Squatting is Deemed Legal in Italy

I’ve been dreaming about living in Italy for years now, and I have to say that there’s plenty out there to discourage me. The latest thing is the rapidly dropping value of the U.S. dollar against, well, everything else. It makes the idea of even a vacation in Italy seem too expensive, not to mention having enough savings to actually make a go at moving there. This is one of the reasons I was so pleased to read that an Italian court has said that squatting is actually legal.

I mean, what great news it is that if you’re extremely poor – as an unemployed immigrant, for instance – you can force your way into an unoccupied house and live there without paying a Euro. What’s more, when the rightful property owner comes back and tries to kick you out, they’re not allowed to. Isn’t that great? Doesn’t that just make all kinds of sense?

(If you can’t hear my sarcastic tone yet, you’ll need to listen more carefully.)

This is excellent news, especially as there are plenty of Italians who have vacation homes at the beach which they only use in August, after all – so why should they be left empty the rest of the year? I think it’s a fabulous idea, and when I find the perfect Italian villa to make my own I’ll forward my new address. I’m thinking, as per a suggestion by one American girl in Italy, that the second (or third) homes of Italian politicians and judges should do nicely. Who’s coming with me?

(Seriously, this is idiotic. For a country that claims to have such a problem with illegal immigration, what in the heck is this going to do but encourage it? What are they thinking?)