How to find the history of land?

chris_ie

Hey guys,
Just wondering, how would you find out the history of land? Where should I go. Myself and my girlfriend quite like a house which has come down in price but rumour has it that the field at the back of the house was a dump years ago. This was a guy I didnt really know telling me and I've asked a few other people I know from the town and they're not sure. Would just like to find out for sure!

Thanks.

Chris

SpookyDoll

Land registry, but I think you have to be a solicitor to deal with them....but maybe not?

The_Conductor

chris_ie wrote: »

Hey guys,
Just wondering, how would you find out the history of land? Where should I go. Myself and my girlfriend quite like a house which has come down in price but rumour has it that the field at the back of the house was a dump years ago. This was a guy I didnt really know telling me and I've asked a few other people I know from the town and they're not sure. Would just like to find out for sure!

Thanks.

Chris

I've always found popping down to the local postal sorting office and having a chat with some of the older workers there to be a bit of an eye opener.....?

chris_ie

Yeah the guy that told me the dump was there was a local for quite a few years I think. But other locals I know havent heard of a dump being there!

antoinolachtnai

One initial strategy is to ask the seller:

'I heard that there was a dump out the back years ago. Is that true?'

The seller will then either confirm, deny or not say anything.

The issue isn't necessarily whether it was a dump, more what was dumped there, and whether it is going to effect you. The owner should be able to tell you this. If it's not obviously a dump now, and you don't intend to grow cabbages on it or build on it, then the chances are it might never effect you. It might even turn out to be a sort of planning barrier which protects you from having someone build a house right behind yours.

Whether what the owner says reassures you will depend on whether he is willing to guarantee it when you buy the lnd (I wouldn't expect this if it isn't his field) or what you find out about the land from your own investigations. You might need to get experts involved.

I would also try to find out if there is an old county councillor or ex-county councillor who lives close by. He or she will know the story.

It is worth checking in the planning department to find out if they have anything on file for the field or for the house. If it's from quite a while ago, or if it was illegal, they probably won't have anything.

the_syco

chris_ie wrote: »

Yeah the guy that told me the dump was there was a local for quite a few years I think. But other locals I know havent heard of a dump being there!

In my book, that means one of two things:
a)It was an illegal dump. Some will know about it, some won't.
b)Yer man knows someone that wants to buy it, and he's telling porkies to keep people from buying it.

Oh, and if it's "a", then depending what was dumped there may effect water, etc. We've all heard about the illegal dumps around the country.

okmqaz42

I bought a house with some land a few years ago, at the time my neighbour was selling stone from the field behind my land. I never saw planning aproval for a quary.When the stone was gone I did not see planning aproval from dumping farm machinery and old cars in a hole in the ground-but this did happen.
I now have a very nice hill behind my housewith about 100 sheep living on it.

This sort of crap happens all the time "down the country", it does not make it right! Ask around someone will have a gruge and at least tell you some of the story.

jdivision

The problem is whether it was legal or illegal. If legal planning permission was probably applied for and you can check the maps at the county council offices. if illegal then there's no way of knowing. By the way, anyone can use the land registry, i regularly do. Nice people comparatively, the registry of deeds is another matter entirely in terms of attitude!

*edit: sorry antoin, didn't see your post

IanCurtis

As long as it's not built on an Indian Burial Ground, you'll be ok

https://webspace.utexas.edu/cokerwr/www/slides/ghosts/poltergeist1.jpg

chris_ie

Cheers for the info guys. I'll try and get some more info off some locals. I'm going to ring the estate agent later and just ask them straight out.