Seeing as it costs money in the UK to even enquire about the ownership of vacant land, I suggest the following method:
Enter the vacant site and carefully uproot plants which can then be sold on the street to raise the necessary funds.
Make the process visible and transparent to the passing public so they are aware of how their money will be spent.
At all costs work with the ecology of the space and make sure your efforts only benefit a diversity of species.
Afternote - It always amuses me to see buddleia being sold in garden centres.