Secure Site UK is a One-Stop Shop for Empty Property Management

Friday, May 11th, 2012

There is no single strategy for managing empty properties, also referred to as void properties. This is why Secure Site UK offers a range of integrated services that add up to a cost-effective set of solutions for property-owners facing the challenge of managing void properties.

It operates at a number of levels, each one reinforcing the previous one. At the outer limits of the property, it is necessary to secure any car park or surrounding land from unauthorised vehicles. For this first line of defence, Secure Site UK can supply concrete barriers.  These are simple and effective, giving a clear visual signal to would-be intruders that the property has been secured. Preventing vehicular access prevents anyone from establishing any sort of base to work from or bringing in heavy or powerful equipment.

Having said that, if work needs to be carried out on the property while it is empty, then equipment on the site needs to be secured too, as well as the area where construction or repair work is in progress. Secure Site UK has stocks of suitable close-mesh security fencing that can be brought on to the site to ensure that valuable equipment does not leave it ahead of schedule.

If there are localised hazards, such as holes and the like, then fencing is also an effective deterrent for would-be intruders or the simply curious. A secure barrier can be deemed to show recognition of a duty of care for such hazards.

As to preventing would-be intruders, potential vandals, squatters or scrap-metal seekers from entering a building, there are limits to the effectiveness of wooden boarding. Secure Site UK recommends, fits and supplies steel window screens. These galvanised steel screens are perforated to let through enough light to make viewings or inspections straightforward.

As well as allowing a building to be ventilated without compromising security, steel screens send another message to the casual intruder. They are a clear indication that such a property is going to be harder to get into than any number of timber-boarded properties elsewhere. The obvious conclusion for all would-be intruders is that they should give up here and go away.

If you would like to know more about Secure Site UK’s vacant property security services please leave a comment below or visit the contact page.

Guy Ritchie’s House Becomes a Squat

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011

Occupants who gained entry into an apparently “unlocked” vacant property owned by Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director, Guy Ritchie, posted a Section 6 Notice in the window proclaiming that the Grade 1 listed building was now their home and that they intended to stay there. The Georgian house, spread over 5 stories and believed to be worth over £6 million, was set to be developed into two luxury homes.
However, displaying the legal warning notice (which is part of the Criminal Law Act 1977) in this vacant property protects the rights of occupiers, making it clear that any entry or attempt to enter into the property without their permission is a criminal offence as any one of us who is in physical possession is opposed to entry without our permission. The Section 6 Notice goes on to state that the squatters will prosecute any attempt to enter by violence or by threatening violence, which may result in a sentence of up to six months imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000.
To make matters worse, the group, calling themselves the Really Free School intended running a free school with classes covering squatters’ rights.
What may come as a surprise to many people is that squatting is not a crime: it’s unlawful, but not illegal, meaning it is a dispute between the landlord and the occupiers.
So, how did Mr. Ritchie regain possession of his house? He would have had to wait until all the squatters had left the house unoccupied, or go down the legal route and apply to the courts for a possession order. Any other method would probably have been illegal – so sending in characters resembling the cast of one of his films – would definitely not be advised! Nearly all squats are evicted after a possession order has been made by a court – which was granted in this case because the squatters’ presence meant work couldn’t proceed on his development of the property.

Image source: www.themoviedb.org/ - Courtesey of Google Images

As vacant property security specialists, what advice would Secure Site UK give to Mr. Richie? Well, the most obvious is to make sure it is properly locked and secured at all times, because occupants gaining entry as a result of a break-in will be immediately removed and prosecuted. Particularly if it’s a long-term development, landlords and developers could consider either putting security screens over vulnerable windows and security access doors, to prevent unwanted prowlers; or installing a temporary vacant property alarm – giving them an immediate alert to an unexpected intruders – therefore protecting expensive plant and machinery, as well as the much sought-after copper in the miles of cabling running through today’s new developments.