Plot of land behind house with oil tanks

noff

There is a plot of land behind the house I am just buying (approx 15ft X 50ft) that contain 2 'massive' oil tanks that are no longer in use.

I want these removed as they are very unsightly, potentially also I may be able to aquire the plot to extend my garden.

I have searched the land registry and the owners of the plot of land (and oil tanks) are an oil company that no longer exists and haven't done for some-time.

It is my understanding that the tanks have been out of use for well over 20 years and the company went bust in the 90's.

Does anyone have any idea what my options are to legitimately acquire the land or who I would ask to remove the oil tanks.

I don't really want to have to hold the land for 12 years to acquire it under 'squatters rights' and would prefer to sort it out properly now.

divadee

i personally would quietly take it over and wait the 12 years and get it for free lol!!

but if you want to do it properly i think you will need to trace the official receivers of the company and see if you can buy it from them as it will be an asset for them. the only thing would be if this oil company were taken over by another company then you would have to go to them.

I wouldnt go down this route as you could end up with something you dont want at the bottom of your garden, then could put the storage tanks into use again or maybe build on the plot??

it would be much easier and cheaper in my opion to quietly claim land go about cleaning it up and fencing it off etc... and wait and wait lol

theartfullodger

I agree with divadee but would add...

a) Almost certainly someone bought the assets of the company when it went bust so whoever/whatever that is owns the tanks (and the land I guess..) - But I wouldn't want to ask them if they'd sell / remove them...
b) I'd quietly surround the tanks with quick-growing shrubs, live with it for 12 years and fence it all off not too obviously and not too quickly (eg a few metres down one side first & see who shouts...)

Cheers!

Lodger

1echidna

Possible that whoever owns the land quite happy to pass it on for zero cost to them. Land with such tanks is often contaminated with oil and decontamination can be expensive.

divadee

1echidna wrote: »

Possible that whoever owns the land quite happy to pass it on for zero cost to them. Land with such tanks is often contaminated with oil and decontamination can be expensive.

thats is a very valid point, you wouldnt want to grow anything on the plot that is edible until you had some surveys done!!!

kazwookie

What is in the oil tanks??

Like has already been said oil contamination is VERY expensive to deal with.

theartfullodger

Oil's gone up in price since 20yrs ago - what are the contents worth??

(Of course as the contents belong to someone else you couldn't sell them ..)

Does the house have oil-fired Central Heating?? If it doesn't it might do in the not-2-distant...


Cheers!

Lodger

Jonbvn

1echidna wrote: »

Possible that whoever owns the land quite happy to pass it on for zero cost to them. Land with such tanks is often contaminated with oil and decontamination can be expensive.

I would guess that if the land is contaminated, then the cost of decontamination is likely to be more than the actual land is worth. Hence the reason why the current land owners seem to have abandoned the site?