Found a grade 2 listed derelict house??

[pieman]

Hi All - First post!
I have found a grade 2 listed derelict house, I have approached my local conservation officer who is in the process of serving a repairs notice on the owner. Has anyone here had any experience of a back to back sale agreement with the council after a compulsory purchase order has been issued on an owner. What was the process like or the experience?? Any TIPS!
Thanks in advance all.

 

[Moo]

Pieman -

Please don't be offended by the lack of response. It doesn't mean that no-one can be bothered. It must simply be that nobody here has had any experience of a similar situation

It sounds an interesting situation, though, so please keep us informed about your progress. Good luck!

 

[middi]

Well done Moo.

It appears that most of us on this site hate the local authority and refuse to buy anything from them, hence the ignorance to a very simple question .

 

[L1zzy]

I have no experience either of such a scenario but when watching that TV proram How to rescue a house it seemed to me that the main person to keep onside (as always ) was the Local conservation officer if s/He warms to you and your plans they usually provide much support and sense - I guess that my only tip is therefore to try to establish warm fuzzies with the Conservation officer!

 

[Becka]

didn't see much of this series but I have a vague memory that there might have been a book attached.. could be work an investigate

http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/tv_and_radio/htrah_index.shtml

 

[pieman]

Firstly thanks for the response, it was a long shot, anything helps.

I have been told the repairs to the property could come to £250k.....big gulp, that took my breath away some what.

The conservation has been very helpful and forthcoming with information. She is new to the council and I think has an axe to grind.....she is very passionate about her houses, there doesent seem to be any of the tip toeing around that councils are famous for for fear of upsetting people, she appears very proactive and keen..........I hope it lasts!!

The guy who owns the house is the most difficult, he does not grasp the situation with repair orders and compulsory purchases..........oh well more fool him!

I will keep you updated.

 

[Penners]

If you know who owns the house, why not approach him directly? If he's being served with a repairs notice, and risks a compulsory purchase (although I understand that local authorities are actually very reluctant to go that far), he may be amenable to a quick sale at a reasonable price.

If you don't know who owns it, you should be able to find out from the Land Registry.

If the local authority were to compulsorily purchase the house, I suspect that they would have to be scrupulous about offering it publicly for sale and ensuring that they got the best possible price for it.

I have no experience of such situations - just some thoughts.

Good luck - let us know how you get on.

 

[pieman]

I do know the owner and have spoken to him and discussed the possible sale of the property, he is now not speaking to me I have no idea why it all seemed to be going well, I think he is burying his head in the sand hoping it will go away. I wish he would listen I would rather come to some agreement with him rather than him lose his house (although he doesent live in it). I have written to him as he was not answering his phone so I will wait and see.

As far as the council are concerned they will compulsory purchase a property if they have a 'back to back' buyer or an 'in and out arrangement' for the property, so they get rid of the property immediately.
The reason it seems they do not go the whole hog is in most cases the owners get a rude awakening with the repairs notice. The other reason being the possible financial implications to the council of having a building in poor condition they are responsible for.

Watch this space!

 

[BMcD]

If the council are considering compulsory purchase does that mean the repairs are to be immediate and so what time scale will they give you to carry these out. It could have implications on a juggled budget.
Also a good conservation architect may be able to negotiate a reduced purchase price on the basis of the cost of repairs

 

[pieman]

We are still at the very early stages of this. I did think of geting the services of a good conservation achitect. It's just finding one, this is all quite new to me so still finding my feet. The budget is something that we are working on as we speak, yes juggled, very.

 

[Craig]

If the council acquire the property they will pay stamp duty and they will add that to the price.

Pretty rum deal isnt it, when you cant choose to let your own house fall down in you want. After all, how much damage is actually removing prior "repairs"

 

[Penners]

Pretty rum deal isnt it, when you cant choose to let your own house fall down in you want.

Sorry, Craig. You won't get my support for a statement like that.

A listed building is an important part of the nation's architectural heritage. It is encumbant - legally and morally - on the current owner to maintain it in a good state of repair, and to conserve it for future generations.

Nobody - the owner included - has the right to let fall down.

 

[Craig]

I agree with this view also, Penners - have no fear.

I do believe the statement is still true though - imagine how you would feel if the state forces you to repair when its your view that another course of action is adequate. These things are subjective - one man's urgent repair is another's unnecssary fiddling.

But when I read about this kind of thing, I wish to avoid the epicaricacy and rememeber that there go I but for the grace, etc...

 

[Penners]

I find it difficult to reconcile those two points-of-view, Craig. When you buy a listed building, you effectively sign a contract with society to conserve it for the period of your ownership.

I can't argue with your obvious dislike of being forced by the state to do anything, but I think you'll find that local authorities will only serve a repair order on the owner of a listed building in the direst of circumstances. They're much too busy to start micro-managing the condition of apparently reasonably maintained buildings.

By the way - thanks for "epicaricacy". A new word to me - I had to look it up!

 

[Craig]

Yes, its good isn’t it - I found it whilst checking the spelling of the German equivalent.

No, I agree - I wish to see our built environment preserved - I am merely noting that the action of the state against an individual is regrettable, and that to the person, it will seem very unjust (even though the rest of us may not agree).

 

[Penners]

Ach ja! I am knowing ze "schadenfreude", but not ze Englischer equivalent. Schtupid, ja?

 

[Craig]

:lol:

 

[middi]

I am having problems trying to decifre what exactly is the situation between the owner and the listed building compulsary purchase or repair brigade.

My limted understanding of these matters is that the owners responsibility is to safeguard the building from any further deterioration or danger of collapse by making sure that it is weather proof and well shored up, this can be done with any contemporary and easily available building materials such as acro-props and tin roofs as long as the existing fabric is not damaged.

Common sense dictates that the owner would take steps in this direction for very little money instead of a hefty fine or worst still, as mentioned, have the building taken away from him for a song.

If he refuses to repair it even on the cheap, then the other common sense thing to do is put it up for auction and sell it, eithe way I do not thing that he will let the listed people take it away or get fined.

I think that if he is not totally stupid he is just trying the patience of the authorities, I believe it is the latter.

Make him an offer he can't refuse, ( it worked with Don Corleone ! )

 

[BMcD]

I don't think putting a horses head in his bed will help!

 

[middi]

aah...but a beretta to his head would.

this conversation is getting too violent for comfort , get him totally pi""ed on a brew of his choise and then get him to sign a sale agreement.