abandoned house

[feufemme]

Abandoned houses... "try squatting in it, if you manage to get away with it for 12 years then the house will become legally yours" What can you tell me about that? What does happen to someone who occupy a house to live in, which seems to be abandoned? If the person starts to take care properly of that house � What are the problems and/or benefits? Thanks.

[Buenchico]

The Land Registration Act 2002 changed things in respect of land which is registered on the Land Register. ('Land', as far as the relevant laws are concerned, includes any buildings standing on that land).

Your first course of action should be to search the Land Registry records to find out if the land is registered. Assuming that it is, the title plan and title register will cost you �3 each:
http://www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/

If you find that the land is unregistered, simply squatting in the property for 12 years may well give the right to claim the title to the land, because the old rules will still apply.

If the land is registered, you will only need to squat on the land for 10 years before you can apply to have the title transferred to you. However, unlike the automatic process under the 12 year rule for unregistered land, the registered title holder has the right to oppose your application for the transfer of the title. (Any valid opposition would mean that your claim would automatically fail). See here:
http://www1.landregistry.gov.uk/assets/library /documents/lrpg004.pdf

Chris

[buildersmate]

Good explanation, Chris.
So the implications are that there is no harm in trying it, but you have to be prepared to accept that at any day up until the time you can legally claim it (12 yrs unregistered land, 10yrs registered) the rightful owner might just turn up and demand his property back. He would use a court oreder if you refused. The implication of that is one wouldn't want to spend too much money on it, to just have to lose it.
Getting services supplied to it may be a problem - though water and electricity may be just willing to supply you as the occupier - they don't generally go poking about asking about the basis under which one is the occupier.
You would aslo have pay Council Tax - again should be possible without alerting an issue.