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mkshawn

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Do not know what the law says about this activity. A family broke into a property nearby & has systematically been removing & cutting back at least 8 years of vegetation. The house & walls have stood vacant & secured for at least these 8 years, never observed anyone there. So appears that these people, who seem to squat at a very rough half built structure up the street, are going to move in. The property has or was secured with window & door security.

Should this be reported or is there some rule regarding abandoned properties being free for the taking after some time period.

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To the best of my knowledge, unless you know who owns the property and you can get in touch with them to advise of the squatter situation, there's no other recourse.  And as I also understand it, if they stay long enough and establish that with something like (for example) a history of paying utility bills, they may be able to lay claim to the property in time.

Not sure if that history would include paying property taxes and water bills which anyone with an address can walk in and do.

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2 hours ago, mkshawn said:

Should this be reported or is there some rule regarding abandoned properties being free for the taking after some time period.

Yes, the labour rights, and tenant rights in this country would be considered borderline socialist in many countries of the world. This is not really political, it is a hangover from the Mexican Revolution, less than 100 years ago. A long, bloody war triumphing over centuries of oppression and exploitation.

I believe that the waiting time is 8 years, and you have to show improvement and actually be living there. There is a house beside us like that. The old owner died, with no will, and no family. I don't know how they found out about it, but this a lot more common than you think.

Another more sophisticated squat is when someone identifies a large, abandoned property, usually with an absentee owner, and no interest from family and relatives (again, this is a lot more common than you think). The squatter places an advert in the paper looking to rent a home, reduced rent for caretaker duties, tenant pays electric, water, gas, taxes etc. They move in with a forged lease, and then send money to their supposed landlord, lets say in Las Vegas. But that money is turned around right back into their own account. If they get caught out, it will take over a year to remove them. They claim that THEY were the victim of a scam, someone pretended to be the owner and tricked them. A lot of legal hassle, and I doubt anybody is going to send an investigator to, lets say, Las Vegas.

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There was a family that squatted a house in Las Brisas and they fixed the place all up and made it look respectable after for years it looked awful, neighbors say they are good neighbors. Sometimes this isn't a bad thing.

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From what I found out, squatters have no more rights. :D They need to have a lease or permission given to prove that they are allowed to stay; otherwise they are illegally living in a house  and can be taken to court and charged for trespassing. I've seen this happened about six years ago. Of course, if the owner does not know and does nothing, then the squatter gets away with it until something is done about it--no more statute of limitation.

 

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On January 9, 2017 at 2:22 PM, Mainecoons said:

Let assume the property taxes aren't being paid.  NOB the government would take the property at some point.  What happens here?

 

This was a question I specifically asked my Notario when I purchased in Joco.  Actually my question to him was "if for some reason the property tax did not get paid, how long does one have until the property is seized by the authorities?".  He laughed and answered "no one can seize your property if you are the legal owner.  If you decide not to pay property tax you could live your life out in that house and no one can force you to pay it.  But the tax obligation is due and would only accumulate.  Once you die though, the property can not pass to any other owner or be sold until the tax is paid".  I was blown away by his response.  It was an epiphany for me when comparing this to "ownership" in the States.  It occurred to me that we actually own nothing in the States, only lease property in light of how the law is structured around property tax obligation NOB.  Actually just an illusion of ownership, among so many other illusions NOB.  It also contrasted for me how much more personal freedom one can find in Mexico, at least with owning property.  

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23 minutes ago, pedro malo said:

This was a question I specifically asked my Notario when I purchased in Joco.  Actually my question to him was "if for some reason the property tax did not get paid, how long does one have until the property is seized by the authorities?".  He laughed and answered "no one can seize your property if you are the legal owner.  If you decide not to pay property tax you could live your life out in that house and no one can force you to pay it.  But the tax obligation is due and would only accumulate.  Once you die though, the property can not pass to any other owner or be sold until the tax is paid".  I was blown away by his response.  It was an epiphany for me when comparing this to "ownership" in the States.  It occurred to me that we actually own nothing in the States, only lease property in light of how the law is structured around property tax obligation NOB.  Actually just an illusion of ownership, among so many other illusions NOB.  It also contrasted for me how much more personal freedom one can find in Mexico, at least with owning property.  

Are you serious? When I lived in Canada, among other things, my property tax went to pay for garbage collection, schools, water and sewers, all of which functioned reliably, always. Unlike in Mexico. What does not being taken to task for not paying your property taxes have to do with personal freedom? I don't see anything unpalatable about paying property taxes which are used to maintain and improve the quality of life for the common good. When I heard middle aged people complaining re Why should I have to pay for schools, I don't have any kids?, I'd ask them who they thought would be attending to them in the hospital when they were old and ill?  Someone who is going to public school now.

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10 hours ago, mudgirl said:

Are you serious? When I lived in Canada, among other things, my property tax went to pay for garbage collection, schools, water and sewers, all of which functioned reliably, always. Unlike in Mexico. What does not being taken to task for not paying your property taxes have to do with personal freedom? I don't see anything unpalatable about paying property taxes which are used to maintain and improve the quality of life for the common good. When I heard middle aged people complaining re Why should I have to pay for schools, I don't have any kids?, I'd ask them who they thought would be attending to them in the hospital when they were old and ill?  Someone who is going to public school now.

Property taxes do not go toward the things you mentioned in Mexico. The schools, public safety protection, firefighters, wáter, sewer, garbage collection are paid for with other tax money. Property tax money goes into the munipalities general coffers and pays for the administrations costs. Schools are paid for by SEP, Federal Secretary of Public Education, Civil protection by the State Secretary of Public Protection, CONAGUA - Comisión National de Agua, for potable wáter delivered to municipalities and private distribution companies,  etc. A very different tax structure not similar to Canada or the USA.

https://www.gob.mx/gobierno#secretarias

http://www.jalisco.gob.mx/gobierno/dependencias

 

 

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Yes, I realize that, Alan. I know from personal experience that I get absolutely zip for the (very low) property taxes I pay in Mexico.  No garbage collection where I live, spotty water delivery (like once a week at night), roads only repaired by taking a collection from the local residents, etc. My point was that I don't understand what not paying taxes (even if it only goes into municipal coffers to pay admin costs) has to do with "personal freedom".

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54 minutes ago, mudgirl said:

Yes, I realize that, Alan. I know from personal experience that I get absolutely zip for the (very low) property taxes I pay in Mexico.  No garbage collection where I live, spotty water delivery (like once a week at night), roads only repaired by taking a collection from the local residents, etc. My point was that I don't understand what not paying taxes (even if it only goes into municipal coffers to pay admin costs) has to do with "personal freedom".

I agree that we should pay our property taxes.  My point is the fact that if you can't or choose not to in Mexico, you do not have your house taken away like you would NOB.  One of the factors for the mass migration from the dust bowl to the coast during the Depression was the result of having their homes seized for non-payment of property tax for those that "owned" their farms right out.  This caused untold suffering and misery!

The fact that in a financial emergency you do not find yourself homeless is an added degree of personal freedom and expanded respect for ones Human right to shelter.  I find this so magnanimous that you would not be thrown into the street here!  That you truly "own" your property which supersedes any other monetary obligation.  If this isn't a measure of personal freedom and respect of one's dignity, I don't know what is.

Of course right to shelter as well as upcoming healthcare coverage (if present administration get their way) is nonexistent NOB and considered a privilege.  Mexico covers both as a Human Right, healthcare and shelter with the Ejido system.  So much more humane than in the rest of North America.  I'm grateful to live in a country that exhibits this kind of "Heart" and will pay any kind of tax requested of me out of shear gratitude.

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