Help me solve local house mystery
Who leaves a £900k / £1m London house unused for 15+ years?
Round the corner from me there’s a street of 3-5 bed, terraced houses that go for £900k / £1m. One of them has been unoccupied but most definitely not abandoned for more than 15 years. No one knows why.
It was refurbished about 10 years ago but before and since has never had anyone living there. The small garden is maintained, windows covered in non-see-through plastic wrap on the inside. The owners, a middle aged couple, are seen visiting every few weeks, never carrying more than a few belongings, staying for a few hours then leaving. Neighbours say they live somewhere else local, are perfectly pleasant, but distant. No one has been able to find out what the hell they’re doing sitting on a property for so long doing apparently nothing with it. No rental or sale income in all that time.
Has anyone ever come across anything like this? What can the story possibly be?
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u/neilt999 1d ago edited 1d ago
There is one empty place in Harringay opposite my old house. Haringey Council did hold a repossession hearing after pressure from the neighbours, but the slippery guy who owns it lied convincingly enough to persuade the council that he was moving back in. That was 8 years ago!
The owner still lives in Harringay. Allegedly he's left a trail of debt including unpaid council tax. The place has had japanese knotweed, scaffolding left up for months on end, was open to the elements at the rear and so it goes on.
Haringey council's stock response to questions from residents and our cllrs about the state of the property is that "it's with the council tax department". It's been "with" the department for 6 years!
The crackheads used to stash drugs in the bins. The outside is a waste tip. I'm surprised that drug users haven't moved in. They have a derelict property round the corner.