Property developer rearing his ugly head again - long story, sorry

[earlgrey]

Bit of background. We live in a house on a main road to the city centre. Three houses, obviously built by the same builder as they're all the same style, in the 1920s. Ours is next to a church, and has an alleyway up one side leading up to a huge house with about 2 acres of grounds, accessible from the main road. This, and where we live, is all set in a prime development area. Beautiful houses are being bulldozed and replaced by blocks of flats all around us frequently.

The huge house with the 2 acres is also accessible from another road it leads on to, but this is a minor road.

A couple of years ago a developer of a firm of retirement homes approached me and asked if I would be interested in selling, so they could build a block on the 2 acres and demolish our house to make way for access to the flats. We all (the three house owners) threw our hands up in horror and said no.

Anyhow, yesterday, while I was at work, H and mum were at home and he turned up again, asking the same question. It seems like the owners of the house with the 2 acres are determined to sell, otherwise why would he be sniffing rouhd again. He told H ours was the most favourable house because of the alleyway at it being on the end, next to the church allotments, but that any house would do or, failing that, they could make access from the minor road.

God, does this all make sense?

Any thoughts? I hardly got any sleep last night over this. TIA.

Shameless bump and I apoligise - but anyone with any thoughts?

Sounds awful - how terrible of the other house to bother you like this.

can a developer actually repossess your house? would go to the council planning office and report this harrassment.

saw something in last months county living mag on saving areas from development - will look it up for you.

Sounds like he really wants your house as it is the most appropriate for access. Are you connected to the other two houses next to you?

I suspect he's hinting that, if you don't sell, one of your neighbours will and you'll end up next to an access road with a block of flats behind you anyway.

It might be useful to speak to the other house owners (not the big house behind you - although that mightn't hurt), to see if they have been approached too and what their views are.

I would speak to a local councillor and get them to liaise with the planning department to see how likely it is that planning would be granted if you or your neighbours were to sell. Around here, the planners are getting a bit better at resisting these types of developments as more and more plots are over-developed and green areas are disappearing....

But if there is no likelihood that planning would be refused and if they can get access from the minor road anyway you might need to consider your options...

Speak to the planners and the neighbours. If there is anyway he can do it without your house, I would seriously consider wringing every penny you could out of him. This could be an opportunity to make some serious money, particularly if he will do it anyway. I mean that if your enjoyment of your home is going to be ruined anyway, why not ensure that you get as much cash as possible in order to relocate. Seriously, it is worth thinking about.
Mind you if your neighbours have no intention of selling, well just forget about it, he is chancing his arm.

We had something similar as few years back.There are huge gardens at the side of my parents house,theirs included,however,any access would only be through my parents land.A horrible bully of a neighbour has been trying for years to persuade my parents to sell,so he & the others can sell the land as a building plot-without mum & dads bit,it is not feasable.

Parents have refused & we have heard the nasy neighbour muttering that 'those old people won't live forever & we'll get the land sometime'.Ha,not if my sister & I have anything to do with it.

Developers can't compulsory purchase,councils can however.
Good luck

Gawd! Don't you just hate them! We are getting every spare bit of space filled with poxy flats and bedsits - and only because it's a cheap part of town. The posh bits get 'desirable detached residences' . Do you have a residents association? Ours is fantastic and has been fighting a (sadly rearguard) action for years - we have had some successes though. Contact the planning department and your MP. Perhaps talk to the neighbours first.

A developer was trying to do this at the back of our house - there was a huge piece of land with a tiny house, and they wanted to build flats, but there are NO other flats here - it's all residential.

One of the neighbours actually facing the proposed development rallied round, posting information leaflets in all the surrounding houses/ calling a local meeting etc.
We talked to the planners, unearthed all the reasons why it was a bad idea (on the edge of conservation area etc) and in the end the planning application was turned down (not before he'd tried 3 times with different types of development though )

Do what others have suggested - find out how likely it is and then either rally together and oppose, or negotiate like mad.

Do people at the church have a point of view? In my experience church congregations are the sorts of people who are used to getting together to organise things!

Definitely try to get local councillors on side. I am SO impressed with ours right now. They discussed our local developer's latest plan last night - he has put in now, I think, four slightly different plans for this land, basically four nasty mean little houses on a strip of land the size of a generous postage stamp. The councillors apparently turned up at 7.30 in the morning recently, stayed till 9.00, watched the already horrendous traffic, watched the primary school children walking down the alleyway that will be used for access if this plan ever goes ahead, and said NO. Councillors can get bad press, but if you're lucky enough to have some really involved ones like this, they could be a real bonus to have on your side.

not sure what thoughts you want - you know they can't make you sell, but at the same time you know that councils are under pressure to create affordable housing. They have to be built SOMEWHERE.

We've had all the available land near us snapped up and while it's sad to see the huge old gardens etc go, they're not really benefiting anyone as they stand and if we ever want our kids to get on the housing ladder then we have to accept that we need development. I sympathise with your POV but it's very nimbyist.

MissG - It's frankly laughable to think it's nimbyist to want to stay in your own home.

Don't be ridiculous Tooty! Of COURSE she doesn't have to sell - but askign someone if they would accept an offer on their property is hardly harassment.

I was arguing with the "bloody property developer" mentality. We're all so quick to complain about midwives giving up their jobs because they can't afford housing in the area near their hospitals, but when people actually want to build flats for first-time buyers no-one wants to know.

I take it you'd willingly move out of your home and uproot your family if a property developer wanted to build a block of flats where you live?

Well I might sell if the offer was good enough - but the point is she doesn't have to.

And my point is that you can't accuse someone of being a nimby if they don't want to sell.

I hope it all works out for you earlgrey.

Yes, true, that was a bit out of order Earlgrey. I apologise for that - I was more arguing with some of the other posts suggesting that all property developments are evil.

I hope it works out one way or the other. Who knows, maybe they will get access via the minor road, build a beautiful, sympathetic development and you will end up with some lovely neighbours.

I agree with you to an extent MissG. It does have to be built somewhere. But IME councils don't really care where or how! As long as the problem is taken off their hands. We are in the process of fighting a development at the open end of our cul-de-sac for 24 flats on 3 storeys with 4 parking spaces. There are no other 3 storey buildings here and there is already chronic lack of parking. Not to mention that there is nowhere apart from the pavement to pile all the rubbish bags when the bin men are due. In our town all the 'affordable' housing (still not affordable for most people on an average wage) is in one part of town - the leafy suburbs don't get any . So round here we end up with a huge number of high density housing with all the problems that brings. The County Council don't care how the housing happens as long as it happens iyswim.

I am not a qualified property person, but, I come from a family who develop and build and speculate in this game.
The OP is talking to her neighbours, and of course you want to avoid beingp icked off one by one.
But, if none of you are that emotionally tied to your current home, then it may be worth your while getting together and offering all the houses as a job lot.

The reason for this is that the value of a plot of land can go up faster than it's size, since it allows them greater elbow room and more opportunities to build the stuff which makes them the most money.
Shape matters as well, and since your houses presumably face onto a road, there is great acess and frontage to be had.

Therefore it is possible that your houses are worth a lot more to them, than to you.

As a group, you may be able to get a sweet deal to move away.

God, you lot are so wise, and so lovely. Thanks so much for listening.

Rightly or wrongly, I got an estate agent round yesterday to value the house. I also explained the situation, showed her the house with the 2 acres behind us, and she thought it was inevitable.

She said to ask for 500k above the market value, and ask them to pay all legal/moving fees if we decided to go ahead.

But I don't want to move. I also don't want to be in an isolated house with a block of (apparently, according to their blurb, their specialise in people with dementia) people behind us.

What to do ....

And I also don't want to come across as someone who sounds like a rich cow, 'cos I'm not. Hope that makes sense given the context of the situation. X

I can't tell you how relieved I am that H has taken dds into town 'cos dd1's having a sleepover tonight and dd2 needs a water pistol for her two night residential school trip.

The rabbit and the guinea pigs, the hoovering that ensues, the house problem, my lack of sleep, are all just getting to me.

Kip or hoover?

Oh, and beside the fact they're only 8, it's going to be a 'posh' party - champagne glasses, adult food etc. God knows what dd1 will eat there.

I'm talking to myself. I know. And the worrying thing is, I really don't care.

Have you spoken to your neighbours yet?

Oh and I'd kip.