Deteriating house next door

[Sasi]

My semi detached next door isn't occupied for years and I do not know or seen the owners since i moved in 2001. All the windows are broken and there are lot of weed trees around and its roots are all over my land. there is a lot to write about the house and what me and my other neighbours are going through - its very frustating

I have contacted the council and they said they can not do anything unless it’s become structural/hazardous problem to the public. My 2 month old son was stinged by wasps from a huge nest inside the house next door and there is no solid response from council though. I had all sort of problems because of the next door (rat/tree roots/weeds/falling roof tiles, bricks, guttering and u name it)

please let me know if anyone went through the same or have any solution for this long running issue ( i can afford to move or buy house as I'm also an victim of current credit crunch.

Please help and your comments will be much appreciated
kind regards
Sasi

 

[TonyWarrington]

Someone must own the property and therefore have some degree of responsibility for safety. If it was me I would be trying to find the owner and ask him/her to do something about the property. You could use the Land registry web site http://www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/. A small fee is charged to view details (if available) including name of owner.

Have you approached your local Citizens Advice Bureau about the issues you are experiencing?

Finally you could join a forum such as http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums (you will need to register to gain access but it is free) and ask a few questions of others

 

[WDIK]

claim the property

 

[Sasi]

Hi Tony,

Thank you for the comments. I have recently received the owners details from one of the other neighbour and contacted the owner via letters/phone calls but there is no response. I have also joined the forum you mentioned and still waiting for more comments

Thanks
sasi

 

[^woody^]

Your council can require the property to be secured and made safe or do the work and charge the owner. They could also consider compulsory purchasing the property.

Contact the council again - environmental health section or community services - whatever it is nowadays. Mention that the property is causing you a nuisance, and you want action taken under section79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 90).

It does not have to be a hazard to the public generally - you are the public or can claim as an individual who is suffering the nuisance

 

[Shutpa]

Had a very similar problem 25 years ago. No one would help so took the law into my own hands and stopped the rot. Began by uprooting about a dozen trees that could have caused me problems later. Then using a weed killer, I saturated the entire garden and in the process killed everything off. Then, apart from the roof, made the place wind, water and vandal proof. And nobody said a word! It turned out that the owner was called home (abroad) to serve in the army and simply left without telling a soul. I moved on a few years later so dont know what happened to the property.

 

[Donkmeister]

claim the property

I agree. Knock through and claim squatter's rights? Double the size of your house!