right to buy council house

plainozzie

He doesnt want to sell the house and isnt wanting to buy to make a taxpayer funded profit - he has simply said he wants to buy the house as he has always lived in it and would like to leave it to the grandchildren to occupy in years to come (keep it in the family he says) - he says he has looked into pros and cons and its his choice and in his words why should he be made to feel like a criminal just for asking.

I am actually going with him next time he goes so will get a better idea of whats going on but my original question was does he actually still have the right to buy if he wants to ?

plainozzie

bryanb wrote: »

To actually answer the question, yes he does have the right to buy. Provided that is that the tenancy is a protected one, which it will be if nothing has changed in respect of the way the tenancy is held. ie names of tenants etc. There is no reason for the council to discuss the matter - he has a right to buy - end of!
Sourcing the funds is of course his problem, and does not affect his right.
How many children he has is also irrelevant.

Thank You:D

Cannon_Fodder

Not so sure;


Exceptions to the Right to Buy

Homes suitable for occupation by the elderly

What the law says;

You do not have the Right to Buy if your home:

• is particularly suitable for occupation by elderly persons, taking into account its location, size, design, heating system and other features;
• was let to you for occupation by a person aged 60 or over, whether they were the tenant or not; and

• was first let (to you or someone else) before 1 January 1990.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/138178.pdf
from http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/yourright

[Deleted User]

To be honest, if this is what he wants to do and he's managed to save enough to buy the house outright.., good on him.

Yes it might not be the wisest thing to do in the world at his time of life, but if its what he wants, and assuming he's fit to make that kind of a decision (no reason why he shouldn't be just because he's 88) then its up to him.

I wish him the best of luck. However, I do hope he stays fit because the possibility of having to provide for nursing care later on in life could become fairly complicated if he does buy this house.

Running_Horse

If my parents came to me with this idea, I would tell them I love them and to enjoy their retirement without worrying about inheritances, and to splash some of their savings on a world cruise and a comfortable retirement. This plan has more potential problems than benefits.

poppysarah

If they have buckets of cash they should make sure they enjoy some of it.

If they want to leave something them they should write a will and ensure it's all written down.

Buying a house and then being responsible for repairs at his time of life is more stress than he needs.

And if he has more than one grandchild then they'd have to share / sell the house so they may as well have cash.

How does the paying back discount work if you die within the timescale?

Jowo_2

How many grandchildren are we talking about so what percentage of the property will be left to each?

How will leaving the property to multiple grandchildren actually work in practice? For instance, when they become adults, marry and have children - who actually gets to live in it? And how will their cousins feel about the decision that gets made to determine who is excluded from living there and can't actually realise the investment that's been made on their behalf?

Also, has the council tenant thought about how a small share in a property will affect the grandchildrens' entitlement to means tested benefits?

There are plenty of threads posted here by siblings quarreling over who gets to live in a jointly owned property, issues when some wish to sell and others do not and posts by people who are stunned to find a small share in a relative's property that they do not live in has led to a refusal in getting benefits.

jonewer

Another thing - ex council properties often come with liabilities for repairs to the estate.

So if the council spens £1,000,000 on maintanance and theres 100 houses on the estate, your grandparents could find a bill for £10,000 on their door mat.

Buying council houses is rarely a good idea, and its also immoral. Those houses belong to the taxpayers and shouldnt be flogged off at bonanza prices.

bear1969

, and its also immoral. Those houses belong to the taxpayers and shouldnt be flogged off at bonanza prices.[/QUOTE]
yawwwwwwnnnnn why because you dont have that option

Sucker_for_sweeties

jonewer wrote: »

Another thing - ex council properties often come with liabilities for repairs to the estate.

So if the council spens £1,000,000 on maintanance and theres 100 houses on the estate, your grandparents could find a bill for £10,000 on their door mat.

Just as likely if you have an Edinburgh flat, statutory repairs like all maintenance are unavoidable....and usually expensive, especially when a roof is involved.:eek:

jonewer wrote: »

Buying council houses is rarely a good idea, and its also immoral. Those houses belong to the taxpayers and shouldnt be flogged off at bonanza prices.

It's [STRIKE]waayyy[/STRIKE] decades too late for that.