What a bunch of nobs, sorry I mean *s*nobs...

[AnarchyAunt]

Residents want compensation in case they have to live near poor people

[heart bleeds]

OMG is that for real???

It is for real!

Wasn't there an AIBU thread about this once? OP was not happy about the HA tenants in her backyard.

I'll bet there'll be Mumsnetters who agree with the residents. In fact, I know there are!

My in-laws live in a very exclusive Lancashire village where house prices are sky high. Some people have lived there all their lives, but their children cannot afford to buy a house in the village. When it was suggested that more affordable properties be built on the edge of the village (shared ownership), there was an uproar! Those who had bought their homes in recent years for millions, argued that they didn't want their house prices to go down because of the scrubbers moving into the village. But the born and bred villagers argued that it was the only way their children could afford to live in the village.

However new money speaks more and the plan was never passed.

I should imagine it's any excuse to try and claw back some of the money they would have lost buying at the top of the market back in 2007.

Doesn't make it right though at all.

Ok - I know I will get flamed here, but here goes...

However unjust, the residents who have complained are right when they say it could affect their property prices. They bought their houses on the understanding it would be a private estate.The price they bought at would reflect that.

The situation has now changed, and therefore if they can show that they have been financially disadvantaged by the change, then compensation is not unreasonable.

As one resident said - Its not a problem with the new tenants, its with the developer.

My god how do they dare? Talk about brass neck!

i agree a bit with unavailable. If their proeprty value is going to go down as a result, you can't blame them for wanting compensation.
I do wonder though, if the developer is at a point where he is having to sell to local authority (who are unlikely to be paying top rate) if the property prices have already fallen, and maybe they aren't really losing anything by it.

Actually I agree with unavailable

Flame me too .................

I'm afraid I'm going to get flamed as well.

The issue isn't one of rich people not being willing to live with poor people, it is one of mis-selling by the property developer.

House prices are affected by the area in which they're located and a house on a private estate would be worth less than one on a non-private estate. Whether that's fair or not, it is the case. People clearly pay a premium for 'exclusivity'.

If someone sells you something at a price of X based on certain representations (it is a private estate), and those representations prove to be false (it is not a private estate) such that the price is now Y, then you have a claim for misrepresentation.

It may well be the case that these people are also snobby about their new neighbours but that's by the by in terms of the merits of the case.

But the developers could have sold some of their houses to anyone. They could have sold them to the worst families in the world - drug dealers, child molesters, people who fix stock cars in their front garden, and the other residents would have no come back on them. If the HA residents turn out to be troublesome they would have the same rights to contact the police/council as if they were owners. And if there were tenants it's have more impact.

Shame that house prices have to suffer just because a HA owns some of them. IME my worst neighbours have been people who own their property.

Now that we are in a recession, people have had their homes repossessed or simply cannot afford to buy one of their own. There is a 5 year waiting list in some boroughs for a council house.

We aren't talking scum of the earth here, we are talking of ordinary, decent people who just want somewhere nice to live. Shame that a few HA owned houses could have such a detrimental affect on house prices.

OrmIrian: that's not the point. The developers did not have any obligation to sell to nice, friendly middle class people as they presumably didn't represent that they would. They did, however, represent that they would be selling to private home owners and failed to do so. It is not (technically) an issue with whoever owns the property, but with the developer.

Rhubarb: I agree, but sadly that's just the way it is. I live in London and house prices everywhere I've lived have varied on a street by street basis depending, not least, on who lives there.

Hmmmm.......two things

1. if I didn't want to live near housing association tenants and was fearful about the value of my property being affected then I would have a right to complain to the developer for them mis-selling. I would be allowed to be a snobby twat as there is room for the small minority of people who will only live in private development in the world.

1. I'm about to live 20 feet from 2 enormous blocks of housing association flats and I am happy with that as I knew that when the planning process went through. I am also entitled not to be a twat about that

Sorry everyone, but I agree too with the residents.

We live very close to a council-housing estate. The fact of the matter is that on the council-owned roads, there is litter, gangs of teenagers, shouting in the street at all hours, on the private roads - there isn't.

If I had worked hard to save and escape this area, I would be extremely miffed to find out that, in fact, there is a chance that the same people could follow me.

I'm not saying that council tenants are all rough and uncouth, but I'm sure that the chance of finding this kind of behaviour is higher in an area of council housing.

Ormirian, is not really about who is living there though is it, it's the fact that as soon as it is mentioned that is is next to LA housing, it's going to worth a lot less. THE LA people may be decent, may not be, it's the LA label that is going to be detrimental.

If I lived in the HA block then I would be complaining about them moving next to such a bunch of wankers.
Buttercup's post says it all- environmental health would be on to her if I lived there

I am sorry if I have offended anyone - it's just that we really are in this situation, and really are desperate to escape.

If I had purposely chosen an area for something (no matter what) and then it turned out that I had been misled, I would be well within my rights to feel hard-done-by.

Ah, you didn't offend me Buttercup, it was a bit of ribbing is all

If you are having these problems you need to contact the council's anti social behaviour dept ,environmental health for noise pollution and your local police who walk the beat.
Good luck

Good advice MrsR, thanks!

Your local councillor might be a better bet. If they are in HA owned housing, then the HA have a duty to ensure their residents are abiding by the law and not making life hell for other residents.

i'm with unavailable on this one.
if i bought a house which was priced on the understanding that it was going to be part of a private development and then the terms where changed in a way which would lower the value of the property i'd be pissed off as well.

I'm with unavailable too actually. Misrepresentation by the developer. (I lived my first 20 years in a council house btw). The are asking for compensation for the value of the property dropping. They are not all selling up and moving elsewhere.