Selling house with aggressive, criminal neighbour

HelpForHelp

We bought a place a few years ago and have had issues with the neighbour - he has harassed us and smashed our windows on numerous occasions and intimidated us. The police have arrested him three times, but each time he has been sectioned and later released without charge. We can't resolve the dispute, as there is no dispute, he's just ill - we hear him shouting often about how he's going to kill himself or his father.

It's a nightmare situation, and we've given up on living there, and moved out some months ago. We have another smaller property we're living at and had always planned to sell both now anyway to buy a larger place. The question is the best way to sell this property without losing too much money.

We'll obviously have to declare it on the TA6, we've had the police out three times, but there's no way to actually resolve the dispute as there's no dispute. We're going to lose money, it's just trying to minimize that loss while getting rid of the place as frankly, we want to get out of this situation.

I'd assume these "We Buy Any House" places wouldn't ask about this but are a last resort?

How do things work at auction? Do you still have to declare the issues and will this put people off?

We can't see it going well on the open market as it feels like most buyers would run a mile when they see the issues and it'd take forever. Is there such a thing as selling something like this with everything declared up front for under market value? Is that something estate agents do? Would I need a specialist agency?

I'd ask that you keep responses focused on the best way to actually sell the place, as I've had to repost this thread as it devolved into a discussion about mental health and was removed. While it would be nice to deal with the root cause, we've been trying to do that for over a year to no avail and just want rid of the place.

NameUnavailable

Sell it at auction, the proper sort, not 'modern method'.

Most buyers will be buying to 'flip' or let and many don't even read the legal packs.

TadleyBaggie

Whatever happened to the original post yesterday?

Sunsaru

TadleyBaggie said:

Whatever happened to the original post yesterday?

HelpForHelp said:

I'd ask that you keep responses focused on the best way to actually sell the place, as I've had to repost this thread as it devolved into a discussion about mental health and was removed. While it would be nice to deal with the root cause, we've been trying to do that for over a year to no avail and just want rid of the place.

Read the OP

Jeepers_Creepers

Hi HfH.

I can only repeat what I suggested in the previous thread - honestly will likely be the best policy, both ethically, and - hopefully - financially.

You come across as a very reasonable person, caught in a hellish situation. You've described the intolerable stress of living there, and were fortunate enough to be able to move out. Even if there was a way of shifting this house to an unsuspecting buyer, would you feel ok about this? I doubt it. Especially if they had stretched themselves to buy this place, attracted by the seemingly reasonable price, and had no contingency to help them cope. They'd be royally stuffed, and what a horrible thing that would be.

The only exception I can think of where to sell to an unsuspecting buyer would be 'ok', is when it's one of the 'webuyanyhouse' type outfits. I suspect you'd have to declare issues to them too, tho'.

So that, to me, leaves just marketing it honestly, with its obvious pitfall. Hopefully someone (or somefolk) would consider it doable - they'd calculate that the situation simply couldn't/wouldn't be allowed to continue, where a person is causing actual property damage and threatening people. They'd be more assertive when demanding the police intervene, might even back this up with threatened legal action - "We've told you what he does, if he now hurts anyone, I'll make you liable...", and also demanding more response from the council along the same lines.

They might calculate that the situation will/can be made to change, and it would then have been worth the gamble.

Norman_Castle

Presumably you have an idea of its value. Get quotes from webuyanyhouse or similar to find out how much of a hit you would take from selling to them. You might be happy with it or it will give a benchmark for your problems declared asking price

HelpForHelp

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Hi HfH.

I can only repeat what I suggested in the previous thread - honestly will likely be the best policy, both ethically, and - hopefully - financially.

You come across as a very reasonable person, caught in a hellish situation. You've described the intolerable stress of living there, and were fortunate enough to be able to move out. Even if there was a way of shifting this house to an unsuspecting buyer, would you feel ok about this? I doubt it. Especially if they had stretched themselves to buy this place, attracted by the seemingly reasonable price, and had no contingency to help them cope. They'd be royally stuffed, and what a horrible thing that would be.

The only exception I can think of where to sell to an unsuspecting buyer would be 'ok', is when it's one of the 'webuyanyhouse' type outfits. I suspect you'd have to declare issues to them too, tho'.

Thanks - even with webuyanyhouse or wherever, chances are someone is going to have to live there. Short of selling to someone who will just sit on it until the problem goes away (or as you say, they can resolve it themselves) someone will be stuck living there. A webuyanyhouse type will just sell it on, and presumably if they don't ask us any questions, they can quite legally say to any potential buyer that to their knowledge there are no neighbour issues. A landlord will rent it to people who have to deal with it, and so on. It doesn't feel great either way, just degrees of separation from those who have to live there.

Sometimes I think a situation like this was the inspiration for The Ring.

I do appreciate all the advice, both from the posts here and those I was able to read and not reply to yesterday. I actually hadn't considered that an investor might not care as it will likely be short term problem - a few years during which the house will continue to accrue value, so getting it at below market value is still a good investment. The only reason I'm not doing that myself is we want to pool incomes and get a joint mortgage on a larger place.

HelpForHelp

Norman_Castle said:

Presumably you have an idea of its value. Get quotes from webuyanyhouse or similar to find out how much of a hit you would take from selling to them. You might be happy with it or it will give a benchmark for your problems declared asking price

Are these companies legit these days? I did have a browse around old thread and it seems like they're entirely unregulated, lots of stories about dropping offers days before exchange and so on. I guess we're not in the same position as a lot of people they might prey on as we're not (financially) desperate to sell?

user1977

HelpForHelp said:

Norman_Castle said:

Presumably you have an idea of its value. Get quotes from webuyanyhouse or similar to find out how much of a hit you would take from selling to them. You might be happy with it or it will give a benchmark for your problems declared asking price

Are these companies legit these days? I did have a browse around old thread and it seems like they're entirely unregulated, lots of stories about dropping offers days before exchange and so on. I guess we're not in the same position as a lot of people they might prey on as we're not (financially) desperate to sell?

No such thing as regulated house-buyers, you or I would be entitled to gazunder etc so likewise they are too.

theoretica

Simply for the smashing windows issue, would it help to plant the front garden up with really thorny plants or otherwise make the windows inaccessible? To move some of the problem towards the historical.

Does he do this to other people/the other side?  Do you have any indication it is you personally that he does this to, you as owners of that house, or everyone?  To help describe the problem fairly.

verytired11

Auction is your best bet I would have thought.  Don't go for the we buy any house places they will negotiate you down much further than a developer at auction.  Once you have sold at auction the contract is legally binding so no room for any shenanigans later down the line.