Empty Houses

[Lonnie]

This goverment are looking at possibly taking possesion of houses that have been empty for six months, regardless of the reason.

They are looking at taxing people for improving their homes,

They are looking at the possibility of compulsory purchasing parts of gardens that extend over 100 feet.

Question, do you think they have it in for home owners?.

[noxlumos]

If anything like this comes to pass in reality, and not just in theory, then it will mean that I am no longer safe to deal in property in this country without some sort of risk to my investment and I'll take myself, my family and the extortionate amount of tax I pay somewhere where my investment will be safe.

I'm all for social housing, but the compulsary purchse or takeover of property for that purpose will not solve the problem and will actually cause a widening in the social classes and huge distrust and unrest. I can't believe it's even being considered.

[Joefish999]

I think you'll find, if you look at the actual proposals and not at the hysterical reporting of the idea by the self-important media, that no council or local government is going to be looking for loopholes to steal houses off people going about legitimate business or who actually declare an interest in their property.

They are just looking at ways of stopping the rash of vacant, eyesore buildings that are standing empty around the country, ruining neighbourhoods by lowering market values of surrounding properties and providing a meeting ground for rats, drug users and other vermin that blight our communities.

Nox....I hope your portfolio of property doesn't come into this category, if it doesn't you have no worries and can continue to throw your taxes at the government with no worries.

[noxlumos]

Well that's the trouble joe sometimes they do. In order for things to go the way you need them to sometimes you do buy derelict property and leave it empty. It's not something I do often but I have done it in the past and am doing it now oddly enough with a couple of places. I usually buy little terraced houses and rent them but occasionally buy other things and move them on, however there are some places that I've had to leave empty for other reasons and I don't see why anyone should be able to take something which does not belong to them, as I have long range plans for them, just not short term ones.

[ayrforce1]

I rent from our local council. For many tenants they have just suspended the right to buy as they say that there is a shortage of housing in the area. Yet we are zoned as a low demand area and there are always empty flats , sometimes for months on end. Most of the new tenants are anti-social layabouts or drug dealers who are making the place even more undesirable. The government want to get their own housing stock into order and stop creating ghetto societies which decline the standard of living for those of us who pay their way in life.

[joko]

people could just furnish them and then they have no proof no-one lives there.

unless that doesn't count, in which case what about the people who have places as holiday homes or work away for months at a time?

or do they only mean the derelict looking places?

[jake-the-peg]

Nox when you say "in order for things to go the way you want you have to leave derelict houses empty"

Do you mean that you're refused planning permission to knock down an old possibly listed building that you (and not the council) think is 'derelict' and replace it with cheap more profitable eyesores?

I hope not but it's becoming all too familiar a tactic.

If it is what you mean - please don't wait for the government to force you out and don't slam the door at Dover!

[noxlumos]

Jake, your wrong on every count as well as being incredibly rude.I would not dream of knocking down a listed building &would be stupid to do so,as like as not that would result in legal proceedings against me etc. I was referring to the fact that it's possible if you wait to get additional incentives to repair & sometimes you might want to buy a whole row of houses & if terraced,change the internal layouts to something completely different.If you own 3 out of a row of 6, you'd be stupid to commence anything until you owned the lot.Is that too hard for you to understand, or perhaps you just prefer to jump to ludicrous conclusions and be unpleasant. Exactly where in my post did you get the idea from that I would ever dream of butchering a listed building?Wherever possible I like to create something of beauty out of a pile of crap, where people from all walks of life can live.Just because I develop property,doesn't mean I do so unethically & you might be interested to know whilst your so keen to judge my character that a lot of the places I rent out, I let to vulnerable people a lot of whom are on benefit & I very often have to accept a lower rent because of that & wait for months for their local council to decide to pay them.I'd love to leave and return home, but I'm not going to do so until I have achieved my objective here which is to make as much money as possible whilst not corrupting my own ethics in any way(which include behaving in a socially repsonsible manner & helping other people)So far I've managed to achieve that, without needing to knock down listed buildings.Clear enough?

[jake-the-peg]

In which case I unreservedly apologise.

There has been a bit of a spate of, well lets call them unsympathetic redevelopments (listed and unlisted) around my neck of the woods. Letting something fall apart until the council have no option but to allow permission has been a rather unfortunate trend.

I'm glad you're not one of them

[Lonnie]

Thanks for you interesting answers. Nox and Jake, the way you settled your your little difference was very civilised, now that is what this site is all about.

[spudqueen]

There is a house in the village where I live which has been empty (and looks almost derilict) for the four years I've lived here and looking and the state of it, even longer. I'm sure that someone would be grateful for the chance to live in it and I'm also sure that the next door neighbours to this house would be delighted if it was made habitable again.

On another note, when my Mother died it took over a year before her house was sold and if there had been any chance of the house being taken over by the Government then I would have installed tenants. legitimate or otherwise!

[Lonnie]

Hi spudqueen, your story shows both sides of the coin, although if the goverment do bring this in, i'd think surely, they must do some checks first,