No One owns the land next to my house and I want it... should I?? can I???

GIRLPOWER_2

we live on an private estate that was built about 28 to 22 years ago.. throughout the estate their is grass areas that the council mow and tend to... one of these is a small (about 50 foot x 25 foot) piece of grass running along the side of our house/ drive.

I telephoned the council today to see if they would sell it to us so we could extend our drive and garden area.

They said they have a problem with the grass land on our estate as no one owns it and they o not have the deeds.

They said that the builders went bump years ago and that eventually it will come over to the council. I asked if they had anything in place at the moment to get the land back and they said no.

Is their anything I can do???

RiskAdverse100

1. Do a search at the Land Registry to make sure that the land is not registered as being owned by someone else. This will confirm that it is unregistered.

2. Put fencing round the land so that it appears to belong to you and to stop anyone else from using it.

3. Wait 12 years and hope that the real owner (if there is one) doesn't materialise.

4. Apply to the Land Registry to be registered as the owner of the land based on 12 years 'adverse possession'. If you are successful you will get a possessory title.

5. Wait another 12 years and then apply to the Land Registry for the title to be upgraded from 'possessory' to 'absolute'. Most buyers will want you to have an absolute title as it shows that there is no doubt that you are the owner.

So, if you really want this bit of land, you are in for a long wait!

RiskAdverse100

sportbeth

But it's worth it. My dad did it on a spot of vacant land at the end of his garden, 12 years later and bingo, his garden is now a good few feet longer

marylee

There is a piece of land, more like a trench in my back garden. We have used it to dump grass cuttings etc. I have noticed that my neighbours have put fences and filled the hole and take it for granted that it's theirs? My husband says, we should do the same, but this will involve filling lilke a trench and then level the ground and I do not know who does it belong to it? Very handy to throw your garden rubbish. I do not think people on the other side can claim it as there is a small pathway between the two houses and it is on my side. VerAny ideas, anybody!!

Deemy

LOL

The great British land grab is own

bizzy_lizzie

Good idea. The whole street of about 60 houses did it where my sister lives & made a little garden where it would have been just a yard. Wonder if next door would notice if i tried the same.......

Bizzy

Lara

We have a very small piece of land next to us. For 20 yrs we thought the council owned it until four years ago when they told us they didn't. For the first 15 years of living here my Dad had always kept it neat and tidy and we've put plants in etc. Once he wasn't able to continue looking after it and the council aren't interested in tending it, we decided to look into the ownership. For two years we didn't get very far so sort of gave up bothering. Last year we decided it was getting stupid paying out all that money on looking after it etc so with very good help from the Land Registry we managed to find someone who had worked for the Company who had previously owned it for many many years and he put us on the right track. From January that piece of land is now on our deeds. Worth you trying to get it.

Andyboy

marylee wrote:

There is a piece of land, more like a trench in my back garden. We have used it to dump grass cuttings etc.....................

You can contact the Land Registry and Ask them about doing a "search of the index map (SIM)" to see if the land is registered firstly. You could then try the Adverse possesion route referred to in an earlier post.

Good luck!