Some time ago, an Empty Homes Officer rang me for a chat regarding a particular empty property. As we’ll see, this was a far-sighted decision with a positive outcome and considerable social benefits for her community. The property owner had died and, although she’d prepared a will, she hadn’t signed it. Accordingly, her estate, including her home, would devolve as on her intestacy to her as yet unknown next-of-kin – could we help trace them?
Of course we could. Our task was to support our EHO client through the process of bringing the property back into use by identifying and locating the owner’s next-of-kin, taking their instructions in the probate so the property could change hands and be re-occupied as soon as possible, and keeping her fully updated along the way. We located the next-of-kin who asked us to help with the probate and whose members shared with us the fascinating story of how the house came to be in the family.
The family stand
Our deceased’s uncle had fought in WW2 and had sent his wages home to his mother. Anticipating he wouldn’t survive the war, she gave the money to her daughter – his sister. She married and she and her husband used the money sent home by the soldier to help buy their home. They had one daughter, our deceased owner, who was born, and subsequently lived and died in the property. Our deceased’s uncle did survive the war, came home and spent the rest of his days in the same town as his sister - relations are understood to have been strained, perhaps explaining why part of the family emigrated to USA. The deceased owner’s estate is now going back into the family that the money to buy the house came from in the first place, closing the circle.
Toy story
Whenever we enter empty properties in cases like this, we’re mindful that it was once somebody’s home and respectful of their life and possessions. In this case, the property needs quite a lot of work to a lean-to extension containing the kitchen, and a fairly brutal 2-3 day pruning session in the garden but beyond that it’s in good shape. The deceased had been – well, not a hoarder exactly, but definitely a committed collector. Together with the usual supply of books, CDs and DVDs etc there were many stamp albums and collections of postcards which must have been of sentimental value. However, on the shelves in the third bedroom, there were a couple of dozen Star Wars action figures and Barbie and Cindy dolls, dating back decades. All in mint condition, all in their apparently never-opened boxes. A glance at e-Bay shows the prices that some of these can command. Coincidentally, one of the next-of-kin was a mad-keen Star Wars enthusiast and enquired about the action figures – could he have them? The answer was that yes, he could, if he paid the market rate for them so that no other beneficiary of the estate was deprived of their value. In the end he bought a small handful and the rest were auctioned.
The best bit
Some weeks later, our EHO client and I were catching-up over a frothy coffee and a luxury biscuit and discussing the case. We talked about the possibility of the Council acquiring the property for its social housing portfolio. As it turns out, the property pretty much exactly meets the needs of a Council refugee housing project. Our EHO client lobbied her housing team colleagues and I’m delighted to say the estate has accepted an offer from the Council.
Further reading
Are you free for a frothy coffee* and luxury biscuit – my treat? Perhaps you’re dealing with a problem empty and could use a no-obligation chat to work out the way forward. Either way, you’re very welcome to email me at nickbeetham@fraserandfraser.co.uk or buzz me anytime on 07850 739812. We’re here to help you BEHBIU**.
*or other beverage of your choice.
**You know: Bring Empty Homes Back Into Use.
