Possesion Vs ownership query.

[ImFree2doasiwant]

This is a bit long and convoluted.....

I rent a field, for animals. Previous people who rented it , left a shelter behind. Offered to sell it to me at a huge price, I refused, didn't need it. They asked if they could leave it there while selling. I and field owner agreed. That was over a year ago.

In the meantime, more than 6 months ago, they have agreed to sell it to someone else. I dont know if it's paid for, I have a feeling it's not as i think it would have been collected by now. It needed collecting before winter and mud. It cant now be collected until april ish.

It is becoming a danger to the animals. I am loathe to repair/make good as it will take considerable time/money, only for owner or new owner to turn up and remove it.

I have no way of contacting the owner. I can (And will) ask the "new owner", but if they have changed their minds and have not bought it, where do I stand?

I could make use of it now (change if circs with animals) but it's not worth to me what they wanted to sell it for, and will cost a few hundred to make good.

Can you involve the field owner? They might have the details of the people who previously rented the field - and it's surely up to them to deal with an unsafe structure on their land?

You have no legal connection to the structure owner or new owner. You should contact the owner of the field.(I assume you do have contact with them to pay rent etc?)

It should be the field owner’s responsibility to sort it out now.

If that takes too long, can you, as temporary measure rope or fence the structure off?

Field owner isn't able to contact the original owner either, and would rather I dealt with It, but we will discuss and agree anything between us. It can be fenced off, but its unstable and now secured. It's very windy here and I'm concerned it's going to go across the field.

Ok, I’m confused. When you say ‘previous owner’ do you mean of the field or the structure?

Actually, either way, I’m pretty sure it is up to legal owner to do something about it,

I said legal owner but meant field owner.

I’m confusing myself!

But what should the field owner do, we are good friends and dealing with this together.

They should attempt to contact the owner of the structure/previous owner of the structure. They must have some contact details for the people who either owned the field and structure/ parented the field and owned the structure. Even if they know the details are out of date.

Make a traceable effort to contact the structure owners and say that they have 28 days to remove it or it will be deemed abandoned and disposed of reserving the right to recover costs.

Then, if no response, the field owner needs to follow through,