Reply To: Makom Kavua – Being Kicked out of your Seat

“This has nothing to do with rights or entitlement.”
I beg to differ. If the seat is not “yours” if you’re not entitled to that seat by right then what right do you have to kick someone out? Because you want to fulfill your makom kavua (OCD?) need? why is that the other guys problem? of course can ask politely to move, why not, can ask to cut line in grocery, but it certainly isn’t something that should be done with a sense of entitlement if that is not the halacha or minhag. the question started out with two people arguing over who should get a sertain seat as one guy has bought it in the past but doesnt daven there or hasnt davened there in months and someone else has been sitting there suddenly the traveler shows up and says “this is my seat” the question is – is it “his” seat? can someone leave for 15 years and ask for the seat back? no. Can someone be away for a week and want his seat? Yes. so whats cut off point? If seat “belongs” to a purchaser I would think the timeline is more extended than if its just etiquette to a usual inhabiter. So putting aside etiquette and middos my question is if makom kavua actually establishes some sort of chazaka or entitlement or if its simply a habit one should practice (same place) but not that one would have some claim to. not asking legally sense court of law but what would a rav say to two mispallelim