Land advice

Paulg1986

I was wondering if you could assist,

I have been trying to find out in my local area who owns some land we have been interested in for years. And i have found out that the owner died 3 years ago and the land is unregistered with the land registry and it has been left vacant since which is largely overgrown and run down, we have tried to trace any relatives to enquiry about that land but cant find anybody, do u think its wise to fence this off and try and claim adverse possession in 12 years there is a small prefab bungalow on the land which is condemned and the land is roughly 5 acres

Any advice welcome

Hoploz

Your local council may be aware of the situation. I know they often have 'empty homes' officers, so I'd suggest they would probably be the people to contact with regards to finding the owner. There will be an owner, it's just they may or may not be taking care of the land.

An empty home nearby was totally derelict with trees growing through it. I spoke to the council and they knew what was what, but nothing was able to be done with the house. The owner had inherited it but was not of sound mind. Therefore they were unable to refurbish, or even sell, the house. The council could do nothing. Eventually that owner must have died also, as it was auctioned and brought back to life.

An area that size would not be easy to claim as your own. Find the new owner and try to buy it. Before a big developer does.

Paulg1986

Hello

I have been onto the council regarding the property and it was taken off the council tax back in 2010 as it was unfit for use, i am good friends with the elderly neighbour next door and she told us that the old gentleman became really ill in 2008 and was taken back to Lincolnshire by his nephew who is 75 now and died later that year and nobody has been back to the property and land since we have tried all ways to find his nephew over the last year but cant locate him to try and purchase the land if possible, we were going to occupy the land and fence it off and are trying to find out the best use for the land to try and claim adverse possession in the future

phill99

So you are trying to claim adverse possession on 5 ACRES? Good luck with that one. I'm sure nobody will notice.

Paulg1986

Well nobody has made any approach to enquiry about the land and bungalow in the last 8 years its been empty and overgrown, its located on a farm track past my relatives friend as its the equal size to her ploy, i would like to purchase it without doubt, but there is nobody to contact about this, and if i can fence it off and make use of it as its in a terrible state and stake a claim for adverse possession i will try

Mossfarr

Fencing it off will probably provoke some reaction so you may be able to trace the owners, so definitely worth doing. If nobody challenges you - happy days!

Paulg1986

Thanks, thanks what i thought, if i can trace the heir then that would be great, but if i dont get any reaction i think al just try and keep a hold if it for the 10 years then appy to land registry

Davesnave

Your best use of the land, and to reduce arousing others' interest in it, would be to run some stock there. It will then begin to look less unkempt and abandoned.

They would have to be your animals, as you need to have exclusive use of the land, but you could probably alternate with making hay via a contractor.

However, by the sound of it, you'll need to put in a perimeter fence to do that. Those don't come cheap, but then neither does 5 acres of land with an existing dwelling!

Paulg1986

Thanks for the advice i will keep that in mind, the land runs off a farm track backs on to a small river at the bottom, i think this is going to the best idea what u have mentioned about animals as the neigbour my family friend has alpacas on hers, the old owners nephew took my familys friends phone number to keep in contact about property but has never rang and the phone number has been cut off now. Hopefully i might get some luck on my side.

Fuzzyness

normally sticking up a fence around something provokes a reaction of some sort.

[Deleted User]

This may be of no use at all, I warn you lol.

Does anyone have any idea of the nephew's name, address or any details of him at all. With some details you might then be able to search for a will.., or lack of one https://www.gov.uk/wills-probate-inheritance/searching-for-probate-records

Then you might be able to find out if the nephew had relatives who will/have inherited.

Its a long shot but might be worth trying.