Buying land next to my house, council not responding?!

Boobelle

I enquired about land besides my house, the land is probably the same size as the land my house is on. I emailed them last April asking about how I'd go about it and what did i need and sent images, I had no response, I left it a couple weeks and chased up and again no response so I left it another couple of weeks and called and I was tod the person who deals with this was off sick but still had access to his emails, I was then transferred to someone covering for him and they told me it would be 60,000 as a potential building plot. It was out of the question as we just want it as a garden and a drive way, it wouldn't even out 60,000 on our home! We paid 67500 for the house it's self and our neighbour sold their home recently next door for 85000 and this has s loft conversion so to me buying the land for 60000 and then having to build on it if they allow it and then sell it it will probably not gain any money. In the street there's 5 houses and that is it with some land beside my home, they never cut the land or maintain it I've occasionally done it when it's over grown.

I emailed them again in June and asked about renting a section of it if that, but again no response I'm going to be writing again by email
And post and hopefully someone comes back to me but the fact no one has come by to me in writing and some guy on the phone just said it would probably be 60,000 cos a house could go on there just doesn't sound very professionally to me and it's starting to wind me up! Has anyone got any advice? The houses have been here since 1960, the land has never been used and if someone did buy it and put s house on there id still need access to the land to maintain the side of our house as our drain pipe etc is all that side and drainage.

Any tips help would be appreciated

G_M

I assume it actually is council owned? Have you checked?

If they don't want to sell, they don' have to. If they agree to sell, they can sell for whatever price they choose - you can buy, or not buy.

Similaly with renting. Up to them whether they want to or not, and at what price.

Try writing a letter.....

movilogo

For a start, put some fence around the land. Wait for few weeks to see if anyone notices or complains. With luck, it can just be yours in a few years time.

Boobelle

Not sure how I check I was told to go to council first which I did but they didn't tell me anything so I'm guessing they own it. It shows as amentity land on the register.

G_M

Boobelle wrote: »

.....I was told to go to council first ..... It shows as amentity land on the register.

Told by who?

Check the Land registry Title.

Tha LR will not show it as amenity land, just show the owner.

Boobelle

movilogo wrote: »

For a start, put some fence around the land. Wait for few weeks to see if anyone notices or complains. With luck, it can just be yours in a few years time.

Someone actually said that to me! Last year they cut the grass once and they're in the village all the time cutting the rest of the grass but always leave the part next to my house. I've asked the residents around me if they'd object for me buying it for s garden and they've all said no and its just sitting there doing nothing. There's only 5 houses on this street, one of the neighbours did say whoever used to live here when first built applied to buy it but they wouldn't let them but that was 1960 haha.

Boobelle

G_M wrote: »

Told by who?


Tha LR will not show it as amenity land, just show the owner.

my friend is an estate agent, she said to go to council first to see if they owned it. I'll check there then, thanks. I just went on our council website and checked and it said amenity so I figured council owned it as there's some other land the other side and that shows someone bought it to build and gave his name but he was turned down to build.

G_M

movilogo wrote: »

For a start, put some fence around the land. Wait for few weeks to see if anyone notices or complains. With luck, it can just be yours in a few years time.

adverse possession

Boobelle

There's nothing on the land just the 5 houses.

stator

You could also enquire whether they might give a lower price for the land if it included a clause that the land can't be developed, or that if the land was developed you would have to pay the council 50% of the value of the increase in value.
Since they have given you a number go back to them with a counter offer. £10k might get them interested. But as other's have said they don't have to sell to you at all.

lincroft1710

The council would be in trouble if it sold land with potential development value for a garden land price. They may have long term plans for it, so are in no hurry to sell.