#squatting

#squatting

The building, once an elite members' club frequented by celebrities, has devolved into a derelict squat, attracting antisocial behavior and neglect.

The suspect clearly made it his own property. He was clearly using amenities inside the residence, sleeping there, explained Juan Madiedo, an officer with the Gwinnett County Police Department.

"I couldn't believe it. It was like a nightmare," Velazquez told ABC Chicago. The sheer disbelief of a homeowner being confronted by squatters defines the dread of property ownership.

When Lind was finally found, he was screaming for help with a sword embedded in his chest, and he was bleeding profusely. His friend was horrified.

The squatters have taken over the former Catford Mews building, mostly keeping a low profile; however, an all-day rave two Saturdays ago drew police attention.

The house on 67th Street has seen six fires in just two years, raising grave concerns for public safety and awareness on illegal squatting.

"This is a building of the people," the squatter Dominique, who had worked construction, told me, referring to its history as a public health agency and its suitability for heavy use. Hard floors swept clean. Banks of cabinets, their material a blond composite, lined the halls, which at rhythms of their own let onto rooms that had been government workers' offices."