A disused, fire-damaged house has become the first property to be sold through enforcement action by Rushcliffe Borough Council, as part of the authority’s strategy to tackle empty homes in the Borough.
Prior to the sale, the abandoned semi-detached property in Lady Bay, West Bridgford, had suffered extensive fire damage and was causing issues for a neighbouring house.
Despite the Council serving the former owner with notices in relation to these problems, the homeowner failed to comply and the authority organised extensive works to fix the damage.
After determining that the previous owner was unable to pay for the necessary improvement works, keep the property in a state of repair, or sell to someone who would, the authority sought to sell the property under their Enforced Sale Procedure.
All the costs of the previous works and carrying out the sale have been deducted from the property’s final sale value, and the remaining sale proceeds will be passed on to the previous owner if and when they come forward.
An enforced sale is an enforcement option which allows the Council to sell an empty property in order to recover debts owed to them.
The building was successfully sold at auction on December 18 and a new owner will now be able to revitalise the building and make the necessary changes to bring the home back into use.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, Cllr Roger Upton said: “I’m pleased that our teams have been able to successfully sell this property and help ensure it becomes someone’s much-loved home.
“Unoccupied houses can be detrimental to the lives of those in local communities and can cause problems, as this fire-damaged property had done for its neighbours.
“We’re always keen to work with homeowners to help them bring their properties back into use and make improvements for the good of their local area.
“As this case shows, should homeowners be unwilling to bring their property back to use, we can utilise our range of enforcement powers to ensure action is taken.”
The Council currently offers a range of advice and support tools to assist owners with their empty home including:
- Free property appraisal, including current value, rental value if habitable and cost of refurbishment works
- Links to estate agents and property investors, in order to find the most appropriate sale route for the owner
- Links with letting agents to advise on letting the property to family units, students, or as a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO)
- Advice on upgrades to the property, to ensure all current regulatory standards are adhered to
- Advice on VAT and tax implications of being a landlord
- Guidance on the reduced rate of VAT on refurbishments of properties empty over two years
- Other options currently being assessed include loans to landlords and management facilities
Got a query on an empty home? Email customerservices@rushcliffe.gov.uk or call 0115 981 9911.
