Can I buy my nanas council house?

Lucumber · 25 May 2018 at 1:01PM

Hi there, my nana has lived in her council house for over 40 years now but she's recently had a stroke and has to live in temporary rehabilitation in a care home. She's over 80 years old. The council have given her 6 weeks to get better or they'll take the house back.

I was wondering if theres anything I can do? Can we buy the house? We're really upset at the thought of it not staying in the family, and if it takes longer than 6 weeks nana will have nowhere to live when she's better.

She was the only tenant in the home. We just want to know if we could get a mortgage and pay for it (even if it's not using the right to buy scheme) on her behalf?

Thank you

theartfullodger · 25 May 2018 at 1:04PM

What does nan want to do? On what basis do you think you might have a right to purchase.

As not tenant, probably only at market price. No discount (I hope)

marliepanda · 25 May 2018 at 1:08PM

Nana sorry to say may not get better.

You can!!!8217;t buy the house. She could, with help I!!!8217;m assuming, by the likelyhood of that going on care fees is high due to her age and health

Marvel1 · 25 May 2018 at 1:15PM

Lucumber wrote: »

We're really upset at the thought of it not staying in the family

Harsh as it sounds, it's still the council's.

marliepanda · 25 May 2018 at 1:20PM

Also, Nana as a 80 year old recovering from a stroke will 100% have somewhere to live once she leaves. It just won!!!8217;t be her old house. She will not be thrown out of th care home onto the street.

Cheeky_Monkey · 25 May 2018 at 1:29PM

Your plan is a non-starter for several reasons.

The chances are that your nan will have to stay living in the care home for much longer than 6 weeks and, as she is not a home owner, the Council will pay for it.

However, if you gave her the money to buy it outright (you wouldn't get a residential mortgage on a house you don't live in), it would then have to be sold anyway to fund her care so you would lose your money.

As the Council have only given her 6 weeks, it sounds as if they are in desperate need of their house back to give to someone else in need, like she was when she was given it.

Lucumber · 25 May 2018 at 2:58PM

I wasn't hoping for the discount from right to buy! We just want to keep it in the family but after speaking to the council we've realised we can't do anything.

I was merely asking as losing the house after four generations have been raised there is heartbreaking, and nana has said she wants to go home

I would buy it outright if I could.

Nevermind, thank you for all the help.

AdrianC · 25 May 2018 at 3:59PM

RtB is the only way that the house is being sold by the council. They will only sell it if they absolutely have to. They don't want to sell it, given the choice - they want to give somebody else the chance to have the secure tenancy that your grandmother's enjoyed.

Your grandmother is 80, and has just had a stroke. If she's not well enough to return home within six weeks, then it's very unlikely she will ever return to living independently, not just because it'd clearly be a fairly severe stroke, but because she will very quickly become institutionalised.

If there were other family members living with her, then not only would they be able to care for her, but the council would not be looking to end the tenancy.

The sentimental value of the property is a separate point entirely. Ultimately, it is not your house to decide what to do with. None of you want to live there enough to live with your grandmother, after all...

Smodlet · 25 May 2018 at 4:45PM

Council housing is for those who both need and qualify for it. The former tenants' relatives' emotional attachment or lack thereof is utterly irrelevant.

How would you feel if you could not be housed because someone else's "nana" used to live in the only property available?

z1a · 25 May 2018 at 5:36PM

How can you keep something in the family that's never been in the family?

Cakeguts · 25 May 2018 at 6:40PM

Your grandmother borrowed a house from the council to live in for 40 years. The house has always belonged to the council. You cannot keep something in your family that has always been borrowed from the council. To keep something in the family it has to be owned by a different family member and then bought from them. You can't keep something in a family that you don't already own.