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Original poster

Ransom Strip

52 replies

kerrymucklowe2020 · 20/09/2020 21:01

20cm "ransom Strip" ( presume it's this as not in title deeds ). Presume it's being retained by the builders ( 9 year old house ). Causing delays and frustration as solicitors seem to be at loggerheads. It's in-between 2 houses at the side of the neighbours house but within boundary of property I'm buying ( I think ). Advice? Will a Stat Dec cover this?

OP posts:
SavoyCabbage · 20/09/2020 22:34

We had a extra strip of land at the back of the garden of the house we were buying. It didn't seem to belong to anyone. It was holding up the sale so the person we were buying from put up a fence (the border was just trees previously) so that the extra strip was on the other side,

Original poster
kerrymucklowe2020 · 20/09/2020 22:36
  • ClashCityRocker

Hmm. Can he not do a search on the land registry to find the owner?* You would think so wouldn't you I've no idea why it's taking so bloody long tbh. I've even considered contacting the builders myself

OP posts:
HasaDigaEebowai · 20/09/2020 22:39

You could do the search yourself. It isn’t hard and costs £3 for a title plan and another £3 for the office copies of the register entries.

Zebrahooves · 21/09/2020 07:51

On our recent sale, the land registry deeds - changed to digital since we had bought the house - reduced the bottom of our garden by about 30cm in relation to all the other gardens on our row. It was crazy, but we were advised by our solicitor that appealing to get it out right would be too time consuming. No house behind, so no danger of someone else suddenly claiming the land.

A long winded way of saying title deeds are not always right. What does the seller say?

Original poster
kerrymucklowe2020 · 21/09/2020 08:17

Seller says lived there 8+ years ( age of house) never had an issue as the strip runs alongside the house at the side of his path iyswim.

OP posts:
imnotimportant · 21/09/2020 09:14

May or may not help
I have sold land previously with a "ransom strip " in my case a meter wide (as a usual amount) , it was put on so that the land when sold by me was sold at agricultural value but subject to an fee should future owners of land get planning on it , a % of the uplift in value would have to be paid within x amount of time of planning being approved , the ransom strip was in place for a set number of years then became invalid . I think it was worded something like the land owner could move anything over the boundary for agricultural purposes only but not move any building equipment or materials without paying the fee

I would expect yours to be similar but now probably void as the building has taken place

It must be written up as a clause in the deeds from previously somewhere ?

I know they are common place in the area I sold land as it's a designated area of growth

HasaDigaEebowai · 21/09/2020 09:16

There will only be an issue if you intend to take the land and use it as your own (which I suspect you do). Otherwise its just the same as all the other land surrounding your house which doesn't belong to you.

positivelynegative · 21/09/2020 09:43

Do you have to cross it to access you property?

Threetoone · 21/09/2020 13:36

As PP’s have said, it’s so they get a share of future development if any goes ahead.
It all depends what is the other side of the strip, if it’s undeveloped land, there’s the possibility you could have houses put up close to your potential new home.
However, if they have only retained a 20cm strip and you own the majority the other side, surely you would have to be consulted and give your agreement on any access in the future and even possibility be paid for the rights. Your solicitor should explain the ramifications for you.
I may be wrong, but was there a possibility they were going to develop whatever is the other side of the strip and that fell through at some point? Maybe see if there was an application on your local authorities planning website which was subsequently withdrawn.

Original poster
kerrymucklowe2020 · 21/09/2020 21:35

@Threetoone- there's the house I'm buying ( on the left hand side), a path that goes down the side to access my back garden, and at the other side of my path a 20cm strip of gravel. Immediately to the right of that is the next house. This is why I don't understand what's going on. There's nowhere to build anything!

OP posts:
HasaDigaEebowai · 21/09/2020 22:40

Then it is probably either the neighbours (but too small to show on the title plans so had to be described) or else it might have a utility run underneath it.

Original poster
kerrymucklowe2020 · 21/09/2020 22:46

Definitely not the neighbours - possible utility but you woudve thought solicitor would've found this out by now if so

OP posts:
HasaDigaEebowai · 21/09/2020 22:54

Ok well at the risk of sounding harsh you won’t be buying that 20cm strip so you need to decide whether that’s a deal breaker. Nobody on here, lawyer or non lawyer can tell you what it is without seeing the deeds for that strip of land (which probably no longer exist) or finding the title number for the strip (which again might not even exist if it isn’t registered). Obviously you might get away with using that strip if the owner has forgotten about it or isn’t present to see you using land which doesn’t belong to you.

Fairineouf · 21/09/2020 23:41

Has an Index Map search been done on the land?

ThunderSkies · 22/09/2020 06:18

Does it prevent you putting a fence up in between the properties?

Bluntness100 · 22/09/2020 06:34

This is a bit odd, it’s clearly not in the title so it’s not yours. And it’s clearly retained by the builders for exactly the reasons the deeds said, so to either prevent further development,,,or so they can profit if development is planned.

It has no impact on you at all unless you wished to develop past your own boundary, well no more impact than your neighbours land,or anyone else’s land that borders yours.

Ransom strips are there so that if the land is developed further no one has crossing rights and need to buy it from the builders/owners who could charge an extortionate fee for it.

randomsabreuse · 22/09/2020 07:27

Presumably it's an issue for the mortgage company (as represented by OP's solicitor) rather than OP...

At the best of times mortgage companies are very risk averse, they now have even less common sense!

Bluntness100 · 22/09/2020 07:44

Why would it be an issue for the mortgage company? It’s not part of rhe ops land and is no different to her neighbours house or any other land she does not own,

Original poster
kerrymucklowe2020 · 22/09/2020 08:37

*Does it prevent you putting a fence up in between the properties?"
The odd thing is, the builders have actually attached the fence to the detached house next door

OP posts:
randomsabreuse · 22/09/2020 09:41

Because mortgage companies are weird about anything out of the ordinary that requires any thinking beyond a tickbox computer exercise...

kursaalflyer · 22/09/2020 10:03

What do the neighbours say about it? Is there the strip and then the wall of their property? Could it be some access rights?

HasaDigaEebowai · 22/09/2020 10:18

The mortgage company would only be concerned if the OP intends to take the land as her own. Otherwise its just adjoining land owned by someone else.

The issue is really a practical one. Presumably when the OP viewed the house she thought the 20cm strip was included. Now she knows it isn't. Does she still want to buy it or not?

titchy · 22/09/2020 10:26

This is why I don't understand what's going on. There's nowhere to build anything!

Because if you also bought next door, you could knock down both houses and put up a block of flats on the whole plot and make a million. This strip rightly prevents you from doing so without sharing the million. I'm not sure what you/your solicitor is making such a fuss about tbh.

wowfudge · 22/09/2020 10:35

Would a person need to cross your property to access this strip of land? Is the only access to this strip of land via your land? That's the only issue I can think of, in which case there may be a right for someone to access it. If it abuts your land than it can be accessed via the neighbouring property's land, not just yours.

I am using "your land" as shorthand for the land/property you are looking to buy.

Bluntness100 · 22/09/2020 11:40

@randomsabreuse

Because mortgage companies are weird about anything out of the ordinary that requires any thinking beyond a tickbox computer exercise...
It’s not out of the ordinary, it’s very very common.