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Restrictive covenants from 1930

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shaunhouse
shaunhouse Posts: 105 Forumite
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in House buying, renting & selling
I am meeting with my solicitor tomorrow to go through the purchase of a 1930s detached house.

There are some restrictive covenants from 1930s which if followed would restrict what I want to do with the property.

One is a building line which doesn't allow me to build anywhere other than to the back and one side of the house.

I'd like to erect a conservatory at one side of the house and have a garage outside of the building line.

Interested to know if anyone has any experience etc...?
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  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,300 Forumite
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    1930's most unlikely to be enforced

    My 1920's covenants involved not keeping chickens or livestock
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  • shaunhouse
    shaunhouse Posts: 105 Forumite
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    Browntoa wrote: »
    1930's most unlikely to be enforced

    My 1920's covenants involved not keeping chickens or livestock

    Yes this has no chickens, pigs etc... Also
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
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    Depends entirely who is able to enforce, whether they care or not, and whether they would know.

    But legally, the age of the covenant has no bearing; an 80-year-old covenant is as valid as an 8-month-old covenant.
  • societys_child
    societys_child Posts: 7,110 Forumite
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    Could be spooky though, if whoever wrote the covenants comes back to enforce them :eek:
  • shaunhouse
    shaunhouse Posts: 105 Forumite
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    It was a mr and Mrs so I would imagine they are no longer alive...
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
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    My 1930 covenants said I wasn't allowed to sell to anyone of 'ill repute ' . My solucitor felt that in those days it was likely to be a lady of the night.

    He dealt with it and it wasn't an issue . My buyer were a couple in their 70's so unlikely to be ' a lady of the night '
  • shaunhouse
    shaunhouse Posts: 105 Forumite
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    In all seriousness though, lets say I go against these covenants and build a conservatory and move the garage beyond the builidng line.

    What could possibly happen as a result?
  • davidmcn
    davidmcn Posts: 23,596 Forumite
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    Amongst other things I have to refrain from carrying on a "manufactory of soot or blood". I'm not entirely sure how you manufacture either soot or blood but do my best not to accidentally do so.
  • Loanranger
    Loanranger Posts: 2,439 Forumite
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    Building forward of the building line may be in breach of planning regulations. Best to check with them. If you don't and someone complains, i.e. an interested party such as the next door neighbours and the people across the road, you may be required to knock it down.
  • shaunhouse
    shaunhouse Posts: 105 Forumite
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    Yes agreed, i've actually emailed building control already to check this.
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