I know this is a little off topic, but I found some interesting insight about the laws surrounding squatting in Nevada and I thought it might be worth comparing and discussing the intersection of industrial manufacturing with the legal publication.
It turns out that the law governing ownership of property has been a concern for hundreds of years. A lack of understanding in this area has been exploited by many both to their own benefit, as well to the detriment of others. The aggressiveness of Nevada squatting laws are no less important to manufacturing companies than they are to other industries.
Modern considerations of property laws has a direct correlation to industrial manufacturing because companies need to own or lease the factories, warehouses, storage facilities, equipment, and land upon which they sit. In addition, these properties must be secured against criminal and civil wrong doers – those who would trespass, commit unlawful acts, steal from or commit vandalism must be kept out. In order to achieve this, it is important that companies understand their property rights, including the potential liabilities and benefits that come from owning property.
Squatting is the term for someone coming into a building, facility, or property without permission from the owner. While the concept is not dissimilar to U.S. squatter’s rights for a person who may live in a vacant house for a certain period of time without paying rent and without the owner’s permission.
It is critical for a manufacturer or other company that owns, leases, or rents industrial property to understand their rights under local, state, and federal laws. This way, proper assistance from law enforcement may be obtained when unauthorized people are on the property.
The question of whether a manufacturer, or other business, should be concerned about squatter’s rights comes down to whether they are a lawful or unlawful occupant of the property. A lawful occupant is valid, a lawful tenant, a receipt for rent, and other documentation can establish this status. An unlawful occupant does not have such rights, and, in fact, is infringing on the property rights of the owner or tenant. This can include the right to exclude others from the property. The fact that the owner or landlord has not, previously or at the present time, remove the squatters, does not mean that they no longer have the right to take steps to do so.
This ought to be a concern for manufacturers because their property must be accessible for inventory control, to run operations, maintenance or maintenance activities, or even allow for outsiders to conduct transactions during regular business hours. Good security can be achieved by following proper legal procedures.
