You can be arrested and evicted if you are squatting in Birkenhead.
Squatting is when a person deliberately gains access to your property in Birkenhead and starts living there without the owner's or the tenant's consent.
Squatting in Birkenhead, Oxton, or Woodchurch is mostly a last resort for someone who is homeless.
This option is a temporary measure if you are homeless as you will be evicted by the property owner in Birkenhead and you may be arrested or fined.
Your cannot be considered a squatter if you still live on a property or land in Merseyside at the end of your tenancy.
It is considered a criminal offence in Birkenhead to be squatting in a residential building.
You risk being arrested and in case you are found guilty, you may:
Sent to jail in Birkenhead for up to 6 months
Up to £ 5,000 fined
You may not be detained in Merseyside if:
Stayed on in the house in Birkenhead after your tenancy ended
A fake agent rented you to a property in Merseyside which they had no right to, as it is not your fault
Living on an unauthorized site in Birkenhead as a traveller or gypsy
Eviction of squatters in Birkenhead is possible if:
The police in Merseyside don't wish to arrest you
The owner of the property in Birkenhead, Woodchurch, or Oxton will not involve the police
You stay on a commercial property in Birkenhead
As soon as you are not on the property, the Birkenhead landowner can gain access to the property and replace all the locks.
The landlord in Birkenhead would usually have to get a court order in Merseyside if you or some other squatter within the property refuse to leave.
Use of violence or threat against you is illegal.
The owner needs to attach the copy of their possession claim forms to the front door at least 5 days before court hearing in Merseyside, or 2 days for those situated on commercial premises.
This must include a form for defence, and the date and other court hearing details.
You must challenge the owner's case, in the event that you're not squatting in Birkenhead.
This is achieved by returning to the court, the defence form, and attending the hearing at court in Birkenhead.
But if you are a squatter, the Merseyside court will instantly require you to leave the premises in Birkenhead.
The owner must require the bailiffs from the court in Merseyside to evict you if you don't leave.
As they do not have the right to be living where they are, squatters in Oxton, Woodchurch, or Birkenhead are considered as homeless.
Go to your local council in Birkenhead if you are homeless and ask for help.
Assuming you are single or homeless, the Merseyside council will offer advice where you can get a place to live in Birkenhead.
Those who are priority can also get emergency housing from the council in Merseyside as opposed to sleeping rough.
If you are in priority need (for example, if you are pregnant, have children or are vulnerable) the council in Birkenhead may need to provide you with emergency housing.
However, the council cannot offer long-term housing if residences or immigration restrictions apply to you, for example, you are an asylum seeker in Birkenhead, Woodchurch, or Oxton or your immigration status is "No recourse to public funds".
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