Finding out who owns a run down house

[theboyfold]

Pretty much what the title says really, the 'boy who always needs something to do' in me has his eye on a house that's just round the corner from me and is run down. How would I go about finding out who owns it?

[Sam_68]

Contact the Land Registry. If it's changed hands since their system has gone comupterised, you can do a search online. Otherwise, they'll have to do a paper search.

See the FAQ's on the Land Registry website for further details.

[anonymous-user]

Is it empty or is someone still living there?

[theboyfold]

MonkeyMatt said:

Is it empty or is someone still living there?

It's empty. It has a big hole in roof!

Sam_68 said:

Contact the Land Registry. If it's changed hands since their system has gone comupterised, you can do a search online. Otherwise, they'll have to do a paper search.

See the FAQ's on the Land Registry website for further details.

Cheers, I'll have a look at that now...

Edited by theboyfold on Sunday 10th May 21:31

[maser_spyder]

So assuming the registered owner has gone away (many years ago), and you want to re-develop the land, how would you go about it?

I've had my eye on a property for years, expecting somebody else to do this first, but years later, it's still there and untouched!

[Simpo Two]

I wonder about these houses. Presumably the last owner died intestate and it passes to the Crown, who can't be arsed to do anything about it...?

[theboyfold]

maser_spyder said:

So assuming the registered owner has gone away (many years ago), and you want to re-develop the land, how would you go about it?

I'm not sure, that's what I'm trying to work out. It's why I shouldn't be allowed to watch Grand Designs, I end up getting silly ideas like this...

[Nolar Dog]

Just move in and in twelve years you're laughing.

[silver.fox.2008]

Nolar Dog said:

Just move in and in twelve years you're laughing.

Or if the council own it, they'll wait 11 years, after you've done all the maintance and then claim it back

[Sam_68]

maser_spyder said:

So assuming the registered owner has gone away (many years ago), and you want to re-develop the land, how would you go about it?

I've had my eye on a property for years, expecting somebody else to do this first, but years later, it's still there and untouched!

How big is the property?

If it's a decent amount of land, what you do is contact me via my profile and my company will save you a whole lot of bother by buying it and pay you a nice fat finder's fee for your trouble.

Otherwise, it's traditional to trace the buyer and enter into a contract to purchase said property before you begin to redevelop it.

[shirt]

boyfold - you might also want to ring your local council and ask to speak to whoever deals with empty homes. someone will/should have a register of derelict properties on their patch and may have some contact info. much much quicker than the land registry, they did it over the phone for me. after speaking to them, ask to be put through to the conservation officer [am assuning its an old house worthy of renovation] and enquire what grants are available.

one word of warning, it can be an absolute nightmare. i bought a house that hadn't been lived in for 5years and had been the plaything of cowboy builders when the council were doling out improvement grants in the 80s. half the time i spend redoing bodged work before i can begin repairs/renovation as i have a conscience unlike the swines that were here before me!

i have done it all myself though, started with no diy skill whatsoever and am now pretty damn competent. it can be satisfying, but can also be totally soul destroying when it begins to take over your life.

[JR]

theboyfold said:

Sam_68 said:

Contact the Land Registry. If it's changed hands since their system has gone comupterised, you can do a search online. Otherwise, they'll have to do a paper search.

See the FAQ's on the Land Registry website for further details.

Cheers, I'll have a look at that now...

Of course if it's not registered you'll never know. Do they return your fee in those cases?

[SwanJack]

JR said:

theboyfold said:

Sam_68 said:

Contact the Land Registry. If it's changed hands since their system has gone comupterised, you can do a search online. Otherwise, they'll have to do a paper search.

See the FAQ's on the Land Registry website for further details.

Cheers, I'll have a look at that now...

Of course if it's not registered you'll never know. Do they return your fee in those cases?

IIRC it's only £4.

[maser_spyder]

Sam_68 said:

maser_spyder said:

So assuming the registered owner has gone away (many years ago), and you want to re-develop the land, how would you go about it?

I've had my eye on a property for years, expecting somebody else to do this first, but years later, it's still there and untouched!

How big is the property?

If it's a decent amount of land, what you do is contact me via my profile and my company will save you a whole lot of bother by buying it and pay you a nice fat finder's fee for your trouble.

Otherwise, it's traditional to trace the buyer and enter into a contract to purchase said property before you begin to redevelop it.

Property isn't that big, 1920s country cottage in about 1/2 acre. Similar houses in the street sell for £500-£750k, so worth chasing.

I used to play in it when I was a wee lad, not changed a bit since, apart from a tree growing through the roof that never use to be there.

How do you go about buying it? Not sure if I'm really interested, but worth a look to find out....

[Sam_68]

maser_spyder said:

How do you go about buying it?

Put in simple terms, you give the owner a large sum of money and they give you ownership of the house.

HTH

[maser_spyder]

Sam_68 said:

maser_spyder said:

How do you go about buying it?

Put in simple terms, you give the owner a large sum of money and they give you ownership of the house.

HTH

The 'owner' left over 30 years ago. Apparently to America, but nobody really knows. This house was derelict when I was growing up in the street nearly 30 years ago.

Nothing has been done to it since, it's totally overgrown with a tree growing through the middle of it.

I can hardly knock on the door and ask if they're looking to sell, it would probably just fall off in my hand!

I was asking, along with the OP, how you attempt to buy a property that has been derelict for a **very** long time with no trace of the owner.

If anybody has any ideas, let us know!

[Plotloss]

Someone will hold title over the plot/property and the Land Registry will have that information.

[maser_spyder]

Plotloss said:

Someone will hold title over the plot/property and the Land Registry will have that information.

So assuming they can't be traced, or don't exist any more, what happens then?

[JR]

maser_spyder said:

Plotloss said:

Someone will hold title over the plot/property and the Land Registry will have that information.

So assuming they can't be traced, or don't exist any more, what happens then?

Nothing. Plotloss should have said "may hold."

[Nevin]

maser_spyder said:

Plotloss said:

Someone will hold title over the plot/property and the Land Registry will have that information.

So assuming they can't be traced, or don't exist any more, what happens then?

In some cases you can make an application to have it compulsorily purchased and then buy it from the council.

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_sty...

However I seem to remeber in this guy's case that it took him something like 8 years for the compulsory purchase.