleeping bag, partially covered by a mesh tarpaulin under a ramp.
Leo – who is single and has no kids – turned his back on bricks and mortar in favour of feeling “the ground beneath my feet”.
He says when he found the fenced off land, it was quiet and was just a spot for “rubbish dumping and drug taking“.
The 55-year-old took it as his own and says nobody had bothered him.
But last year, he applied to the Land Registry to get his squat on Camley Road under his name, triggering a legal battle.
Leo’s situation is complicated by Camden Council plans to redevelop large swathes of his street for housing.
In May last year, a court ruled he had no right to reside at the 35m x 15m plot through a Possession Order granted to landowners Camden Council.
‘THIS LAND IS MINE’
Despite being ordered to leave, Leo insists “this land is mine” under the Adverse Possession law, which he says gives him a right to the land as a squatter.
The principle is when a person who does not have legal ownership of land can become the owner when in possession of it long enough – usually 10-12 years – ousting the true owner.
Amid a row that’s raged for years, Leo says he is willing to take his case to the High Court and even ask King Charles to defend him.
He fumed: “I said after 19 years, you shouldn’t call my presence here a trespass. It’s my possession.
“We need to settle this issue once and for all.”
Last year Leo said he is willing to “go to prison” to protect his squat.
He added: “I am just a simple guy. I do not want to live in a house, I want to feel the ground beneath my feet.
“It is about the land I am entitled to get.
“This land is mine. I am not going anywhere! They will have to carry me out, they will have to drag me out.”
The Metropolitan Police said they had no record of incidents involving Leo.
Camden Council were approached for comment.
SQUAT OF BOTHER
What rights do squatters have?
Squatters can apply for ownership of a property if they have lived there for over 10 years. In some cases, this can be up to 60 years.
They apply to the land registry who will then notify the property owner who can approve or challenge the request. If no objection is raised, the squatter becomes the new owner.
If you want to evict a squatter from your property you can apply for a Possession Order. This requires a trespasser leaves a property, and allows the opportunity for bailiffs to be instructed to remove the trespassers.
Squatters in commercial property cannot be arrested for trespassing, but they can be for:
Incorrectly disposing of litter on the site
Using gas or electricity without permission
Damaging the property
Stealing from the property
Source: Slater Heelis solicitors
ShutterstockLeo sleeps under blankets and a sleeping bag, partially covered by a mesh tarpaulin under a ramp[/caption]
Not known, clear with picture deskHe says when he found the fenced off land, it was quiet and was just a spot for ‘rubbish dumping and drug taking’[/caption]
ShutterstockLeo – who is single and has no kids – turned his back on bricks and mortar in favour of feeling ‘the ground beneath my feet’[/caption]
ShutterstockHe does not pay council tax, receives no benefits and has no electricity or running water at his camp in Kings Cross, London[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
