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.

I'll buy your plot of land in London with the travellers on for £1.00.

How long do travellers normally stick around for? Could they hopefully head off any time soon seeing as they are 'travellers'?

Well given that they've taken over her land without permission, they absolutely are a problem to be solved in this case. That's not saying all travellers are but they can't just take OPs land because they want to. You'd feel pretty differently if they set up in your garden I'm sure.

They are squatting and have caused a huge mess.

That is a problem to be solved.

I'm sorry, but they don't just get to basically steal a piece of land and trash the place because they fancy it.

I'm sure you wouldn't feel so happy if it was next door to you and the garden where your children play.

That's what I would do.

Also if the travelers bought it they would be more likely to look after it.

Travellers generally cause huge issues in local areas.

Where I keep my daughter pony is v. Near to a traveller site and this is what I have experienced-

• their drainage runs straight into the open ditches. The smell is horrendous.

• there is rubbish all over the road way leading to the site. Hardly any other cars have reason to use it as it's a dead end so assume it's the travellers chucking out rubbish from their cars.

• lots of them seemingly take delight in driving in an aggressive manner around a child on a pony.

• racing their poor horses up and down the roads at high speed and not slowing down when seeing other horses. This caused an accident a week or so ago.

We are moving the pony to a different area.

Move them off the land it will have a value and likely to increase.

I was about to ask the same question.

I refuse to believe that all travellers behave like this. My mothers father and brother were farmers and frequently had travellers on their land. My mum remembers playing with their children in the 1950s and had no problems. They would leave land pretty much as as they found it and sometimes helped on the farms to make some money. I certainly remember them on my uncles field in the mid 1980s - pleasant enough bunch didn't cause any problems - they used to let me stroke their horses.

So 30 years ago if you'd mentioned travellers I'd have just said live and let live... but now I just find myself thinking of them as causing a nuisance and an expensive cleaning up and surely that's not as a it should be

So what's going on? What's changed - is it just a small minority doing this? You must be angry that they spoil things for everyone else

Neither your mother or you is obliged to act as an executor to someone else's estate. If it is taking too much of your time and is problematic, you can use this form to renounce your executorship: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-pa15-give-up-probate-executor-rights

If they have trashed the plot of land and have squatted illegally, they are indeed a blight AND a problem. Good people do not trash other people's land, whether they are invited to be there or not. It wouldn't matter who it is, the fact that the land is squatted upon, and now a trash heap is what is important.

That's not "dehumanizing" them. It's being truthful and honest in this situation.

Can be different groups. They have different morals and culture and therefore behave differently with non-travellers.

There are travelling showmen, Irish travellers, gypsies/Roma and New Age travellers. Irish travellers and Roma/gypsies tend to cause problems the most.

But we all have had exactly the same experience. So it seems to be at least the majority that behave like this.

or use it as a base from which to illegally occupy other sites.

The difference is you are talking about Romany Gypsies, who I remember growing up, you never see them now, they were great, as kids we would visit them and pet the horses. So called travellers are not Romany, they are totally different to the Gypsies I remember.

Well, you are the only one that is proud about that, that's for sure. Read the posts, they break in and set up shop on land that is not theirs, leave a disgusting mess, expect people to just put up with them or they retaliate. Tell me, what exactly is there to be proud about?

If anybody acted like that I would call them garbage, has nothing to do with race.

You are so ignorant.
I'm not going to take over this thread arguing with a racist narrow minded person.
Enjoy your bitter life

Can't you just instruct the police to carry out a section 61 notice?

They absolutely are a blight. I would say there might be a very small percentage of travellers who are considerate of their surroundings, but sounds like the ones OP is talking about are not amongst them. We’ve had lots of problems over the years with travellers trespassing on land locally. Crime increases, they leave human excrement lying around after they’ve been evicted, also leave lots of other rubbish, which we as council tax payers are paying to be removed and cleaned up. They’re rude and display antisocial behaviour. I think it’s unfair for OP to leave the local community to have to pick up the pieces here, as it will be intolerable for them, but I guess she will do what’s best for her. A tough decision to make.

This would be a good idea imo

London councils now have to provide pitches for travellers so I would find out who in the council is responsible for this and offer to sell the land to them or at the very least have a conversation about what might be possible.

www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/housing-and-land/increasing-housing-supply/gypsy-and-traveller-accommodation

Absolutely no way will eviction proceedings cost more than land in London, not a chance.

I'm in a similar situation with land my dead parents owned although not occupied by travellers it does have occupiers who are not legal or paying rent.

I would suggest getting specialist legal advice on realising the maximum.value of the plot, walking away isn't an option unfortunately

"Fuck you, you racist scumbag. We're a fucking minority, you need to go away and do some diversity training"

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OHhroTUzD6k

OP, I'd highly recommend against going up to them in person (whether to sell the land, negotiate with them or just asking them to leave) but just in case you do- I'd have a hidden camera on your person just in case of any incidents- potential threats and things like that.

Otherwise, it could easily be your word against theirs...

Once evicted through the courts the estate can ask for a Warrant of Restitution which means of they or anyone associated or tasked by them breaks bank in, off to prison for a spell .

Sell to the travellers - crikey wouldn't want to be your neighbour!