If you are a gypsy or a traveller living on a private land in Wraysbury, Egham, or Hythe End, the type of site you are living on in Hounslow determines your rights, for instance, if you are living on a protected site with site license and planning permission.
If you are living on a protected site in Hounslow, you have strong rights compared to people on unprotected sites, which include eviction protection in Greater London.
Those living within an unprotected location in Hounslow, which is a site without legal permission of planning and a site licence, do not have the same rights as those living on a protected site in Greater London, and the landowner can easily evict you from the land.
However, you can enjoy some rights as a common law tenant in Hythe End, Wraysbury, or Egham who is facing eviction such as the right of being served with the notice of at least four weeks but you may find its enforcement very hard in Hounslow.
If you are taking up a place on a private land in Hounslow and you didn't get the permission of the landowner, you would still be evicted.
There can be situations where the landowner may not be aware that you are staying at their land in Greater London unless someone from local community complains to them.
Contacting and speaking about the situation with the Hounslow landowner might be worthwhile-if your camp in Egham, Hythe End, or Wraysbury doesn't cause any issues and the land is not required for anything else, they might be happy to stay with you.
In case the lawful tenant or property owner in Hounslow wishes you to leave, they may:
Apply for a possession order or an interdict in the court in Greater London for your eviction from the Hounslow land
Request Hounslow council to take appropriate action
Ask the Hounslow police to act
Evict you from Greater London by themselves
If you are camping on private land in Egham, Hythe End, or Wraysbury without the owner's approval and the landowner or tenants could apply for an eviction order in Hounslow from the Sheriffs court.
In this case, Summary Cause Summons, a court document, will be sent to you in Hounslow and this document tells about when your case hearing is scheduled.
If you are served a summons, seek professional advice from Denbigh Franks or a solicitor immediately.
You may be able to get in touch with a solicitor in Hounslow through your local Citizens Advice who would be able to help.
Having trespassed on someone's land in Hounslow, you are not entitled to any defence during court proceedings, however postponement of the eviction process in Greater London on humanitarian grounds is possible, for instance, a member of the family is not feeling well.
But if the Sherriff awards the eviction order to the petitioner, then you must leave Hounslow.
The term "interdict" is used for a Hythe End, Wraysbury, or Egham civil court order that tells you to avoid something from doing or to stay away from a particular individual or place in Greater London.
The travellers are sent the court papers when the landowner in Hounslow applies for an interdict.
For instance, you might get instructions to vacate the land in Hounslow or barring you from entering the site.
Once you receive these documents from court, you will need to get in touch with a lawyer or law department in Greater London.
You may be able to get in touch with a Hounslow solicitor who can be recommended through local Citizens Advice.
A solicitor will have the power to help you defend yourself in the court hearing.
Your situation would be assessed by the court in Egham, Wraysbury, or Hythe End first before the interdict is granted.
For example, a sheriff may not grant a veto if it is causing you or your Hounslow family great trouble.
Once the interdict has been granted, you are required to vacate Hounslow, however, failure to obey the terms you will be arrested by the Greater London police if the interdict includes arrest if you violate the terms.
The owner in Hounslow may provide evidence about the damages you have caused to the property so, you will have to face heavy fines or imprisonment.
The council in Greater London has the power to evict you on if the site is causing a public health hazard or the owner in Hounslow doesn't have permission for the site.
The Police may be called in to evict travellers as a last option in Wraysbury, Egham, or Hythe End.
If the landowner in Hounslow wants, he/she can evict you out of their land without having an order from the court.
But, if they damage your personal belongings in any way shape or form, or if they cause harm to you, you do have the legal right to report this to the officials in Hounslow and the landowner could face charges due to this.
Photos or by recording the incident in Greater London on video using your mobile phone is recommended to solidify your evidence.
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