Will try and keep it as brief as poss :)
There is a small bit of land behind our garden which belongs to our NDN. We approached him to ask if he would sell it and he agreed. We paid him and the appropriate forms were sent in to Land Registry. It became a very long winded process because the LR returned the application to us because his mortgage provider hadn't signed (think he'd forgotten he had one!), gave us some extensions, and NDN was in and out of hospital. His mortgage provider agreed that the land could be sold but before they sent back the right form (so it could be sent to the LR), unfortunately and very sadly, the neighbour passed away.
We are now in limbo. We have asked the family to let us know if the mortgage provider return the form or contact them about this at all. Haven't wanted to hassle them at all. He had a lifetime mortgage, so I believe his house gets 'repossessed' and sold by the mortgage provider on his death. Today there was a visit from someone that looked like an estate agent.
Where do we stand? We have paid for the land. He did agree to sell it to us and the mortgage provider was aware of that, as were his family. The Land Registry could not keep extending the application so had to cancel, suggesting that we resend it once the form was returned by his mortgage people. I have put on official search on the piece of land to 'protect' it for six weeks but don't know if that will help (in fact, have not heard back about it either).
What can we do without disturbing the grieving relatives too much?? I have put another note through the door (have no other way of contacting them) asking them to get in touch about it.