Tramp wins rights to prime land

[maycm]

A tramp has become the legal owner of a prime piece of land on Hampstead Heath in north London which he has lived on for more than 20 years. Harry Hallowes, 70, was handed the title deeds to the secluded woodland spot, thought to be worth £2m, after developers threatened to evict him.

Mr Hallowes made a successful claim under what is called squatters' rights, a Land Registry spokeswoman said. He occupies a 12ft by 8ft shack which stands in a 90ft by 90ft garden.

Mr Hallowes moved to England from County Sligo in Ireland at the age of 20 and ended up on the dole and soon started sleeping rough on Hampstead Heath. Property developers Dwyer international bought Athlone House nursing home and its grounds, in which the squat sits, in 2005.

Previously Mr Hallowes had refused to claim the land as his own but his hand was forced when the developers moved to evict him. Solicitor Maurice Evans, acting on Mr Hallowes's behalf, made a claim for adverse possession and he was finally registered as the owner in September last year.

A spokeswoman for Land Registry said Mr Hallowes had to prove had had been the sole occupier of the land for 12 years.

Mr Evans said Mr Hallowes had no intention of selling the land and moving on.

"All he ever wanted was to live on the plot of land that he had occupied for the last 12 years," Mr Evans said.

The developers donated the plot of land to the Corporation of London, which owns Hampstead Heath, and it hopes to take ownership of Mr Hallowes's squat when he dies.

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Excellent!! One for the little guy against the big corporations.

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that is good news for him - but what a waste of time and resources just for him to be left where he was in the first place... I hope he gets at least an equity-release on the value so he can get himself a better hut!

[Bat]

This story has been ongoing for a few years, fair play to the old codger. If someone can't be arsed to look after their land then let someone else do it.
There have been quite a few cases like this in London. If it was not for squatters rights then I would not be where I am today - skint, destitute, no hope etc, etc, whatever, I only wish we had the sense to claim the property we squatted back in the day. Remember the big house in Swiss Cottage Face? Man, that place must be worth 5 million now.

[faceless]