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Is this land mine now?

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Hi. My house boarders a field and I've been maintaining an extra 6 feet or so depth by 50 feet length for over 18 years. I've trimmed the trees, levelled and seeded the ground and fenced it off. Some of my neighbours have also done some work on extra bits into the field but no one else has fenced it off.
I'm about to put my house up for sale but unsure whether this extra piece will become an issue and if so what I can do about it.

I also believe that the field will soon be sold for development.

Many thanks for any advice
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Comments

  • tafin
    tafin Posts: 8 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Seems a little long winded to officially claim it as mine.
  • Takeaway_Addict
    Takeaway_Addict Posts: 6,538 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    I keep reading the title as 'Is this a land mine'
    Don't trust a forum for advice. Get proper paid advice. Any advice given should always be checked
  • sandsni
    sandsni Posts: 683 Forumite
    tafin wrote: »
    Seems a little long winded to officially claim it as mine.

    But if it's not officially claimed as yours then it's going to be an issue when you go to sell your property as it currently belongs to whoever is the registered owner. Wasn't that your original question?
  • mark?_3
    mark?_3 Posts: 30 Forumite
    no. this is (or buy the sound of it was) a wildlife habitat put in place to deliberately provide separation between housing developments and farmland. They are deliberately not maintained rather than forgotten by councils - they may look scruffy to you but birds, voles, mice and the like quite like it that way.
    If you put in a claim the likely outcome will be that the council will oppose it and win, demand you remove any fences, and probably demand you return it to a wild habitat.
    Alternatively you could just take down the fences, carry on treating it as your own and no one would really care. Seems a very odd decision to voluntarily enter into a land dispute just as you about to try and sell the house.
  • C_Mababejive
    C_Mababejive Posts: 11,668 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    No it belongs to the Crown Estate.
    Feudal Britain needs land reform. 70% of the land is "owned" by 1 % of the population and at least 50% is unregistered (inherited by landed gentry). Thats why your slave box costs so much..
  • paddedjohn
    paddedjohn Posts: 7,512 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    No it belongs to the Crown Estate.

    How do you come to that conclusion? it may be council land or it may be owned by a local farmer.
    Be Alert..........Britain needs lerts.
  • pawsies
    pawsies Posts: 1,957 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    It's not finders keepers :p
  • Mojisola
    Mojisola Posts: 35,571 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Even if you claim it, you could find the council won't accept the change of use from field to garden.
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Simply put, the best advice is to reinstate the fence line you had originally, as people will be very put off by the lack of clarity here.

    Interested parties may well obtain a copy of your title from the Land Registry (£3) and see that's what's recorded there doesn't match what they see on the ground.
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