A group of squatters who illegally took over a house on the outskirts of a village in Spain’s Burgos Province has installed an alarm system to prevent others from breaking into their illegally occupied home.

The people of San Miguel de Pedroso, a neighborhood in the village of Beldorado, are on high alert because of squatters who not only took over an unoccupied house in their community but also installed an alarm system there to prevent others from breaking in like they did. According to some local residents, “they have placed a sign belonging to the company that installed the alarm in the building” to prevent what happened to the owner of that house from happening to them. Some locals suspect that the squatters had been eyeing the property for some time, and after learning that no one had lived there for about two decades, they decided to move in. Now people are afraid that their houses could be at risk of being illegally occupied by strangers.

Photo: Liz Weddon/Unsplash

“It’s at least curious that they entered a home that isn’t theirs without permission, squatted in it, and are now protecting it from potential theft or squatting,” one local man told Burgos Conecta.

A “psychosis of fear” has gripped San Miguel de Pedroso after squatters moved into a home on the outskirts of the village and started acting like they owned the place, on April 27. They literally threw all the old furniture out the window, brought in their own stuff, and even installed an alarm system along with a warning sign warning others not to trespass, like they did.

Photo: Burgos Conecta

Local media reports that the unnamed squatters even tried registering with local authorities, but their efforts have failed so far. The owner of the property has reportedly filed three complaints with the Guardia Civil, but police have yet to evacuate the unwanted residents.

In addition to the house, the squatters also occupied a neighboring field, where they put their dogs. Everything happened so fast and so effortlessly that locals are now watching all foreigners who come into the village on weekends suspiciously, wondering if they aren’t squatters and if their homes won’t be the next to be taken over.