I have nowhere else to turn..

[MoonShadow]

Breaking into an abandoned building is VERY illegal.

Bullshit.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2005/08/19/17608451.php

I gave you 4 links already saying the opposite.

Genjix, squating isn't illegal unto itself, but breaking into a closed property, even if you know that it is indeed abandoned, is still breaking and entering.

[pull]

Hostels cost money, I believe the last one I looked at was 17$ a day.. but I'm not sure exactly how much it was... I have absolutely no money until I can land of these interviews.. I have about $0.32 all in pennies. Now I have to go panhandle again for tonight AND tomorrows hotel fare.. Since it's gonna blizzard tomorrow I won't be able to get anything for a few days. I wish I still had friends in this state..

Gen: Read carefully: "In the United States, squatting laws vary from state to state and city to city. For the most part, it is rarely tolerated to any degree for long, particularly in cities.[60]"
ALSO:
"Squatting was once a legitimate way to claim land but is now a crime. Some towns still have laws permitting legal dwelling in abandoned building, usually under the conditions that it had been vacated a certain length of time or brought up to code. For the most part though, it is illegal. "

I know what the laws are in this city, and squatting is a guarenteed trespassing ticket. Cops can charge with several things.. trespassing, vagrancy, illegal activity on public property, breaking and entering, etc.. This are all charges which squatting can fall under if the cop feels like being a dick, and he most likely give you a ticket for trespassing and tell you to leave, which is around a 400$+ fine and possible jail time, if he feels like REALLY being a dick, he can give you a felony trespassing or breaking and entering, which are instantly arrestable offences and are almost guaranteed jail time.

[genjix]

excuses. They rarely bother you if you're quiet:
http://squattheplanet.com/diy-die/squatting-alternative-housing/

post there and ask

It's the same in the UK. Breaking and entering is illegal, but they can never prove it. You claim the window was open or the door left ajar.

[Local]

You just need to get into the right frame of mind and there is nothing that a cop can/will do except maybe make you leave if the property owner insists.

I'm renting now, if I lose the contract, which I may have, I'd be in the exact same legal situation as you (provided that you are not caught in the act of breaking in). Living where you are not permitted is a civil matter and the ultimate penalty is eviction.

I've hardly thought about this at all, but there are plenty of things you can do to help yourself. Figure out the name of the owner, can't be that hard, maybe it's on the mailbox, maybe it's on the internet. Say that you have a cash deal with Jerry. Act like you live there, dust the place. If it seems stable maybe turn on the internet and pay the bill. Don't feel guilty, improve the place, don't damage it.

I'm not saying you should definitely do this, only that it isn't impossible or a terrible idea like you think. 

[MoonShadow]

Figure out the name of the owner, can't be that hard, maybe it's on the mailbox, maybe it's on the internet. Say that you have a cash deal with Jerry. Act like you live there, dust the place. If it seems stable maybe turn on the internet and pay the bill. Don't feel guilty, improve the place, don't damage it. 

this gave me an even better idea.  Use the Internet to find out what the office of the REO office of a local bank chain.  With the economy as it is, they certainly have a few properties that are empty, for which they are responsible to an association of homeowners, and they are concerned about vandals stealing the copper lines.  Call the office and make an appointment, if you can.  Show up like you are going to a job interview.  Don't give them your whole sob story, just sum it up and then tell them that you are a responsible single adult with a job.  Tell them what they can do for them.  In exchange for written permission for living in a REO property of their choosing, you will maintain the grounds as well as provide the security that comes naturally with your presence.  I.E. you will call the cops on those who you suspect intend harm to the property, but will not actually put yourself in harm's way.  State that you expect a written agreement, but not compensation; and you are willing to vacate on short notice should the property need to be shown to a client.

the worst that can come of it is that they say no, and you are out the time and effort, but it could be far more productive than begging at a corner.  If your friend can clean up, and not scuttle the deal, bring him with you and offer to each squat on a different home or the same one, at the bank's preferences

[fabianhjr]

hey, that is actually a really nice idea and it helps people. Kudos for you.

[pull]

You just need to get into the right frame of mind and there is nothing that a cop can/will do except maybe make you leave if the property owner insists.

I'm renting now, if I lose the contract, which I may have, I'd be in the exact same legal situation as you (provided that you are not caught in the act of breaking in). Living where you are not permitted is a civil matter and the ultimate penalty is eviction.

I've hardly thought about this at all, but there are plenty of things you can do to help yourself. Figure out the name of the owner, can't be that hard, maybe it's on the mailbox, maybe it's on the internet. Say that you have a cash deal with Jerry. Act like you live there, dust the place. If it seems stable maybe turn on the internet and pay the bill. Don't feel guilty, improve the place, don't damage it.

I'm not saying you should definitely do this, only that it isn't impossible or a terrible idea like you think. 

You have a previous lease, and verifiable payments towards the landowner, which means they have to pursue eviction proceedings to forcibly remove you from the home. If you were not ever a legal resident they can remove you from the land IMMEDIATELY.

Why is everyone telling me to break the law? I want to live an honest legal life....

[Local]

 

You have a previous lease, and verifiable payments towards the landowner, which means they have to pursue eviction proceedings to forcibly remove you from the home. If you were not ever a legal resident they can remove you from the land IMMEDIATELY.

Why is everyone telling me to break the law? I want to live an honest legal life....
[/quote]

There is no way to tell a legal resident from an illegal one without a hearing and it would be a civil hearing. If you didn't even show you would get a default judgement to vacate and that would be all. I don't suddenly become an illegal occupant if my toddler eats my lease. And you aren't automatically an illegal just because you can't produce a copy.

You can't live a legal life anyway, the law is enormous, contradictory, and ambiguous.

[pull]

There is no way to tell a legal resident from an illegal one without a hearing and it would be a civil hearing. If you didn't even show you would get a default judgement to vacate and that would be all. I don't suddenly become an illegal occupant if my toddler eats my lease. And you aren't automatically an illegal just because you can't produce a copy.

You can't live a legal life anyway, the law is enormous, contradictory, and ambiguous.

Then how does anyone ever get a breaking and entering charge? Or trespassing for that matter? I think there is a standard of judgment where it's the responding officer's determination whether or not it is actually a civil issue. Trespassing as well as breaking and entering are criminal charges, and if they can determine that you committed a criminal act, then civil court is a moot point. I know that you can't just break into a place, squat, and expect to have it be a civil issue. No police officer in this state will allow you to squat, and then force the landowner to file eviction proceedings.

I know what you're talking about as far as screwing over a landlord, moving into a place, and then forcing the landlord to evict you. But on the same coin, the landlord can break into your place and rob you of everything you own, and that would ALSO be a civil issue.. if you piss someone off, especially a landowner of who's property you reside on, they're capable of screwing you over in just the same method you did them.

[Local]

There is no way to tell a legal resident from an illegal one without a hearing and it would be a civil hearing. If you didn't even show you would get a default judgement to vacate and that would be all. I don't suddenly become an illegal occupant if my toddler eats my lease. And you aren't automatically an illegal just because you can't produce a copy.

You can't live a legal life anyway, the law is enormous, contradictory, and ambiguous.

Then how does anyone ever get a breaking and entering charge? Or trespassing for that matter? I think there is a standard of judgment where it's the responding officer's determination whether or not it is actually a civil issue. Trespassing as well as breaking and entering are criminal charges, and if they can determine that you committed a criminal act, then civil court is a moot point. I know that you can't just break into a place, squat, and expect to have it be a civil issue. No police officer in this state will allow you to squat, and then force the landowner to file eviction proceedings.

I know what you're talking about as far as screwing over a landlord, moving into a place, and then forcing the landlord to evict you. But on the same coin, the landlord can break into your place and rob you of everything you own, and that would ALSO be a civil issue.. if you piss someone off, especially a landowner of who's property you reside on, they're capable of screwing you over in just the same method you did them.

That's right. 

Breaking in is the time you are at risk. Don't damage anything and repair it immediately if you do. Criminal don't dust houses they break into, criminals don't make themselves a cup of tea.

Don't piss the owner off, improve the place and don't be a jerk if the owner comes around. If he does come, don't act guilty, don't panic. Say the truth, you've been living here, you've been maintaining the place. Ask does he need the property vacated now or should you keep maintaining it?

[genjix]

or find a bunch of other homeless dudes, get a copy of the squatters manual, find an abandoned building (the longer it's been empty, the better), barricade yourselfs in, fix up the place & treat it like your home.

people do this all the time. it's not criminal. they can never prove that you've broken in- you normally say the backdoor was already open and you walked in.

[Anonymous]

I'll just leave this here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nbl78cj5vM

[pull]

OMFG, I FUCKING HATE PEOPLE.... So I posted some will code shit on craigslist, explaining my situation, and a resume kinda.. And I get this email from this chick who apparently needs 11 laptops reformatted..

"Hello,

Good day and how are you and family .I got your contact and i was just
checking if you will be available to
repair and install some applications on 11 (ELEVEN) PC ."
"Hello ,

How you doing?

Thanks for you quick response,I have some Hp PCs(Intel Pentium IV)
since we currently have a major breakdown on most of our systems and I
thought it was best to have a general upgrade and maintenance.(I will
be providing the software needed).Below are the things needed to be
done one on each laptops:

1 Format Hard Drive
2 Install Win Xp with Service Pack 2
3 Microsoft Office Package
4 AVG Virus Software (Free Lifetime Updates )
5 Adobe Acrobat
6 Laptop Cleaning of the keyboard, screen and other case.
7 Diagnostics of the entire system after to check hard, CD Rom, floppy,
etc.

I will like You to know that my mode of payment is by US certified
check mailed and address to you from my employer company since I am
presently on a business workshop in Panama city,South American and i
want you to know that i will handle the shipment myself since i have a
shipper from the state here that will bring the laptops to your
place,and will come pick them up as soon as you are done with them.

I should have make this a phone order but i have a network problem of
where i am and my shipper will be coming with the necessary Software
for the installations of the Computers with both the Operating
System,Microsoft Office and the Anti-virus for each computers .

However,get back to me with your last asking price for the 11{ELEVEN} PC.
I await your urgent response so that i can put the arrangement in
order.


Thanks and hope to read from you soon."


After going through all this trouble, I thought it was legitimate, I quoted her 90$ a machine, so 990$ total.

"I must confess I'm comfortable with the cost and its quite reasonable
 and affordable and also,i hope i can trust you that to do a good job."



And then I get this email, which broke my heart.


"Hello Casey,
     Sorry for not getting back to you since. It's just that am busy. However, i just receive an update from my client that the payment will be delivered to you today via Usps and here is the Usps tracking# EO 988 148 502 US.

 I want you to proceed to your bank immediately you get the payment to get the payment deposited for 24hrs.

As soon as you get the payment withdrawn ,i will want you to proceed to the nearest western union outlet and get the Balance sent after you deduct your own payment from the total payment sent to you by my client and get the rest money sent to the Shipper. And as soon as you make that done i will let the Shipper contact you and make the arrangement of date and time the Pcs will be delivered to you. Pls make sure you send the Money to the Shipper before Wednesday so that the Shipper can come over to meet you.

Below is the Shipper information to remit the rest of the fund to via western union.
=
Name: Yvette Proctor
Address: 1901 E 1st St
City: Detroit
State: Michigan
Zip Code: 48234


Please do that immediately so that my Shipper can come over to meet you in the state.

As soon as you get the money sent i will want you to get back to me with this information's.

1.The MTCN ( 10digits number) on the Western Union  receipt
2.Sender's name and address used in sending the money
3.Actual Amount sent.
 
Moreover,you can go on to the www.westernunion.com/us to check for the nearest location to send the money to the Shipper.
 

Hope to read from you Soon.
Cheers !
Vannessa."

I was betting so much on this job, it would easily been enough to get an apartment, I actually setup a showing for a place I was gonna get. One bdrm 650sq.ft. for 560 a mo. with a 50$ security deposit, but no it's all bullshit! GOD DAMNIT!

This appears to be a new elaborate twist on the Nigerian lottery schemes. She sent me a check for 3250, dated from the 14th of December. I didn't even start talking to her until January. It's a completely fraudulent cashier's check.. The ink is running, and it appears to be printed crooked. I called the bank it's alleged to be from, and the routing number isn't attached to any account.

I shouldn't have put my eggs all in the same basket, but I only had one egg.

Now, I'm fucking back to square one, after she wasted 2 weeks of my time.. I assumed the job was legitimate, so I didn't bother looking for more gigs. My plan was to do this job, get a place, and some breathing room. Then get a shitty telemarketing gig to keep my head above water until I could land another contract gig..

I'm gonna step in front of a fucking bus... I'm back to sleeping in the back of my friends car.. I don't know what to do anymore. Every single time I take one step forward a mac truck slams me 4 miles back.

[fabianhjr]

Hey if of something helps, not all people is like that. Why didn't you hold the equipment until the payment was done? :/ I am sure each is worth at least 200.

So, do you have a job yet? How is telemarketing going?

[Bimmerhead]

this gave me an even better idea.  Use the Internet to find out what the office of the REO office of a local bank chain.  With the economy as it is, they certainly have a few properties that are empty, for which they are responsible to an association of homeowners, and they are concerned about vandals stealing the copper lines.  Call the office and make an appointment, if you can.  Show up like you are going to a job interview.  Don't give them your whole sob story, just sum it up and then tell them that you are a responsible single adult with a job.  Tell them what they can do for them.  In exchange for written permission for living in a REO property of their choosing, you will maintain the grounds as well as provide the security that comes naturally with your presence.  I.E. you will call the cops on those who you suspect intend harm to the property, but will not actually put yourself in harm's way.  State that you expect a written agreement, but not compensation; and you are willing to vacate on short notice should the property need to be shown to a client.

the worst that can come of it is that they say no, and you are out the time and effort, but it could be far more productive than begging at a corner.  If your friend can clean up, and not scuttle the deal, bring him with you and offer to each squat on a different home or the same one, at the bank's preferences

If this actually worked, he could end up being some kind of cable news meme and pretty soon people all over the US would be offering their housesitting services to banks.

This is a really interesting idea.  I noticed there was no response to it.

[pull]

Hey if of something helps, not all people is like that. Why didn't you hold the equipment until the payment was done? :/ I am sure each is worth at least 200.

So, do you have a job yet? How is telemarketing going?

There are no laptops, it's all bullshit. No, no telemarketing yet. I'm waiting for someone to come along and extend their home to me for a few weeks. It doesn't seem like much to ask, but it doesn't seem like it's going to happen.

I'm 30$ short for my hotel tonight, and I had a security guard threaten to put me in handcuffs for panhandling.. Back to the streets I go. I'll be scraping the gutters of colfax if you need me.

[joe]

I'm gonna step in front of a fucking bus... I'm back to sleeping in the back of my friends car.. I don't know what to do anymore. Every single time I take one step forward a mac truck slams me 4 miles back.

Con artist. I see these lies every day. Can an admin please get this guy off the forum? Tired of this thread keeps popping up and people keep feeding him with money and pity he doesn't deserve.

[pull]

I'm gonna step in front of a fucking bus... I'm back to sleeping in the back of my friends car.. I don't know what to do anymore. Every single time I take one step forward a mac truck slams me 4 miles back.

Con artist. I see these lies every day. Can an admin please get this guy off the forum? Tired of this thread keeps popping up and people keep feeding him with money and pity he doesn't deserve.

See, what saddens me is that this IS my life, and I have people like you who assume the world is full of evil selfish people. If you really think I'm a "con-artist," talk to Eric. I actually met up with him a few weeks back here in Denver. He knows I'm for real, and I had never met him before in my life. I don't care if you don't believe me. Only two people from this forum have helped me out at all, and one was Eric. He got me a 50$ McDonald's gift card.

"Pity he doesn't deserve"? I don't want pity, but sometimes it's nice to have someone to talk to. I've put my entire life out here on the line, for everyone to read.. and you come along and assume you know everything about everything. You don't even insinuate that you're making an assumption. You're right, completely right, 100%, and you instantly believe that everyone else should be as untrusting and as bitter as you. After that post I made last night, I wandered over to a friends house to see if I could stay there just for the night. If I can't get together money for a hotel (I have 0$ income from this forum, and as I previously stated, I panhandle 99.9% of the time to get food/shelter/blankets) I leave enough time to get back to Longmont so I can sleep in my friends car. Well, my supposed friend went to boulder to pick up some money for a hotel, and told me to wait for him here in Aurora. I spent 7 hours waiting at the bus stop and he never came. I wasn't able to get back to longmont as the buses stopped running for the night. So I went to a different friends house to see if I could stay there, which unfortunately caused an argument between him and his girlfriend.

I asked him for a blanket and he grabbed one out of the closet, which looked to me to be lining the floor beneath the litter boxes. "Hey man, it may smell like cat piss, but it's better than nothing right?" Ugh.. I suppose so. I walked as far as I could and found a fenced off trash compactor thing.. Like one of those dumpster trash compactors. I laid down my piss covered blanket, and got a few hours rest before I woke up shivering. I think that's a feeling that most people don't really know. To wake up chilled to the bone.. It's a terrible feeling, and it usually takes an hour or two to stop shivering. When it happens, you're pretty much screwed, because it means whatever you're using for warmth obviously isn't good enough. You're too cold to try to go somewhere to find better shelter or another blanket/cardboard. Not to mention it's usually 2-4am when it gets cold enough to wake you up.

If you think I'm here to milk the bitcoin community, you're sorely mistaken. I think you have some sort of idea that people are throwing me hundreds of dollars on a weekly basis, nowhere near the case. The reason I keep coming back to this forum, and no others, is because this is truly a community. I've had A LOT of helpful advice, and plenty of kind words from people who don't even know me. As I said as well, I'm always up to meet people in person and share my story/answer questions.

Why did you choose to quote my "Step in front of a bus" line? I suppose to you it seems similar to one of the supposedly suicidal girlfriends you once had. Some sort of empty line meant for attention, and maybe it is partially an expression of angst. I've been on the streets for almost two years now, and it's beating the shit out of me. I'm 21.... 21... and I really have nothing. The only friends I have, I can't count on them to be where they say they're gonna be, let alone something beneficial.

I'm an honest man, and I despise liars. I understand where your mistrust comes from. It's a dog-eat-dog world, where everyone's trying to cut eachother's throats just to get ahead. I won't steal from anyone, and the only lying I do is sometimes I'll tell people I need food when really I'm trying to get a hotel. I don't get why shelter is a much lesser necessity. Also, I don't understand why if you're homeless you're automatically supposed to BE homeless. You HAVE to stay at the shelter, and frequent soup kitchens. I've been told I act like I'm too good for shelters, and it's partially right. Shelter's are disgusting places, even if the facility is nice. The Boulder shelter has a fantastic facility, but as with everything in this world, humans destroy it. It's difficult to sleep in a dorm-room setting with 130 other people, at least 20 of which are shitfaced drunk talking extraordinarily loud. The others are coughing and hacking all night, audibly spitting on the floor. Lights turn on at 5:30am, and you have to leave by 7am. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I don't see how a shelter will benefit me. No one there has any respect for anyone else.. I won't shower there. Last time a tried someone had shit on the floor. If you're homeless you're expected to fall into the homeless life, or rather the socially acceptable constructed homeless life. The few people I personally know who live that life have no aspirations.. they spend their lives between jail, detox, and the shelter... and I believe such is the way the shelter is constructed.

Once you start LIVING there, and calling it home. At least half of your worries are taken care of. You have a place to sleep, shower, and eat. What bothers me though, is that you do nothing to earn your own way. You can live at the shelter without contributing a damn thing to anything or anyone. You don't have to work, and you can fall into a routine very similar to a jail lifestyle.. Get there, eat, watch TV, goto sleep, wake up, eat, watch TV, leave, rinse and repeat....

To be happy, I need to earn my own way. I know most of you will say panhandling isn't work. It's lazy, and pathetic. I will agree that it's pathetic, often times a simple harsh word will make me cry, not because I'm weak (I don't consider myself to be), but you're really putting yourself out there. You're entirely at the mercy of the person you're talking to. People, not dissimilar from you, can be vicious, vile, and completely unsympathetic. They'll judge you within 5 seconds, and determine that you don't even deserve their time, let alone a bit of food. I never "fly a sign" as I do consider that lazy, and entirely more deceptive. Anytime you see someone flying a sign that says "I'm hungry" or "Will work for food" I can almost 100% assure you that it's for cigarettes or alcohol. If one really wants food, you can just go outside a restaurant and ask for leftovers, it usually only takes about 10-15 minutes max.
If anyone here thinks that panhandling is easy, I dare you to try it for one hour. Go out and put yourself on the line, ask for help. You'll find that people will step on your heart and cut off your balls so-to-speak.

If you'd have read all of my posts, you'd have a pretty sure idea that I'm not lying. If you want evidence as to anything you think I'm lying about, I assure you I can produce it. I don't think I'll waste my time doing so though, because I really don't care what you think. I'm not here to prove something, as I don't need to. I'm here to get a few kind words, have a place to vent, and to transcribe my day-to-day struggle. If it doesn't interest you, and you're completely unsympathetic, then don't bother reading it. No one asked you to anyway.

I don't know, is anyone here actually interested in this lifestyle? The struggles of a distraught economy? The alleged "bottom of the barrel"? I was thinking about writing about the past few years in a more biography style. I just wanna know if it'd be worth my time, if anyone would be interested to read it?

I'd like to know if anyone would be interested in reading a autobiography. Please respond with yes/no.

[Anonymous]

Id be interested.

[Garrett Burgwardt]

I'd be interested in a journal style thread where you write about your day, how you ended up where you are now, etc, with a donation address at the bottom. You seem to be a good writer and whether you're lying or not is irrelevant if you're producing something interesting to read 

Probably would be a good idea make a new thread if you were to do something like that, this one is cluttered.