Category: Legal Advice

A Property Owning Democracy?

What was Thatcher’s True Property Legacy?

On the day of her public funeral, we issued a special, single-article edition of our newsletter, analysing through editorial comment the legacy the late Baroness Thatcher leaves to the UK property market.

Baroness Margaret Thatcher’s death has prompted vigorous debate on the matter of her controversial political legacy. In the wake of the passing of a woman described as “the most admired, most hated, most idolised and most vilified public figure of the second half of the 20th century”, we analyse the indelible mark she left on the British property market…

Read the rest of this popular article at this link.

RICS research highlights surprising level of unpredicted repair costs for buyers without a survey

PropertySurveying.co.uk

According to new research by RICS, over a fifth of home buyers who did not take out a pre-purchase survey are in a property they would never have bought had they been aware of its true condition before purchase.

The recently released results of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyor’s survey of home buying consumers show that homeowners who did not get a survey are lumped with an average of £5750 in repair bills – matters that would have been highlighted before exchange of contracts by a competent Chartered Surveyor.

Read the rest here…

Mold development put on hold by flood risk assessment

moldsurveyors.co.uk – A long delay in assessing the flood risk of a reservoir in Greenfield, near Mold, is claimed by a local property developer to be putting homes and lives at risk.

The flooding risk of Flour Mill Reservoir must be determined, before work on eight new townhouses can begin. The Environment Agency instructed Flintshire County Council to complete an inundation map, but this has still not been done, despite a deadline of December 31, 2012.

If you are a developer in the Mold area, or elsewhere in England and Wales, contact your local surveyor to help navigate these difficult issues and ask them about how they can help elsewhere in the development.

Man in Cardiff reduces own home to rubble with sledgehammer

cardiffbuildingsurveyors.co.uk – A brother has demolished his own home in Cardiff over a will dispute that has dragged on 7 years.

Reaching the end of his wits, Mr McGuire took a sledgehammer to his semi-detached house to demolish the extensions and additions he had made to it during an 8 year residency (for which he had reputedly invested £200,000).  Police stood by powerless as he destroyed the private property.

If you have a property issue in Cardiff, put down the sledgehammer and call your local Chartered Surveyor to assist and represent you.

Basic construction error results in £25k+ in fines after tenant nearly poisoned

Chesterfield Surveyors– In a case that came to fruition just before Christmas 2012; Chesterfield Borough Council has been ordered to pay more than £25,000 in fines and costs after a cataclysmic construction error almost cost the life of a tenant on Stand Road, Newbold, Chesterfield.

Find out the full story in our newsletter, to be sent out to all subscribers next week.

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Manchester Apartment Block Lies Dormant Whilst Housing Crisis Continues

Manchester Surveyors – Saltford Court, a tower block in Ancoats, Manchester was abandoned and unused after Manchester council closed it in the 1990s. A private developer purchased the building in 2006, but so far no action has been taken to bring it back into use.

Local residents want and need change. The block could be made into more than 100 much-needed apartments at an affordable price, so perhaps there should be a legal limit on how long a Developer can hold empty property before it is compulsorily auctioned?

If you want to bring an empty home back into use, contact your local manchester Surveyor.

Proceeds of Crime Act – Brent to Receive Over £500,000 for Illegal Landlord House Conversion

Property Surveying

Norwich Crown Court has this month reached a decision on a case concerning a landlord in Brent, London who converted a house into 12 flats without the appropriate planning consent. He faces well over £1.4m in fines.

£500,000 of this will be due to Brent Council and the total of £1.4m constitutes the largest damages order ever seen for an incident of this type – reflecting the earnings Mr Ali illegally made from renting out the properties.

Follow this link or the one above to find a surveyor in London if you are planning on purchasing property or converting property to flats. A Chartered Surveyor will be able to advise on planning implications and meeting Building Regulations.

Draft Waste Plan Remains Viable for Worthing

Worthing Surveyor  – The withdrawal of one of the six waste disposal sites from a draft waste plan for West Sussex has still left it “sound”, the county planning committee was told.

Members heard that land at Decoy Farm,Worthing, had been taken out of the document following an objection from the borough council, which owns the site.

Some objections raised included the negative affect on house prices. Your local surveyor will be able to advise if you are worried about a local development affecting the value of your home. He can be found on either of the links above.

First Day on Site Ends with Terrible Injuries

Nottingham Surveyors – A first day on site for a Nottinghamshire labourer near Worksop, ended with the employee hit by a falling excavator bucket. The result was the loss of one eye and part of his scalp, a punctured lung and a two week coma. The case has recently been brought before Mansfield Magistrate’s Court and resulted in 250 hours unpaid work and £300 towards legal costs for the excavator driver.

The case has been referred to the Crown Court for further sentencing of the construction company itself. It highlights the importance of Health and Safety and effective project management. To instruct a qualified professional to manage a project, click here.