To Make Use of Property of an Anonymous Owner

Q: A person has no house and lives in a rented one. The landlord increases the rent every now and then until it becomes hard for him to bear. Recently, he has found a plot of an anonymous owner. Is he allowed to build on it? And are we permitted to assist him in this avenue?

A: There is no difference between the property of a known owner and that of an anonymous one as far as prohibition of making use of it is concerned. The only difference is that in case of the property of a known owner making use of it requires its owner’s permission and for the second one the permission should be obtained from the authorized religious authority.