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Original poster

Do I buy this house or not *sex offender register*

60 replies

ToBuyOrNot67 · 05/02/2014 15:53

Hi everyone, I am a long time lurker and first time poster. Apologies if this is in the wrong section.

I find myself in a bit of an odd situation and I need to make a decision but could do with some advice.

To cut a long story short, I am in the process of moving home. I have a flat to sell and my DH and I are buying our first house together. We have just reached the point where contracts are almost ready to be exchanged but now, I am not sure whether to proceed.

Right from the beginning, the agent acting for the sellers (I'll call him Mr A) told us that a lady Mrs B owned the house, whenever we had queries, were negotiating the sale price etc Mr A always said he would speak with Mrs B and let us know etc.

Skip forward to yesterday and I receive the sales pack from my solicitor and this shows the owner is actually someone totally different - Mr C. There is no mention or Mrs B on any of the legal papers.

I find it quite odd that Mr A would deliberately mislead us. I mentioned it in passing to someone who said that Mr C's name rang a bell. After a very quick search on Google it turns out Mr C had been charged in December with 3 counts of child sex offenses - it mentions the road name but not the house number but it is safe to assume it is the same person that is selling this house. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail until January. I have searched and can't find anything with any update on so not sure where this stands at the moment.

It also turns out that Mr A and Mr C are closely related.

I guess the reason I am posting is to try and establish what impact this may have on the address if this is eventually charged and added to the sex offenders register. I am not casting judgment on what he may or may not have done, I don't know the man, I don't the background. What I am concerned about is having the address linked to this. If he ends up on the register, will the address by listed, will it be public information. What I don't want to do is to go ahead with a sale and end up victim to any vigilante attack if they link the address but don't know he no longer lives there.

Sorry that was longer than I intended but I am really unsure of what the implications may be on me and my DH going forward if we go ahead.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge in this area?

thanks in advance

OP posts:
TeacupDrama · 05/02/2014 16:33

it might cost but ask your solicitor to investigate is A, B and C are related and what he thinks he untried court case obviously his advice might not be free but he might be able to get price down if a,b and C have not declared sometihng

shoom · 05/02/2014 16:40

I would walk away, for the reasons mentioned earlier but also because

  • I wouldn't want to knowingly give money to this person
  • I would wonder what had gone on within the walls, the house would feel tainted

Now people will feel otherwise, fine, yes you can buy stuff in any shop and the profit could go to criminals and you could spend your life looking into the owners of businesses and whether they share your values... But I wouldn't knowingly shop in a store if I knew the owner was a sex offender and I had other options, I wouldn't want him to profit from my custom. And similarly yes bad things could have gone on in any house you buy but if I knew about it, I couldn't ignore it.

VoiceoversSoundSmug · 05/02/2014 16:50

I was thinking a small scale "Donnie Darko" PS's character, you don't know what is hidden issue OP may have to deal with in the future.

PedantMarina · 05/02/2014 16:56

I honestly think this may well be a great way to get a last-minute reduction in price. Work the room, OP!

As to baying mobs, just get in well with your neighbours, make a real effort in the early days, let yourselves be known around the community, including your shock at the revelation. Let's put it this way, who would they rather have living there now, you or the previous occupant?

Anniemousse · 05/02/2014 17:44

There are two seperate issues: 1. Could you live in a home vacate by a potential sex offender? and 2. being misled by the EA with regard to his relationship with the vendor.

The EA has no duty to disclose the previous occupant's court case.

Either way I would be most pissed off at 2. and want either a discount if proceeding, or recovery of costs if withdrawing.

Wilfer · 05/02/2014 17:47

It's now 25 years ago, but we bought our 1st house from a convicted sex offender who had abused his partner's children. We only found out several months after moving in from a chance discovery in an out of date newspaper. He told us he was in a hurry for a quick sale and was leaving the area.

This was in the days before the SO register and before the internet, but it was a fairly close-knit community. If it made the local papers it must have been locally to thd neighbours but nobody ever said anything about it to us. They were probably just glad he was gone.

Devora · 05/02/2014 19:00

I'm with PedantMarina on this one.

cavell · 05/02/2014 19:02

Is Mrs B actually Mr C's partner? Does she live in the house? It could be that the owner assumed it was her house because she lived there, even though it actually belonged to someone else. it is not necessarily anything dishonest.

(When dh sold his first house, before we were married, I was the one who spoke to the agents, dealt with the solicitors and so on. It wasn't actually my house, but I finished work earlier than he did so had more time to deal with these matters. Pretty much all he did regarding the house sale was sign the papers.)

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 05/02/2014 19:06

This may sound like a petty reason, but, apart from the good reasons detailed above - I would not give a sex offender my money.

I really don't think going through with the purchase is worth the risk of association with this man.

And please when you tell Mr A that you are not proceeding - tell him why!

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 05/02/2014 19:07

cavell, the agent is closely related to Mr C - so chances are he would have known.

Hullygully · 05/02/2014 19:07

Is there a shed in the garden? There may be something nasty in it

Lifeisaboxofchocs · 05/02/2014 19:12

have NOTHING more to do with Mr A. Your relationship with him should be over for misleading you.

Contact his manager, and explain the situation. Ask that he liaise with Mr A. Ask him to find out who is the woman he has been referring to as having owned the property. There may, may, but highly unlikely, be a sensible reason. Until you have confirmed there is no sensible explanation, you should tread lightly in terms of recouping costs.

If transpires that Mr A was indeed covering up the real owner of the property of this own or a familial interest that was not made clear to you, then speak with a solicitor and contact the OFT (Office of Fair Trading)

Lifeisaboxofchocs · 05/02/2014 19:13

hully, is that a joke? i wouldn't think the nature of this thread was one to have a joke about.

Hullygully · 05/02/2014 19:17

No?

Well. that is your prerogative

Coconutty · 05/02/2014 19:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NatashaBee · 05/02/2014 19:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Reincarnatedpig · 05/02/2014 19:21

I actually live next door to a convicted sex offender. He was kicked out of his original house by his wife (she grassed him up) and the new road was the one mentioned in the press when he was convicted including the DM. He was a local councillor so fairly well known in the area. The houses are all large Victorian houses converted into flats so a bit different I know. But there has been no trouble and no one seems to notice or care.

If you really want the house try and negotiate a reduction saying you have been misled. If you think you can find another - pull out if the history bothers you. Your address will not be on any sex offenders register and despite the abhorrence people show towards these crimes, the public don't seem inclined to hunt the perpetrators down.

Lifeisaboxofchocs · 05/02/2014 19:22

nothing like a sex offender to get me really chortling Hully.

Pretty sick that you feel it is.

Hullygully · 05/02/2014 19:24

I am very sick

I need help

send me money for the shrink

hairypaws · 05/02/2014 19:27

There was a case in my town where a new couple moved into the house of a sex offender. They got a load of abuse as the dh was blamed for the crimes as the address got out. It was all over our local paper. It was eventually cleared up as people realised the truth but that couple must have gone through hell during that fiasco. I don't know if I could put my family through this.

On the other hand, a family member's ndn was charged with paedophilia and that house was sold and I haven't heard of any issues there.

expatinscotland · 05/02/2014 19:30

I'd walk away because you were misled, who knows what else they are hiding?

Quinteszilla · 05/02/2014 19:37

Not to mention I would be paranoid about hidden cameras transmitting footage from bedrooms.... But I am paranoid.

WhoNickedMyName · 05/02/2014 19:43

You were undoubtedly misled, Mr A's conduct has been very shady indeed...

But really, baying mobs on the front lawn, bricks through windows, discovering evidence of sexual abuse hidden behind kitchen cupboards? Get a grip people!

Presumably the survey and searches have come back as satisfactory and if so then I don't think you're in any more or less danger of having bought a dodgy crumbling wreck than if you'd bought from the next person.

I'd make the call to Mr A, set up the awkward silence, let him fill it, then negotiate a large reduction in the price.

ladyquinoa · 06/02/2014 06:29

If email them and tell them you are are not sure because it has just come to light that a) the chap is a sex offender and you don't know if that has repercussions for yourself and b) the ea is related to the seller and this is conflict of interest.