Remove Travellers or relinquish land title?

[Toetouchingtitties]

I’ve recently become an Administrator for a relatives estate. As part of their estate, they owned a very small plot of land in a London borough, surrounded by houses. The land is fenced in and did have a padlocked entranced.

I visited recently to check everything was ok, to find Travellers, plus their horses have taken it over. This must’ve happened in the last few months. It was relatively contained and tidy before - but is now an absolute mess, covered with rubbish etc.

I’ve enquired with bailiffs about costs to remove them and it’s roughly the same as the land would be worth if I sold it. I do not want the hassle of managing the eviction, re-securing the site, cleaning it up and then selling it; especially as the estate will lose money overall.

So, I’m thinking of just relinquishing the land back to the land registry and walking away. But, at the back of my mind I’d feel somewhat guilty as the area is otherwise well kept by the local residents.

AIBU to save the estate money, but by doing so potentially impact the local residents enjoyment of the area? For clarity, I don’t know anyone who lives in the area, I don’t live locally and we don’t have any local family ties.

You have to behave like a human, with common basic decency to other humans not in your tribe to qualify for humanisation. We make everyone pick up their dogs shit, people literally lie in wait to scream at people who don't pick up, regardless of their individual circumstances. Why should people have precious public money spent on cleaning up human shit rather than buying glue sticks and teachers in schools?

Fifteen years ago, I was interested in buying a field valued at £6k. I had a commercial idea that was viable if I had to pay £11k.
Bidding was strong to £12k, so I was out, a local resident and a traveller battled backward and forward until the traveller won at £18k.
That man 'invited' a dozen families to rent (illegally) plots on the land - made his money back in less than a year, while the council made ineffectual efforts to remove the caravans.
Travellers continued to live on the site for two and a half years, the owner doubled his money before selling to a local resident.

@Toetouchingtitties My advice would be (via professional intermediaries) to try to sell to local residents, before offering the land to the travellers. Explain that they have this option. Be prepared for fake rental agreements or even a bill of sale - travellers have much previous for this. There will be a leader who will be happy to do a deal - likely in cash.

For those who feel that travellers are unfairly stigmatised - I'm sure that does happen but I'll leave these links here:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/18996715.stolen-caravan-worth-20k-tracked-moses-gate-traveller-site/

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/24219473.caravan-worth-21-500-stolen-farm-near-barnard-castle/

"It had previously occurred to me... that he'd taken the demise of his mother rather lightly.

For every action, there is a reaction.
And a gypsy reaction... is quite a fucking thing."

It’s the mess, the human excrement, the theft the intimidation and general hassle to local communities that gives Travellers a bad name.
They are lawless and basically do as they like.

Police certainly don’t bother them.

If they were law abiding and tidy - different matter.

But you, as administrator for the estate, have not made any enquiries.

This is land in a London borough that could be developed in the future - or sold to neighbours who could increase their yard space.

If the land is big enough for travellers to camp their trailers and horses it is big enough to be developed later on down the line.

It's not racism. I'd say the same about anyone who shits and pees in a public carpark and leaves it there.

2 minutes Turkish

Don't take them to court, you will run out of money before they do, they are loaded. Many have houses in Ireland.
They invaded a car park near my office, they left piles of soiled nappies and several dead dogs behind. So that was nice.

I would see if the travellers would like to buy the land from you.

Excellent, an expert. How would you suggest that the OP resolves this matter?

It’s the assumption that every member of an ethnic group will, by definition, think, live and behave in the same way as the most anti-social members of that group that makes it racism.

Nonsense about land that's big enough for travellers to camp their trailers and horses on necessarily being big enough to be developed on later down the line.

Travellers camp anywhere and everywhere, from small car-parks to big farmlands and everywhere in between.

When I was young we had a couple of gypsy families that would come and camp in our field for a week or so every year with our blessing. They were never any trouble. We didn’t know they were there. They left the field as they had found it.

The same cannot be said for some traveller groups.

So they can’t get evicted, we have a few travelling communities by us that own their bits of land.

I agree. They have caused so much damage to local farmers fields where I live, leaving everything where in an utter mess, leaving human waste etc, no respect there.

sell the land

"The deal was, you bought it how you saw it.

Look, I've helped you as much as I'm going to help you.

See that car? Use it.

You should fuck off now while you still got the legs to carry you."

What IS it with dead dogs and Travellers?

We had a wonderful RSPCA Lurcher puppy who was found after Travellers had been evicted
Dead dogs and skeletal pups.

When the Lurcher got fit-( a year later) they tried to steal her from us !

She was fabulous, but animals are tools to them
not pets.

I'm not an expert in this matter, I was just replying to a comment that called us all rubbish and a blight on the country but I see it's now been removed.
I don't have any advice for op unfortunately but I can't stand the casual racism we receive.
I work hard and pay my taxes like everyone else but always get treated differently.

Head over there in a suit, carrying a briefcase and a laptop. Say you’re a tax inspector and you’ll be back at 9am on Tuesday to review all accounts and paperwork.

They’ll be gone by Tuesday morning. Job done.

It’s the mess and aggravation and intimidation that rightfully make people wary.

There’s an old boy who travels with his horses and two vehicles
Always welcome as he leaves no trace.

Edit: The only trace he leaves are grazed circles on the common
He even poo picks.

My grandfather was a tenant farmer 100 years ago. He was happy to accommodate travelling families because they were a source of useful intelligence about farming and market conditions elsewhere in the country - additionally, advice given for my father, who was a sickly baby may have saved his life.
Unfortunately, the lack of effective law enforcement and police decisions to view criminal activity as 'civil matters' have led to a situation in which it has become prudent to be distrustful of those who live a mobile life.
A well-managed site with law abiding inhabitants who are respectful of neighbours would be very encouraging and would go a long way to changing stereotypical views, failing that, the view of council-tax-paying residents is unlikely to change.

ps It is ironic that due to usually living in 'non-hereditable' homes, travellers don't pay council tax, but they also tend not to claim many benefits or use many public services which leads to a further lack of mutual understanding.

Hare coursing and fighting bait. Lurchers are ideal.

Mostly all English travellers and gypsies and settled nowadays so they do pay council tax.