Finding owner of derelict property

Dithering_Dad

I've seen a tumbled down, stone built mill near to where I live and I'm interested to see if the owner would be interested in selling it. By the state of it, it has obviously been derelict for a few decades so the owner obviously has no great interest in it.

The problem is how to find out who owns it. I have been in touch with the land registry and have to send them £6 and a map showing the location of the mill (and a covering note asking for the owners name). I have also been in touch with the council, but the chap I needed to speak to has gone on holiday :rolleyes:.

Does anyone know if the Land Registry does hold information on every property in the UK and does anyone have any alternative suggestions on how to find the owner?

Thanks!

WestonDave

The first problem you may encounter is that compulsory registration is relatively recent - there are still large numbers of property where the ownership is evidenced by paper deeds not by any record at the Land Registry. My guess is that if this mill has been derelict as long as you say then it is very likely to be unregistered.

It may be worth trying the LR as if it changed hands recently due to a death etc then it may now be registered with the new owner not really wanting anything to do with it - £6 if it works is going to be a lot cheaper than the research you will have to do if the LR or council haven't got the records. Council is also a good bet as they probably have old records from H&S visits etc and also they will be monitoring it for public safety purposes.

Other than that you will need to start researching the history of the mill, trace company names and then directors etc. It may be worth checking with the Insolvency Service - if the last operator went bust it may still be vested with them.

Good Luck (I have a similar property I have a pipedream about which is going to be a similar nightmare if I ever have the funds and time to progress it!)

Dithering_Dad

I'll send the cheque off to the LR tonight and see what comes of it. I think Mrs Dither is hoping the owner can't be found or that that it'll be too expensive to buy - she doesn't share my enthusiasm for "Grand Designs" or for the idea of living in a caravan while the mill is regenerated. :rotfl:

It has lovely, thick stone walls and mullioned windows (no windows or frames left though) and a brick mill chimney that I can already see having a spiral staircase fitted inside, leading to an observation point overlooking the whole of lancashire

Ahh, pipe dreams, where would we be without them?

Jonbvn

Tell us when Kev is coming round.

Angua2

Hiya.

Yr post reminds me of me! lol I've recently seen a derelict cottage and was able to track down owner. Didn't go through land registry, but got info for free online through Who Owns Scotland Now?

So, dunno where yr pipedream mill is located, but I'd have thought having a discreet chat or 2, as it's near you, would give you some useful info. Chatting to postie, others living closer to derelict cottage (get thee to thy local pub!), searching online by post code, etc., worked for us.

Hope you get the info you need & best of luck!

PS! LOL @ me - just re-read yr post and see you mention Lancs!

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

I've seen a tumbled down, stone built mill near to where I live and I'm interested to see if the owner would be interested in selling it. By the state of it, it has obviously been derelict for a few decades so the owner obviously has no great interest in it.

The problem is how to find out who owns it. I have been in touch with the land registry and have to send them £6 and a map showing the location of the mill (and a covering note asking for the owners name). I have also been in touch with the council, but the chap I needed to speak to has gone on holiday :rolleyes:.

Does anyone know if the Land Registry does hold information on every property in the UK and does anyone have any alternative suggestions on how to find the owner?

Thanks!

cpjackso

If you need to know ASAP - you can use landregistry.gov.uk... They have a facility that allows you to pinpoint a particular point from an aerial photo and ask for the owner. As someone pointed out before though - this will only work for recent sales (but you can check for free).

To use go to www.landregistry.gov.uk, click the "Find out" link in the right hand column and then "Map Search". You'll need to enter a nearby postcode and then navigate to the correct point... Once you choose an area - it will list nearby properties and whether the info is available online or not.

Hope that helps!

Guy_Montag

Hey DD, do you know anything about renovating buildings? Where is a good place to start finding out. Particularly costs

Dithering_Dad

Guy_Montag wrote: »

Hey DD, do you know anything about renovating buildings? Where is a good place to start finding out. Particularly costs

There are loads of TV programs, many by that nice Sarah Beany, that will help. I suggest you watch a few DVDs and then jump into it blind. It always seems to work for the property renovators on Sarah's shows! :rotfl:

Actually, my own experience is limited to two house extensions and general home renovations. Not major experience but at least I now have good contacts with a realy excellent Builder, a good architect and OK plumber, tiler and landscaper. The electrician was crap, so will have to find a different one .

I suppose it depends on whether you're renovating a property for profit - so you have to really keep an eye on costs because you will be selling up immediately afterwards - or for a beautiful "for life" home for your family. I'm the latter and have no intention of doing any of the work myself or of selling it to get a quick buck.

This may not come to anything, but I keep going past the derelict mill when I'm out mountain biking and keep thinking how nice a location it is. It's only a small "family run" mill, not one of the huge ones with a 200M chimney and big enough to convert to 20 apartments. I've always wanted to be a mill owner and "lord it" over everyone. I can even get my young kids to clean the Spinning Jenny (or whatever it's called) and clean the chimney. Hmnn, I've always thought I was born 100 years too late!

p.s. I took cpjackso's advice and went online at the Land Registry site. I think I have found the owners of the land and have mailed them to see if they do own it and want to sell. Watch this space!

Guy_Montag

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

There are loads of TV programs, many by that nice Sarah Beany, that will help. I suggest you watch a few DVDs and then jump into it blind. It always seems to work for the property renovators on Sarah's shows! :rotfl:

Actually, my own experience is limited to two house extensions and general home renovations. Not major experience but at least I now have good contacts with a realy excellent Builder, a good architect and OK plumber, tiler and landscaper. The electrician was crap, so will have to find a different one .

I suppose it depends on whether you're renovating a property for profit - so you have to really keep an eye on costs because you will be selling up immediately afterwards - or for a beautiful "for life" home for your family. I'm the latter and have no intention of doing any of the work myself or of selling it to get a quick buck.

This may not come to anything, but I keep going past the derelict mill when I'm out mountain biking and keep thinking how nice a location it is. It's only a small "family run" mill, not one of the huge ones with a 200M chimney and big enough to convert to 20 apartments. I've always wanted to be a mill owner and "lord it" over everyone. I can even get my young kids to clean the Spinning Jenny (or whatever it's called) and clean the chimney. Hmnn, I've always thought I was born 100 years too late!

p.s. I took cpjackso's advice and went online at the Land Registry site. I think I have found the owners of the land and have mailed them to see if they do own it and want to sell. Watch this space!

Yeah, see Property Ladder is what puts me off - I'm not sure that I'm not one of those muppets that'll do it all wrong. I wouldn't be doing it to sell it, but to live in. I imagine your advice about finding a decent builder etc is the best advice possible & without knowing anyone in the business...

Ogling a grade II listed church right now & thinking it would make a perfect house for me. Guide Price £100k-£150k (hasn't sold for a few auctions), I have c. £50k in realisable assets (prior to today's stock market tumble:rolleyes:).

(Sorry to hijack your thread - keep us informed )

Dithering_Dad

Guy_Montag wrote: »

Yeah, see Property Ladder is what puts me off - I'm not sure that I'm not one of those muppets that'll do it all wrong. I wouldn't be doing it to sell it, but to live in. I imagine your advice about finding a decent builder etc is the best advice possible & without knowing anyone in the business...

Ogling a grade II listed church right now & thinking it would make a perfect house for me. Guide Price £100k-£150k (hasn't sold for a few auctions), I have c. £50k in realisable assets (prior to today's stock market tumble:rolleyes:).

(Sorry to hijack your thread - keep us informed )

With property ladder, they always seem to to want to do everything themselves to save money. It's as though they don't see building as a skilled/specialised trade. They also never bother with structural surveys, or obtaining planning consents before they buy. Actually, come to think of it, maybe it is a good education watching Property Ladder - just do the opposite of what they do and you'll be fine

As far as your church, why not get a structural survey to see if it needs major work? This may cost a few hundred, but it might save you thousands (or save you from bankcruptcy!). It might be the case that the reason it's not selling at auction is because there are majorly expensive structural repairs that need doing, or there is no chance of getting planning permission to convert it.

With my Mill, I'm going to sound out the owners to see if they're interested in selling (and at what price) and then I'll totter off to the local planning department for an informal chat about whether I would be able to get planning permission. After that I'd then look at getting the structural survey and only after that would I part with my hardearned.

Mrs Dither and the kids will love living like refugee's for a year or two, I'm sure.

Little_Miss_Winner

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

Mrs Dither and the kids will love living like refugee's for a year or two, I'm sure.

Oh my god, she's gonna kill yoooooouuuuuu!!!:eek: