Squatters in the Hopsmiths

olliesander · August 2017

Walked past this evening and there are curtains up in the pub. A bunch of very friendly squatters have moved in and were having a discussion with the owner. An interesting new page in the Hopsmiths/new license tale... Time to google squatters' rights.

grenners · August 2017

How do you know they are squatters?

HolbornFox · August 2017

By the notices in the window.

HolbornFox · August 2017

Max was shut as well last night but then so was Diavlo and the Indian opposite so maybe just holidays.

Arkady · August 2017

Max's reopens on the 23rd of August.

tosscat · August 2017

Lovely Max's.

Mills · August 2017

Passed them today and they were moving their stuff in. I think there may have even been some leftover beer in the pub. Fully functional kitchen, big space, possible free beer. It's a pretty good squat tbh.

CityOfSin · August 2017

Let's hope they leave it in the condition they find it.

Any news on whether it might reopen or if anyone is still interested?

Maximus · August 2017

I wonder if these squatters have anything to do with the ones turfed out in Muswell Hill. The Hopsmihs also has a sign it the window with a statement regarding the squtter's legal rights and that their removal will need to go through a court. Seems to fit the MO.

http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/officers-evict-squatters-who-invaded-muswell-hill-pub-hours-after-party-1-5110850

HolbornFox · August 2017

There's squatters with the same sign in the pub on that keeps changing on the corner of Holloway and Liverpool Road.

I guess it is the latest misinformation handed out to them. And it is misinformation as they can be evicted within 24 hours.

grenners · August 2017

It had better not do anything to upset a deal with the ace pub company that I hear is set to take the premises. Detailed on another thread.

miss annie · August 2017

Pubs are always popular with squatters, plenty of space and often rooms upstairs. It took three years to get them out of the old pub on Tollington Way.

CityOfSin · August 2017

Spotted some squatters leaving the building on Hanley Road that's been advertising 'free art' for a while. Perhaps they were heading to the Hopsmiths.

The upstairs tenants at the Hopsmiths must be thrilled...

HolbornFox · August 2017

They will be thrilled if they like Cronic

Maximus · August 2017

@HolbornFox so what happens after 24hours then? They've been in there a few days already.

HolbornFox · August 2017

If you use common law to evict squatters they can be evicted in 24 hours.

Naturally the upstanding law fraternity of England and Wales may not furnish you of this information if they can charge for obtaining interim & possession orders over many months.

My firm used to do this for numerous clients, CBRE being one of them.

grenners · August 2017

@HolbornFox are you a commercial property solicitor?

HolbornFox · August 2017

No

grenners · August 2017

OK. That was going to lead somewhere.

rikki · August 2017

squatting domestic property is now a criminal offence, even if the owner is a foreign investor with no intention to use the property to live in.

squatting commercial property that lays empty is perfectly legal (although breaking and entering isn't) and the thieving scumbag property owner has to go through a legal process which depending on the circumstances can be fairly quick or can be very long and protracted - often depends on how rich the owner is and whether there is any political sensitivity over the site.

while so many perfectly usable properties lay empty and thousands sleep rough in this city, my personal view is that unless a landlord can show they are taking urgent action to repurpose and make good an empty property, then it should be made available for social use and property rights assigned to the council or community groups.

most squatters i know actually improve aspects of the buildings they squat. they also hold great parties.

grenners · August 2017

@rikki why is the property owner a theiving scum bag? Squatters need to pull their finger out and get a job to pay their rent and if they can't do that because London is too expensive then they should move out and commute back in if necessary. They are a bunch of losers. That's what everyone else does. A property owner has a right to do whatever he likes with his property because it's his and if he wants it empty then so be it. If you had to vacate your property for some reason and when on return there was a bunch of people living there having parties you would be ok with that? In this case it seems that he has found a new pub occupier who is applying for licences etc and in the interim period before they commit it's the landlord who will be paying business rates to the council, maybe the squatters will pay that for the landlord. The squatters if they refuse to leave or by causing damage could stop that deal and I am looking forward to a new fancy pub. There are hardly any vacant commercial properties in the area because the economics don't stack up and most property owners will have finance to pay and will be running around like crazy trying to find a solution. Expropriating property for state use is a bit draconian sounds like Stalin.

Scruffy · August 2017

Duh! @grenners, no-one ever tell you "property is theft!"? Obviously, what was once The Hopsmith is destined to become an anarcho-syndicalist commune (or something, or nothing). I doubt the beer will be up to much.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_is_theft!

I think "scumbag" is a bit uncalled for, though. "Play the ball, not the man" (person!), as @Akela... um... I mean @Arkady says.

grenners · August 2017

Load of idealistic theoretical philosphical clap trap. Anyway if the pub is rubbish it won't survive, can't see why the possibility of the beer being crap has any relevance.

Scruffy · August 2017

Load of words (words! WTF is that about? Next thing you know, there'll be ideas.)

Plenty of rubbish pubs survive (probably because people are so ready to accept rubbish).

I would certainly use the standard of beer as a significant criterion with which to assess a pub.

HolbornFox · August 2017

Twas a gloomy Thursday in April 2009 when the Guardian decided to publish on the bottom of page 26 the fake news that squatters actually improve aspects of the buildings they squat in.

This was of course picked up by the champagne socialists masquerading as council estate chavs and spread across the internet at every opportunity because it definitely must be true.

Squatters are awesome, landlords are scum. OK.

grenners · August 2017

To assess a pub yes but not relevant to property rights. Squatters should be removed by dangling cans of super strength lager on a rope outside the door and when they come out drop a cage on them before making them do community service which would benefit society much more.

Scruffy · August 2017

Beer quality being relevant to property rights???

CityOfSin · September 2017

"Craft beer kings plan takeover of The Hopsmiths in Crouch Hill"

http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/craft-beer-kings-plan-takeover-of-the-hopsmiths-in-crouch-hill-1-5181911

"The team who turned a Kentish Town pub into a craft beer haven are hoping to work their magic at a closed-down Crouch Hill boozer currently housing squatters."

Says the owners of the building hope to have the squatters out by next week and the pub could be open by the end of the year. Excellent.

Papa · September 2017

Great news, I'm looking forward to the Noble / Hopsmiths being open again.

jlong · October 2017

Does anyone know if this is still happening? The squatters seem to still be there...

poxy · October 2017

The squatters appear to have been evicted. The curtains were down yesterday and there was a pile of junk outside the pub. Inside the pub there seemed to be work proceeding in the kitchen area.

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