Remove Travellers or relinquish land title?

[Toetouchingtitties]

I’ve recently become an Administrator for a relatives estate. As part of their estate, they owned a very small plot of land in a London borough, surrounded by houses. The land is fenced in and did have a padlocked entranced.

I visited recently to check everything was ok, to find Travellers, plus their horses have taken it over. This must’ve happened in the last few months. It was relatively contained and tidy before - but is now an absolute mess, covered with rubbish etc.

I’ve enquired with bailiffs about costs to remove them and it’s roughly the same as the land would be worth if I sold it. I do not want the hassle of managing the eviction, re-securing the site, cleaning it up and then selling it; especially as the estate will lose money overall.

So, I’m thinking of just relinquishing the land back to the land registry and walking away. But, at the back of my mind I’d feel somewhat guilty as the area is otherwise well kept by the local residents.

AIBU to save the estate money, but by doing so potentially impact the local residents enjoyment of the area? For clarity, I don’t know anyone who lives in the area, I don’t live locally and we don’t have any local family ties.

‘My relative had already tried it - they won’t give planning permission.’

Things change, new Government, new planning laws, worsening housing supply crisis.

Who knows, the local authority may buy it from the estate for new build housing. If you do entertain this notion, take good legal advice about any existing covenants in place.

Look at the friends Families and travellers website, where you can read the law regarding an unauthorised encampment.

I was at a lose end so started googling as you do and stumbled across this site. It looks like even if they bought it from you they'd struggle to get permission to use it themselves though not impossible. Gypsy traveller information

From what you've said I would imagine that there would be a lot of objections from local residents

How long ago was this?

It's pretty much open-season on house building approval at the moment, due to the housing crisis.

Might be worth another try.

(Apologies if you have already answered this - I'm away from home and have dreadful internet speeds at the moment. To RTFT would take me til Tuesday!)

@StaunchMomma looking at his paperwork, about 3 years ago was the last attempt, but there were a couple more before that.

I’m considering all the suggestions as potential outcomes, so appreciate the comments everyone.

Planning consent changes all the time, I would try again

I think you would be likely to get planning permission in the near future. Don’t underestimate the price people will pay for a bit of land for extra garden or similar

That space sounds like exactly the sort of space that the new government is saying shouldn't be blocked from development so definitely worth looking at again I think.

This, just put it to auction as is

Round us, groups of the travelling community move to a place for a period of time then move on. Sometimes they have to move on sooner, depending on the land the are on, but sometimes they move of their own accord.
When you have gathered your thoughts @Toetouchingtitties it might be worth speaking to them about their plans.

Struggling to understand your logic OP.

If the cost of eviction = sale price, just do the latter, surely.
You'll still be quids in, new owner will sort the squatters, how is this costing the estate any money?
Unlike just giving up the land for free - akin to theft you've removed an asset from the estate.
If the land is in London and has enough space for a load of Travellers and their horses people will be falling over themselves to buy it. You can sell as is, you don't have to evict/clean blah2 . Don't overthink this.

There's no such thing as relinquishing to the Land Registry.

All land belongs to someone.
This land will legally belong to the estate of the deceased.
If it has zero value(which is frankly unbelivable) then give it away: as owner the estate could acquire liabilities.

I think you'd be suprised how much a neighbouring owner might pay, to increase the size of their garden, and have control of who their neighbours are.

The executor should first contact several competent EAs, one who deal also with surveys and planning consultants, to see if there is now any possibility of planning permission.

Maybe make an appointment to speak to a council planning officer and sound them out. Or a local architect who regularly deals with the council planning team. Otherwise perhaps the local community would be interested in clubbing together for a community garden/children’s play space etc.

Where did you obtain figures about both land value and eviction please?

Could it be developed as parking, which is always in demand. Might be a nice income stream for the beneficiaries of the estate.

I would definitely contact nearby owners; they might have info that would be helpful to you in making your decision.

Give it a go. Preferably quickly.

You might find that developers are happy to take on the land and carry out the eviction if there's planning permission in place.

Offer to sell it to the travellers.

The new government want to build, keep hold of it, things may change re permissions

“And please stop dehumanising them. They're not a blight or a problem to be solved.”

And yet from OP’s post we understand that the plot was private land, kept tidy, with padlocked access. Now it’s been broken into, occupied illegally, and is covered in rubbish. That sounds like a problem to be solved to me!

Why can't the travellers pay to clean up the land and for the damage

Aren't they trespassing

Where I live travellers came and took over a plot of grassed land. They loved on to it then they fenced it off and then they built a house on it. Obviously without planning permission as it's not their land.

Are you really that far removed from how this all works?

Why don’t you go ask them next time you see a few that have made a mess..

Ask the travellers if they'd like to buy it.

I know how it works

It's obviously not a small plot of land if there are travellers and horses on it.

You could try to auction it off maybe. I would contact the borough council and start making complaints of animal mistreatment and illegal fly tipping.