Buying a house from the deceased. How do I do it?

Orien

I have come across a house not too far from where I live that has been vacant for 20 years by the looks of it. I have looked into the will and deeds of the house and know the owner died almost 20 years ago; within the will, it tell me who the estate has been passed down to who I have tracked down and tried to contact, without any success so far.
My question is how do I go about buying the property, do I need to speak with the family of the deceased or is there a way to buy the house for the amount stated on the will?
Any hints/tips/advice would be appreciated. 

Thank you.

greatcrested

Who now owns the property? Have you checked the Land Registry Title (£3 here).

It will either be the Executer of the will (unlikely after 20 years!), or the Beneficiary/ies.

But that's who you need to buy off, at whatever price they choose to sell for.

The value stated in a 20 year old will is totally meaningless!

davidmcn

You contact whoever has inherited it and see if they want to sell it. But it sounds like you've already tried that. Are you sure it's really been vacant for as long as 20 years? Do neighbours etc know any more?

And no, you can't expect to buy it for "the amount stated on the will" (whatever you mean by that) - you can expect to pay whatever it's currently worth.

Slithery

With a oujia board?

tommyedinburgh

Slithery said:

With a oujia board?

Damn, beat me to it. 

Davesnave

You'd think it would be dead easy, but perhaps there's stiff  opposition coming from somewhere.

AdrianC

Orien said:

I have come across a house not too far from where I live that has been vacant for 20 years by the looks of it. I have looked into the will and deeds of the house and know the owner died almost 20 years ago; within the will, it tell me who the estate has been passed down to who I have tracked down and tried to contact, without any success so far.
My question is how do I go about buying the property, do I need to speak with the family of the deceased or is there a way to buy the house for the amount stated on the will?
Any hints/tips/advice would be appreciated. 

Thank you.

Woah, hold on...

No, "the owner" didn't die 20yrs ago. A PREVIOUS owner died 20yrs ago.

You have the name and an (old?) address of somebody who you think may have owned it since.
Did it actually find its way into their ownership?
Or did it need to be sold by the executor to cover debts and make the estate solvent?
Was that person even still alive at the time of the previous owner's death?

Does that person still own it? You have no idea. They may have died, too, or they may have sold it. They may have mortgaged it and it been repossessed.

The only way you'll find out who owns it now is Land Registry. And that may give the owner's address as being... the property.

Is there some form of magic words that force the current owner (whoever that may be) to sell it for a 20yo price? No, don't be ridiculous. You can't force the owner to sell it at all, let alone for some totally irrelevant two-decade-old probate figure that may have no direct relationship to it coming into their ownership... The only thing the 20yo probate figure has any effect on is the original estate's IHT bill and whether there's any CGT to be paid when the beneficiary of that will disposes of the property.

Bossypants

If you decide to pursue this, be prepared for a long, annoying process which may very well end up going nowhere. Sane people with a free hand don't let a valuable asset sit unused and going to ruin for 20 years if they can help it, they either use it (to live in or let out) or they sell it. The fact that neither of those things has happened suggests that there's some pretty significant block in the way, such as a family dispute or weird legal clauses, or the owner isn't mentally willing or capable of taking a decision on it, for whatever reason. I came across such a case in my last house hunt, next door to the house I was interestec in: The house had belonged to the current owner's mother, but although he had fully inherited it, name was on the LR with no restrictions, etc, he was a bit 'funny' and was adamant that the house was not his and nothing to do with him. So, the house sat empty and slowly decaying, and impacting its semi-detached neighbour (the house I was looking at and subsequently lost interest in, in good part because of that).

My point is, you can give it your best shot, but be prepared for disappointment.

wilfred30

Try contacting your local Council and speak to the Empty Properties Officer (most Councils have one).

I could be wrong but I believe they have the power to force owners of properties that have been empty for many years to either undertake any work required to make them habitable or sell them.

If the current owner cannot be found, they will probably be able to advise you on your next steps. 

Comms69

Orien said:

I have come across a house not too far from where I live that has been vacant for 20 years by the looks of it. I have looked into the will and deeds of the house and know the owner died almost 20 years ago; within the will, it tell me who the estate has been passed down to who I have tracked down and tried to contact, without any success so far.
My question is how do I go about buying the property, do I need to speak with the family of the deceased or is there a way to buy the house for the amount stated on the will?
Any hints/tips/advice would be appreciated. 

Thank you.

Why would you be entitled to buy the house at the value it was 20 years ago?...

Comms69

wilfred30 said:

Try contacting your local Council and speak to the Empty Properties Officer (most Councils have one).

I could be wrong but I believe they have the power to force owners of properties that have been empty for many years to either undertake any work required to make them habitable or sell them.

If the current owner cannot be found, they will probably be able to advise you on your next steps. 

No they dont. only a court has that power.