Can you force a sale of land?

lemon26

Hi. Hopefully I'll be able to get some help here with what is becoming something quite frustrating. Where I live I have right of access over a piece of land owned by a national food retailer in order to get onto, and off of, my driveway. However, they also own a piece of land approximately 40ft x15ft adjacent to my drive and at the end of my house, between the gable end and the road.

Firstly, there is a pothole in the land over which I must drive which is 30ft x 10ft and up to 6in deep in places. This has been growing over the year we've been in the house and now looks like a loch when it rains. I am worried that it could cause damage to our cars, even though we crawl trhough it, as, when it's full of water we can't see what's in there. The food retailer was sent a recorded delivery letter notifying them of this problem, including pictures with a scale for comparison. So far, nothing has been heard from them although I can prove receip of letter.

Secondly, the piece of land at the end of my house has been derelict for a number of years (they demolished the stone shed there to prevent their drivers blind-side reversing into the loading bay, even though they don't blind-side reverse). This land is now used for fly-tipping of various white goods and other houdlhold rubbish. Again, the retailer was notified of this by recorded delivery letter with pictures included, to no avail.

I have made an offer, in the same recorded delivery letter to buy, or long-lease, the land with a caveat that no construction on the land will be above 1 metre. This would suit me perfectly as I would build planting beds and grow my own veg. Also, cars park on this land and block our access periodically which is annoying as the retailer took down a 'do not block access' sign which I'd put up.

Short of calling environmental health every time something is dumped and the police every time we are blocked in, what can I do? I'm loathe to fix the pothole at my own expense as it'll be expensive and the retailer is doing nothing in response to my letter - they've had two months, I asked for a written response within ten days of receipt. What do I do now?

Thanks, David

xylophone

Have you consulted a solicitor?

lemon26

Hi xylophone, not at present as I'd been trying to arrange this between ourselves as if I go down the solicitor's route I may not have the money to purchase the land after all and, where I live (the Hebridean islands), there are no solicitors on our chain of five islands.

I will be speaking to environmental health tomorrow about teh fly-tipping so hopefully that will get things started - I know who has dumped the rubbish, but can't prove it sadly.

tim123456789

lemon26 wrote: »

Hi xylophone, not at present as I'd been trying to arrange this between ourselves as if I go down the solicitor's route I may not have the money to purchase the land after all and, where I live (the Hebridean islands), there are no solicitors on our chain of five islands.

I will be speaking to environmental health tomorrow about teh fly-tipping so hopefully that will get things started - I know who has dumped the rubbish, but can't prove it sadly.

get yourself a web cam pointing out of your window

tim

BitterAndTwisted

I think you should give them a bit longer to respond. An organisation like that generally do not manage their own properties or land. It will usually be contracted out to a property management firm who will probably liaise with a local agent somewhere near you, so your letters might take an awful long time to reach their correct destination.

Where exactly did you address your correspondence, their Head Office?

wronlaster

I think you have to take some time .it is not a simple matter ,it is concern of property management and your letter might take awful long time to reach their .

lemon26

I addressed my letter to the head office for their food retail operation. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be anyone specifically that I could contact so the letter was addressed to 'The Managing Director'. I'll give them a bit longer, however I am getting concerned about the ever-increasing size of this pothole - soon it will be into my driveway!

martinsurrey

lemon26 wrote: »

I addressed my letter to the head office for their food retail operation. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be anyone specifically that I could contact so the letter was addressed to 'The Managing Director'. I'll give them a bit longer, however I am getting concerned about the ever-increasing size of this pothole - soon it will be into my driveway!

what does the right of access say about the surface or maintenance?

they might be obliged to do anything.