At least 10 families have moved back onto the UK's largest illegal travellers' site after bailiffs and council officials completed their clearance operation.
The action to remove caravans and chalets from 51 unauthorised plots on Dale Farm, Essex, was completed on Monday and Basildon Council has obtained an injunction to prevent reoccupation of the site.
It followed a major police-led operation last month to remove activists from the site which resulted in violent clashes.
But on Wednesday morning, caravans had pulled back onto the illegal half of the site and many remain on the legal side, exceeding the authorised capacity.
At least one caravan houses three generations of one family, ranging from young children to a woman in her sixties.
Some said they planned to stay unless the council provided an alternative, others are resigned to the fact they will be forced to move on. Council bosses said they were monitoring the situation and would resist any attempt to reoccupy Dale Farm.
Patrick Egan, who is entitled to remain in his house on the illegal site, said: "Nobody would want to live here - the site is a mess, it's contaminated with asbestos and we have to use a generator for power. I am allowed to stay but I don't want to. We have come back because we have nowhere to go.
"We fully expect the council to serve notices on us, telling us to leave. If that happens, we will occupy car parks and roadsides in Basildon, anywhere that we can get access to. The council simply hasn't provided anywhere else for us to go."
Basildon Council officials later visited Dale Farm to tell residents who have returned to the illegal site that they are in breach of the High Court injunction.
Tony Ball, leader of Basildon Council, said: "We have re-served injunction papers to five caravans and reminded residents of the consequences of breaching this."