A HOMEOWNER whose property was taken over by squatters finally has revenge – after it was left with poo and a chilling message.
Roukia Kamugisha, 56, watched her Uxbridge, north London, house get taken over by six squatters through the pandemic.
She had been left in financial and emotional turmoil as she battled for four years to have the group removed.
But the group have now finally been evicted after living rent-free for four years and owing the “traumatised” homeowner £105,000.
Four of the squatters, including two minors, were evicted on Wednesday by High Court Enforcement.
One of those who left the property yesterday was the kids’ dad Cedric Jacquin leaving his children to face the enforcement agent by themselves.
They left the property without resisting carrying small suitcases and duffel bags.
Roukia told The Sun: “They’re criminals who have just managed to get around the system and they’ve stolen from me physically, mentally, and financially.
“They’ve pushed me to a point where I have no faith in the human race.”
The house was left in a state of utter disrepair with rat droppings, mould, writing on the walls and the smell of cigarettes on both floors.
Scribbled across the a bedroom wall was “le plan de dieu est impossible a dejouer” translating to “God’s plan is impossible to foil”.
Meanwhile marks from throwing darts were scattered along the corridor.
In May 2020 Roukia invited them into her new property without charging them for two months in exchange for helping to renovate her new house.
Two months later they signed a six-month tenancy agreement for two of the four rooms.
After the entire house failed to pay rent the co-tenants moved out and the three remaining were protected under then-new Covid-19 regulations.
The Coronavirus Act 2020, passed in March, suspended ongoing possession actions which prevented any action taken against the occupiers prohibiting the eviction of squatters.
Roukia, then out of the country, struggled to get back home due to travel restrictions and her passport expiring allowing the squatters to take further advantage.
After applying for a possession order and postponing court hearings due to being out of the country she came back in late 2022 to find parts of her sink and toilet destroyed leading to a mould infestation in her home.
The two properties share a garden and Roukia thinks they had accessed her home through the conservatory while she was away.
She estimated there was £10,000 worth of damage to her home including the costs of some stolen household items which the police dismissed as a civil matter.
At this point three more squatters had trespassed into the other two bedrooms making six in total.
March 2020 The Coronavirus Act prevents squatters from eviction
June 2020 Three tenants move in
September 2020 No rent is paid and the Jacquin’s refused to leave
July 2020 Roukia gets stuck out of the country
June 2021 Roukia applies for a possession order
December 2022 Roukia comes back to the UK to find three more squatters in her house – six in total
December 2022 First court hearing
July 2023 Second court hearing
April 2024 Online court order with technical difficulties and case dismissed
May 2024 In-person court hearing to transfer case to High Court and a possession order granted
July 2024 The squatters are evicted
She described “passive-aggressive” behaviour from the house including parking in front of her drive, purposely bumping into her and stealing flowers from her garden to sell.
She said: “I’m the one suffering and they’re just watching and I have to see these people every day.”
Roukia, who has a degree in aerospace engineering and a senior role as a management consultant, said the stress caused by the series of events was unlike anything she has ever experienced.
The strain was exacerbated by the loss of her work contract during the pandemic.
Deemed unfit to work by her GP Rukia has been on sick leave since February last year with Complex Trauma and PTSD.
This follows a difficult journey through the mental healthcare system which led her to nearly being sectioned.
After finally being accepted at a local mental health centre, and being placed on a year-long waiting list, Rukia has finally started mental health therapy.
She said: “I felt really marginalised. The police couldn’t do anything.
“The mental health service couldn’t do anything. I kept being tossed around.”
Facing bouts of being bedridden due to stress Roukia is now also going for a cardiovascular check-up due to the impact of black mould in her home.
At 9am High Court agents calmly handed over a high court writ of possession explaining they had to evict the property immediately.
He also gave them a High Court writ of control for the rent arrears, which they can use to demonstrate forced homelessness, making them eligible for housing assistance.
Due to the protection of COVID-19 regulations and a lengthy legal backlog slowing down the process the occupiers were able to postpone their eviction for far longer than usual.
The squatters found loopholes in a government scheme called “breathing space” allowing them time to find debt solutions.
They also asked for special considerations due to having children in the house.
She added: “Four years is awful. It’s a true failure of our system. Tenants do need to be protected but so do landlords.”
The squatters no longer reside at the property but owe Roukia £105,600 rent arrears.
She also plans on filing for mental health damages and a loss of career which would come to over £300,000.
Without the money she had planned for her pension Roukia plans on going back to work when she is able.
Squatting is illegal in residential buildings with the potential for a six-month prison sentence and/or a £5,000 fine.
It is also a crime for a squatter to damage the property, fly-tip, steal from the property, use utilities without consent and not abide by a noise abatement notice.
But, they can become the owner of a house if they have occupied a property for about 12 years.
Squatters then have to fill in a form for ‘adverse possession’, complete with a statement of truth prepared with a solicitor, which will be decided by HM Land Registry.
The owner has 65 days to object and if they do, the application is normally automatically rejected by HMLR.
Squatting in non-residential properties isn’t a crime.
