Purchase regret or reason to worry?

SDLT_Geek

TheJP said:

Suzycoll said:

Marleysmummy99 said:

I need some advice please. We moved a week ago and have made the biggest mistake,  and I'm so incredibly upset. 

When meeting my new neighbour yesterday, she made me aware that in or around 2023 the property we just purchased was a cannabis farm. Neither the seller or the estate agent told us. The estate agents were aware as they were the ones that were letting it out at the time and then sold it to us. I'm very upset about this, I live in this house with my family including our 2 year old child. 

I contacted the local police yesterday but was told they can't give me any info due to GDPR. I've submitted a freedom of information request but it'll likely not succeed. 

I need evidence of the crime and that this house was a cannabis factory in order to take legal action against the seller and agent. I wouldn't have purchased this house if I had known.

National Grid confirm the meter was changed and a new supply put in Nov 2023, after supply was disconnected.

Difficulty is that the previous owners live in South Africa. I'm so upset by this. I don't know what else to do.

Oh dear I am so sorry to hear this story

I'm not an expert but can you contact your conveyancing solicitor?
I know the previous owner has to complete a questionnaire about the house with honest answers . I'm not quite sure of all the questions though.

Hope you get it sorted . Good luck 

Think you have missed the bulk of the responses to the OPs question. It's not an issue and there is nothing to sort out.

Nor had the sellers "lied" to OP!

ChirpyChicken

MeteredOut said:

OneThranWeeCutty said:

What will you tell prospective purchasers if they ask you outright….?

I've added "was the house ever a weed farm" to my list of questions for future house purchases, alongside "are there any deceased relatives buried in the garden".

I walked past an old farm on tuesday in south west cumbria. Right on the edge of the lane within the boundaries of the property lies the grave of the farmer very recently buried (obviously so) and a chair by the grave to admire the view.......

Bigphil1474

Before we sold our house last year, I went round looking for little jobs to make the house a bit smarter (1930's terraced). Found loads of cracks I'd never noticed before. Spent a good day filling, sanding and painting cracks just in the kitchen. Hairline cracks aren't much to worry about. Fill them in, and see if they come back. Ours were still not visible a good 6 months later.

As above, ones around doors are usually to do with peoples inability to close doors softly and quietly.

Herzlos

Am I right in assuming you feel that there's a higher risk of break-ins or similar because it was a drug house previously?

Because I don't think that's likely; if it was a farm then they won't have sold drugs from there and would have kept a low profile. There may have been a flurry of opportunists when it was busted but everyone will know it's empty and unrelated, and there's no risk someone is going to return to collect anything.

If the survey has shown no damage then there's nothing to worry about there either. 

Marleysmummy99

Bigphil1474 said:

Before we sold our house last year, I went round looking for little jobs to make the house a bit smarter (1930's terraced). Found loads of cracks I'd never noticed before. Spent a good day filling, sanding and painting cracks just in the kitchen. Hairline cracks aren't much to worry about. Fill them in, and see if they come back. Ours were still not visible a good 6 months later.

As above, ones around doors are usually to do with peoples inability to close doors softly and quietly.

Thank you. The kitchen floor is sloping too and the bedroom ceiling has had about 15 cracks in filled (taped and filled, badly as very visible). We will likely pull down the bedroom ceiling at some point. 

I will fill them and see 

Marleysmummy99

Herzlos said:

Am I right in assuming you feel that there's a higher risk of break-ins or similar because it was a drug house previously?

Because I don't think that's likely; if it was a farm then they won't have sold drugs from there and would have kept a low profile. There may have been a flurry of opportunists when it was busted but everyone will know it's empty and unrelated, and there's no risk someone is going to return to collect anything.

If the survey has shown no damage then there's nothing to worry about there either. 

I was worried about structural damage from the growing process they undertook

MeteredOut

Marleysmummy99 said:

Herzlos said:

Am I right in assuming you feel that there's a higher risk of break-ins or similar because it was a drug house previously?

Because I don't think that's likely; if it was a farm then they won't have sold drugs from there and would have kept a low profile. There may have been a flurry of opportunists when it was busted but everyone will know it's empty and unrelated, and there's no risk someone is going to return to collect anything.

If the survey has shown no damage then there's nothing to worry about there either. 

I was worried about structural damage from the growing process they undertook

Can you share the details of the growing process they undertook? I assume your neighbour provided that since the police would not?

chrisw

Marleysmummy99 said:

Herzlos said:

Am I right in assuming you feel that there's a higher risk of break-ins or similar because it was a drug house previously?

Because I don't think that's likely; if it was a farm then they won't have sold drugs from there and would have kept a low profile. There may have been a flurry of opportunists when it was busted but everyone will know it's empty and unrelated, and there's no risk someone is going to return to collect anything.

If the survey has shown no damage then there's nothing to worry about there either. 

I was worried about structural damage from the growing process they undertook

It's probably no more than concerning than the bodged DIY that may have occurred in any house over its lifetime.

MysteryMe

One of the main concerns would have been the electrics as they will have abstracted electricity for the growing lights. However I think I read previously that the electrical supplier had sorted the meter.

Yorkie1

Typically, cannabis grow factories in residential houses will put curtains up at windows, line rooms and/or the attic with foil type material (to keep out the light, to stop the grow lights being visible 24/7 from outside, and to hopefully screen the heat signal from any thermal cameras), and bypass the electricity. They don't tend to want to do massive structural alterations as that takes time, money and risks drawing attention from neighbours.

The electricity firm has checked the supply, a surveyor has checked any structural impacts, and any (for example) temporary moisture from confined plants growing will be long dissipated.

It causes a mess, but I really don't think the OP has anything long term to be concerned about re. the house given the professionnl checks that have happened / are happening.

(And well done, @Grumpy_chap, for having the wherewithal to mention the dog in a bag - many of us were probably thinking it, but hadn't quite got round to spelling it out. OP, this is a (very) old and (very) long forum joke thread which has absolutely no bearing on your query!!).