Possible abandoned house - not sure what (if anything!) to do

Charis

Entertainer wrote: »

!!!!!!, there are thousands of properties across the country which are empty for years for many different reasons.

Unless you are thinking of buying the property, in which case, contact the Land Registry and find out who owns it, then leave well alone. Frankly, what is it to do with you? We haven't come to such an authoritarian state where it is no longer legal to have a property unoccupied.

If no-one cares for a property it will soon become infested with rats, and if the roof is damaged, pigeons. Both carry disease. This actually happened to a property I had lived next door years ago, and also to a property just round the corner from here last summer, where the old lady had gone into care and the house was in a filthy state.

I would not want to be living next door and paying £1000 upwards for council tax for the right to live next to a death trap. Would you? Local drug takers might use the premises to stay out of the public eye. Kids with nothing to do could break in and set fire to the place. The owner might well live abroad, (it might have been a btl) or may even be dead. Ownershop should imply some responsibility for the condition of the property.

Sonofa

This reminds me of a situation I had a few years ago, absolutely no use to the poster, but a few here might find it interesting (just the nosey ones) I was looking to buy a patch of derelict land near to my house and tracked down the owner, via the Land Registry, to an address in a nearby town. I attempted to phone, without answer, and wrote, without reply, so finally decided to make a personal call at the address.

I arrived one summer's afternoon at the address to find a fine old Tudor style detached house set in its own modest grounds with a sweeping gravel drive up to the front of the house. However, I must say it was the weirdest place. There were three cars sat on the drive, nothing flash, just cars of a fair age. Every one of them had obviously been sat there for some time as all of them had algea growing on them and they were all sat on flat tyres with tax discs at least two years out of date. The lawns were well kept and had been mowed and there were various hanging baskets around the house which looked in the picture of health. I approached the front door and this too was well kept, all the brasses were polished and shiny, but the thing I noticed was that the lock cylinder, although polished to a mirror finish, was full of wax, so had obviously not had a key in it for some time. The house was fully furnished and from a casual glance looked as lived in as any place.

After a couple more unsuccessful visits I finally called on one of the neighbours and asked about the owner. Cagey doesn't really convey the guy's attitude to me. I explained my reason for calling and he eventually said that the owner lived "not too far away" and that he could pass on my details and phone number so that the owner could get in touch with me. I did get a call from the owner who himself seemed to feel the need to be clandestine in stessing to me that he was sorry he wasn't at home when I called, 141'd his number and insisted that he would know to call me back if I called the house number again when he wasn't in, rather than proffer an alternative number.

I never did get to buy the land or find out why there was so much secrecy. It still intrigues me to this day, but it just goes to show, "There's now't as queer as folk".

I must take a trip over there again next year, just out of interest.

Premier_2

poppysarah wrote: »

What you can do is get in touch with the local police community support officer - ring your local police station and ask for them. They're very good at chasing up this sort of thing - ours got a windows on a landlord's empty property shut and encouraged them to hurry up and find tenants....

Chasing what sort of thing up exactly? Leaving a house unoccupied is not a crime in this country - not yet at least.
The police really should have better things to do than investigate unoccupied properties and then contact their owners (who may live in another county, so that may involve another police force) just to advise them "encouraged them to hurry up and find tenants". It's entirely up to the owner what they do with their property (within reason) - nothing that warrants police involvement.

TJ27 wrote:

My council has a list of empty homes. In the past the list has been freely available to whoever wants it.

Councils have powers to CP houses which have been empty for long periods and bring them back into occupation. Basically the council compulsory purchases them, puts them up for auction, then passes the money to the old owner. It's a bit of a long process though, so if the owner is able to do a deal with somebody before the CP happens, great.

I'm glad I don't live in your council area, allowing all and sundry (including squatters & burglars) to gain access to a list of known unoccupied properties. :eek:

Yes, there is a possibility of councils compulsory purchasing dilapidated & unwanted properties to bring them back into use, especially if they are an eye-sore or danger to the public. However that really is a last resort. My local council usually offers to take over the property for a short period of time (e.g. about 5 years I think), bring it up to the required standard for renting and recover that cost by renting the property out. After the agreed time, the house is then refurbished again and returned to the original owner to do with what they want - which may include keeping it occupied or unoccupied, disposal or offering ot to the council again.

However, were a property is kept in reasonable condition, there is no intention of the council to take any steps without the full agreement of the owner.

What about all those people with second homes, pied à terres, or holiday homes? Not to mention those properties subject to probate or where the owner has gone into care.

TJ27

Premier wrote: »

I'm glad I don't live in your council area, allowing all and sundry (including squatters & burglars) to gain access to a list of known unoccupied properties. :eek:

Yes, there is a possibility of councils compulsory purchasing dilapidated & unwanted properties to bring them back into use, especially if they are an eye-sore or danger to the public. However that really is a last resort. My local council usually offers to take over the property for a short period of time (e.g. about 5 years I think), bring it up to the required standard for renting and recover that cost by renting the property out. After the agreed time, the house is then refurbished again and returned to the original owner to do with what they want - which may include keeping it occupied or unoccupied, disposal or offering ot to the council again.

However, were a property is kept in reasonable condition, there is no intention of the council to take any steps without the full agreement of the owner.

What about all those people with second homes, pied à terres, or holiday homes? Not to mention those properties subject to probate or where the owner has gone into care.

Oh I think you'll find that squatters and burglars know which houses are unoccupied a long time before the council do Premier. The whole point of showing the list to people is so that they might make an offer to the owner and avoid the CP. Bringing them back into occupation then tends to deter burglars and squatters.

These aren't necessarily run down houses either, although many are. Some are very nice family homes in the best parts of town. They can be compulsory purchased once they have been unoccupied for as little as six months but of course the circumstances will dictate which ones are targeted.

Part of me thinks it's the owner's business to decide what to do with their house. Part of me thinks it's scaldalous to have lots of empty houses lying about when people are homeless. On balance I would support the CP policy though. My council has done quite a lot of it.

Councils taking on management of the house for a period of time is something entirely different.

Premier_2

Of course it's not just private owners that leave residential properties unoccupied.

...The latest government figures show London had 84,596 empty homes in October last year, around 2.7 per cent of the total housing stock and enough for more than 200,000 people. Of those, around 17,000 are owned by councils, housing associations and other public bodies...

...78 empty houses owned by the Department for Transport and Enfield council on a stretch of the North Circular. They were compulsorily purchased in the Seventies for a road widening scheme that never happened. Many are derelict.

More than 1,000 flats lie empty on the Ferrier estate in Kidbrooke. They are due to be demolished for redevelopment, but work has been delayed.
...

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23591309-details/100,000+homes+empty+in+London,+says+charity/article.do

Premier_2

TJ27 wrote: »

...Councils taking on management of the house for a period of time is something entirely different.

Oh, I thought councils had a duty to first attempt to obtain an EDMO (Empty Dwelling Management Order) under the Housing Act 2004 to show that "all other means of encouragement and enforcement measures have failed" before applying for a compulsory purchase under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
http://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=24400

TJ27

Premier wrote: »

Of course it's not just private owners that leave residential properties unoccupied.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23591309-details/100,000+homes+empty+in+London,+says+charity/article.do

Of course.

TJ27

Premier wrote: »

Oh, I thought councils had a duty to first attempt to obtain an EDMO (Empty Dwelling Management Order) under the Housing Act 2004 to show that "all other means of encouragement and enforcement measures have failed" before applying for a compulsory purchase under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
http://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=24400

I don't think so. Does your link show that there is a duty under the HA, or that this is the policy of West Norfolk? I have to confess, I haven't read it all.

sjcollett

hi, it's best for you to phone the local council they will have a dept which deals with this and a housing inspector will pop by and have a look and keep an eye on the situation. If needs be they will trace the owner and get them to do something with the upkeep of the house. a house falling into disrepair is a danger as a] it attracts people to illegally occupy/ vandalise - but also when it worsens roof tiles could slip and injure people etc. Best to get involved, so many people turn a blind eye thinking it's not their problem or 'someone else' will deal with it - but they never do. take action and be proud of being a busy-body - the world needs more people like you who care!

Frances63

Mel - Have you tried talking to your postman? My boyfriend is a postman and knows the names of everyone on his round by heart. (He also knows everything about everyone!;) ). If yours has been on the same delivery for a few years he will probably have a clue what happened.

If not you can get a copy of the register of Title from the land registry for £3 (online). Anyone can get one, you don't need permission from the owner.