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Empty Home Grant Repayment....Help!
claire2609
Posts: 12 Forumite
Hi,
Im hoping someone could offer some advice..
In 2008 we purchasedour 1st home, it had been empty & derelict for around a year. Wewere informed of an Empty Homes Grant that would pay half of the renovationcosts. (To encourage empty homes to be bought & lived in)
At the time the Grantwas new to our area… The information was sparse to say the least, We signed noterms & Conditions… we were verbally informed that if the property where tobe sold in the next 5 years for ‘unreasonable circumstances’ the grant wouldneed to be repaid. These unreasonable circumstances were explained to us as,buying & selling for profit making.
6 years later ourfamily grew (only 2 bedroom house) and we needed to sell… which we did. At the timeof sale we were informed the Grant needed to be repaid.
We repaid the grant tosecure the sale but don’t plan on giving up that easy!
Does anyone have andadvice as to where we stand, not signing any T&Cs?
We have been forced tomove in with my parents until we can save this money back up for the deposit onour next house.
Had I known of theConditions we would have never taken the Grant…. We were 23 when we purchasedthe property & planning on starting a family within 3 years, It would havebeen a viable move for us to have done this.
I’m so upset to thinkof all he hard work we put into renovating the property to a high standard& we have walked away with next to nothing :-(
Any advice would begratefully received
Im hoping someone could offer some advice..
In 2008 we purchasedour 1st home, it had been empty & derelict for around a year. Wewere informed of an Empty Homes Grant that would pay half of the renovationcosts. (To encourage empty homes to be bought & lived in)
At the time the Grantwas new to our area… The information was sparse to say the least, We signed noterms & Conditions… we were verbally informed that if the property where tobe sold in the next 5 years for ‘unreasonable circumstances’ the grant wouldneed to be repaid. These unreasonable circumstances were explained to us as,buying & selling for profit making.
6 years later ourfamily grew (only 2 bedroom house) and we needed to sell… which we did. At the timeof sale we were informed the Grant needed to be repaid.
We repaid the grant tosecure the sale but don’t plan on giving up that easy!
Does anyone have andadvice as to where we stand, not signing any T&Cs?
We have been forced tomove in with my parents until we can save this money back up for the deposit onour next house.
Had I known of theConditions we would have never taken the Grant…. We were 23 when we purchasedthe property & planning on starting a family within 3 years, It would havebeen a viable move for us to have done this.
I’m so upset to thinkof all he hard work we put into renovating the property to a high standard& we have walked away with next to nothing :-(
Any advice would begratefully received
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