government to snatch empty houses

piggy · 11-03-2009, 21:17

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/...the-state.html

sounds like desperation

papa smurf · 11-03-2009, 21:20

sounds like theft

11-03-2009, 21:22

They say they take management but not ownership. I personally think it stinks . What has it got to do with them what you do with your own property

No legally approved excuse omg who do they think they are?

Osem · 11-03-2009, 21:56

As the article states, these laws have been in operation for some time. As usual, this latest announcement has more to do with a desperate 'Government' indulging in yet another populist con trick (e.g. reannouncing/repackaging old news, introducing tough sounding but largely ineffective legislation etc.) to get votes than it has to do with solving the problem.

11-03-2009, 22:03

Do you think if I make a sandwich but decide I do not want it till later they will knock on my door and say we need it? lol

Osem · 11-03-2009, 22:04

No but they may try to tax it....

soicky · 11-03-2009, 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

Do you think if I make a sandwich but decide I do not want it till later they will knock on my door and say we need it? lol

depends on what sandwich it is.

alferret · 11-03-2009, 22:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

SNIP! omg who do they think they are?

They are the Labour government, they make it up as they go along with their pretend president of the united kingdom at the helm. Bend us over and screw us without even asking "may I"

Anonymouse · 11-03-2009, 22:47

Are they referring just to council properties or privately-owned houses? If the latter, who the hell do they think they are? Since when does the government - any government - have the right to seize private property just because it isn't being used? There could be any number of reasons why a house might be left empty for a while by its owner. What the hell business is it of theirs?

Hell, I didn't actually move into my flat for some months after taking the tenancy - mainly because my crappy working hours and nearly nonexistent holidays meant I literally didn't have time - though I was paying the rent. Then, just after I did move in, I ended up in hospital after an accident, and spent weeks at the mother's convalescing, because I didn't feel safe on my own given the state I was in.

mr,m · 11-03-2009, 22:51

A legally approved excuse to leave a home empty,what the hell does that mean?
Since when has anyone had to have an "excuse" for vacating their own property. I wonder what "excuses" will be allowed. Only a matter of time before single people are made to take in tennants. The sheer brass neck of this government beggars belief.

v0id · 11-03-2009, 22:59

If the properties aren't well maintained and lowering the value of other properties in the area, then yeah the homes should be seized.

mr,m · 11-03-2009, 23:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by v0id

If the properties aren't well maintained and lowering the value of other properties in the area, then yeah the homes should be seized.

And who do you think will decide on the level of maintenance required? An overgrown garden, a bit of peeling paint? You can imagine some tinpot little council official loving his new role of vacant house inspector, oh that one has a slightly rusty gate, quick, seize it for the owner gets back from holiday. PATHETIC!!!

sollp · 11-03-2009, 23:11

Bit of a throwaway remark but, this is getting more like communism/stalinism isn't it?

12-03-2009, 04:23

There was a guy round our way who bought a 100's of ex National Coal Board houses for the sum of Ã‚Â£1,500 each, he put low income families in them and charged top end rents, he wasn't the sort of landlord who didn't like to do any repairs. The areas where he bought the houses were in run down areas of Mansfield like Pleasley, Warsop Vale, Meaden Vale and also in some villages in Derbyshire.

Over time he let the houses fall into a state of disrepair, most of them ended up being boarded up and left for years.

A few years ago the Coalfield regeneration plan came into force, the local council implimented a compulsary purchase order for all of his houses so they could press a head with knocking the houses down and rebuilding them with new ones. He got Ã‚Â£15,000 for every house even those that had been empty for over 10 years.

Scarlett · 12-03-2009, 07:58

Nice, I love the misleading term of 'snatch' implying that the government will just take it off you.

Read the article and you'll see its either via a compulsary purchase order or they will rent it and pay you the rest after expenses (no more than a rental agency would do)

When I moved to my town 7-8 years ago we rented to start off with. There was (and still IS!) a house on the end of the terrace that is boarded up the owner apparently lives in a caravan park a hours drive away. In all the time I've been here, I've seen him come in and replace the fence to the back garden and re-plaster one of the eves of the roof. Thats it in 8 years. The windows are still boarded up and the house is empty when it could be usefully employed. It's just a shame that the local councils don't use these pwers more often.