My house was occupied by squatters for 4 YEARS

A HOMEOWNER whose property was taken over by squatters is finally getting revenge – after it was left with excrement and a scary message.

Roukia Kamugisha, 56, saw her home in Uxbridge, north London, invaded by six squatters during the pandemic.

She found herself in a difficult financial and emotional situation as she fought for four years to have the group deregistered.

But the group were eventually evicted after living rent-free for four years and owing £105,000 to their “traumatised” landlord.

Four of the squatters, including two minors, were evicted by the High Court on Wednesday.

One of those who left the property yesterday was the children’s father, Cédric Jacquin, leaving his children alone to face the enforcement officer.

They left the property without resistance, carrying small suitcases and sports bags.

Roukia told The Sun: “They are criminals who have managed to circumvent the system and they have robbed me physically, mentally and financially.

“They pushed me to a point where I no longer have faith in the human race.”

The house was left in a state of complete disrepair with rat droppings, mold, writing on the walls and the smell of cigarettes on both floors.

On the wall of a room was written: “God’s plan is impossible to thwart.”

Meanwhile, dart marks were scattered along the corridor.

In May 2020, Roukia invited them to her new property for free for two months in exchange for their help renovating her new home.

Two months later, they signed a six-month rental contract for two of the four rooms.

After the entire house couldn’t pay the rent, the roommates moved out and the other three were protected by the new Covid-19 regulations at the time.

The Coronavirus Act 2020, passed in March, suspended pending possession proceedings, preventing any action being taken against occupiers to prevent the eviction of squatters.

Roukia, who was abroad at the time, had difficulty returning home due to travel restrictions and the expiration of her passport, which allowed the squatters to take further advantage of her.

After applying for a possession order and postponing court hearings due to her time abroad, she returned in late 2022 to find parts of her sink and toilet had been destroyed, leading to a mould infestation in her home.

The two properties share a garden and Roukia believes they accessed her house through the veranda while she was away.

She estimated the damage to her home at £10,000, including the cost of some stolen household items, which police have classed as a civil matter.

By this point, three other squatters had entered the other two bedrooms, making six in total.

She described “passive-aggressive” behavior from the house, including parking in her driveway, purposely shoving her and stealing flowers from her garden to sell.

She said: “I’m the one who’s suffering and they’re just watching. I have to see these people every day.”

Roukia, who has a degree in aerospace engineering and works in a senior role as a management consultant, said the stress caused by the series of events was unlike anything she had ever experienced.

The tension was exacerbated by the loss of his job contract during the pandemic.

Deemed unfit for work by her GP, Rukia has been on sick leave since February last year due to complex trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.

It follows a difficult journey through the mental health system that almost led to her being institutionalized.

After finally being accepted into a local mental health center and being placed on a year-long waiting list, Rukia finally began mental health therapy.

She said: “I felt really marginalised. The police couldn’t do anything.

“The mental health service couldn’t do anything. I was constantly being bullied.”

Faced with periods of stress where she has to stay in bed, Roukia must now also undergo a cardiovascular check-up due to the impact of black mold in her home.

At 9am, High Court officers calmly served a writ of possession from the court explaining that they had to evict the property immediately.

He also gave them a High Court warrant for rent arrears, which they can use to demonstrate they are homeless, making them eligible for housing benefit.

Due to the protection of COVID-19 regulations and a lengthy legal delay slowing down the process, occupants were able to postpone their eviction much longer than usual.

The squatters found loopholes in a government program called “breathing space” that gave them time to work out their debt.

They also asked for special considerations due to the presence of children in the house.

She added: “Four years is terrible. It’s a real failure of our system. Tenants need to be protected, but so do landlords.”

The squatters no longer reside in the property but owe Roukia £105,600 in rent arrears.

She is also considering filing a claim for compensation for mental health damages and loss of career, which is estimated to be worth more than £300,000.

Without the money she had planned for retirement, Roukia plans to return to work when she is able.