Local Authority Bullying
I have a property that I was renting out in the North East.The Local Authority then decided they were going to redevelop the area and started buying up properties and boarding them up. They offered me a very low sales value based on market value but as by this time the area looked like ” Beirut ” I objected on the grounds that they had blighted the area and of course the market values had gone down as a result of their actions. 
I now have a property that I can’t sell at a realistic price or get any tenants due to the state of the area.
To add insult to injury the Local Authority want to add a 150% loading to the rates bill as it is a “long term empty” property.
Can anyone offer me advice as to the best way forward?
Thanks
Alan
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One flat, two AST's = HMO?
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 68
12:24 PM, 29th June 2015, About 11 years ago
Alan
I think you need advice from a local Chartered Surveyor who specialises in compulsory purchase and compensation issues. If the council is still looking to purchase or use a CPO then they will meet the reasonable fees of your surveyor. Surveyors who deal with this sort of work will be able to quickly advise if fees will be met and other issues relevant to the scheme. I must stress that your surveyor needs to be familiar with this sort of work; it is complex.
Graham Bowcock
Member Since March 2015 - Comments: 1969 - Articles: 1
12:49 PM, 29th June 2015, About 11 years ago
I have had this happen to me twice in my locale. I came out okay but you need to know your stuff. Is it actually the LA that are developing or a private company who, do have close ties with the LA, but aren’t actually the council. Also, the last one I dealt with revolved around the construction of the buildings…they tried to tell me they’d knock down around me and leave mine isolated, but the construction was such that they have to either come down together or stay up together. If you could get it rented, then it will strengthen your bargaining power.
Member Since October 2014 - Comments: 13
1:58 PM, 29th June 2015, About 11 years ago
Alan, firstly I am very sorry the council have decided to charge 150% council tax on a property that appears to be in an area for clearance or demolition. These letters are sometimes sent out automatically after two years empty.
You may be able to apply for exemption under certain circumstances via two routes follow the link below to the particular local authority
https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/second-homes-and-empty-properties
Try to speak to the Local Authority’s Empty Property Officer about the situation. They may have some discretion or ways of assisting you with the empty property.
If the property is uninhabitable you may have the option to apply to the Valuation Office to have the property delisted and it will no longer be liable for C Tax.
Good luck & let us know how you get on.
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3239 - Articles: 81
3:13 PM, 29th June 2015, About 11 years ago
I’ve had exactly this happen to me, it’s horrible. You think with the Council, you’d have some back up against them, but I didn’t.
In the end, I just had to find the most expensive comparables & get the price up.
All the time, flat empty & getting damaged because there was only 2 private ones in the block of about 20 council which were all boarded up, then they wanted to charge me for boarding mine up to make it secure.