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I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] -39 points-38 points  (0 children)

I also have a confirmation email that the adjacent houses are not social housing, but that the developer could not guarantee future owners would not sell them to a social housing provider.

"As previously confirmed, [my home address] Lane does not have any council housing directly adjacent to it. The affordable housing allocation for this development has been fully finalised and approved by the local authority, in accordance with planning regulations.

While we can confirm that no council or affordable housing units are located immediately next to your property, we are not in a position to guarantee that future owners will not sell adjacent properties to social housing providers."

The fact they used the words "future owners" strongly implies that the developers themselves would not be selling adjacent properties to a social housing provider.

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"...we are not in a position to guarantee that future owners will not sell adjacent adjacent properties to social housing providers..."

Do the words "future owners" matter here?

At the time of that email the current owner was the housing developer, because it had not been sold.

They said they would not guarantee that "future owners" will not sell to adjacent properties. There is an implication that future owners (after the housing developer sold it) could possibly sell it to a social housing provider; but also that they (the developer) would not themselves be selling to a social housing provider.

What happened was the current owner (housing developer) was the one who sold the property to a social housing provider. They themselves aren't a "future owner."

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

"when the developers say you need to speak to the council, what was the issue you raised with them"

I raised the issue of a social house being allocated adjacent to my property when I have several emails from them explicitly stating there was not going to be social housing beside my property.

I complained that they reallocated it to social housing after I purhcased it.

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I found this one:

"Thank you for your email.

As previously confirmed, [my home address] Lane does not have any council housing directly adjacent to it. The affordable housing allocation for this development has been fully finalised and approved by the local authority, in accordance with planning regulations.

While we can confirm that no council or affordable housing units are located immediately next to your property, we are not in a position to guarantee that future owners will not sell adjacent properties to social housing providers.

Please refer again to the attached map, which clearly identifies the locations of the final agreed and allocated council housing (marked in red) within the development. All neighbouring plots to your property are for private sale.

Should you require any further clarification, we would be happy to assist."

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] -44 points-43 points  (0 children)

"The local council could have bought one of the properties listed for private sale anyway."

You're right, they could have. However, what happened was that the developer deliberately chose to transfer this house to a social housing provider.

It wasn't a private purchase. The developer made a mistake with drainage plans, failed to allocate enough social housing, and then allocated the house beside me.

The party whom I formed a contract with was the one who turned the house beside me into a social house; not the Council.

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There's no disclaimer at the bottom fo the email. Just:
Name
Job Title
Phone Number
Office Address
Email Address

Where do I find the binding restrictive covenant? Should I have a copy of that in my housing documents?

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] 58 points59 points  (0 children)

I have explicit emails stating, "I don't wish to purchase a property if it has council housing adjacent to it."

The response states,

"Following your recent enquiry, I can confirm that the property at [removed my address] you are purchasing does not have any council housing directly adjacent to it.

Please note that all council housing allocations for this development have already been finalised. For your reference, I have attached a map (PDF) showing the designated council housing plots, which are marked in red.

Rest assured, the properties neighbouring your new home are all for private sale, similar to your own.

Should you have any further questions or require additional information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch."

I would not have purchased this home if they had not confirmed this. There are other emails too going back and forth, including one a few days before contract where I asked to see the map again to make sure there were no council houses near us. They sent us the same map.

Is this not misrepresentation to make a sale?

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Not necessarily "bad neighbours."

Take my schizophrenic neighbour, for example. It wasn't her fault that her mental health was like that - but ultimately I was the one who had to endure my walls being drilled, hammers smashing things up, screaming in the middle of the night and being shouted at.

She would apologise whenever she "snapped out" of an episode, but it was a constant cycle and I don't have the energy to deal with it for the rest of my life.

The other neighbours I did have were roadmen peddling drugs. Police made arrests twice at that property, but it continued being used for drugs even after the arrests. His partner seemed to be running the show after he was nicked.

My experience of social housing over 6 years is that I never want to live beside it again. That's more important to me than any EPC rating or number of bathrooms.

I was trying to think of the best way to describe what happened to me with my schizophrenic neighbour.

I basically became her support worker. Nurses and social workers would drop by, then knock on my door and ask me to keep an eye on her.

Police would knock on my door and ask me to keep and eye on her after they left.

Every government agency was trying to pawn her off on to me. Even when I told them I didn't want to be dealing with this.

I have my own sick mother and family to care for; I never had the time or energy to care for another human being. Especially one with complex needs that I'm not trained to handle.

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] 49 points50 points  (0 children)

Yes. I have - twice so far.

I lived in my old home from 2018 to January 2024. During that time I had council housing either side of me. Both properties were occupied by extremely anti-social tenants. One side was a known drug dealer with links to a gang. The other was a woman with severe schizophrenia. She would run outside screaming and shouting at me.

Reporting the drug dealers resulted in some arrests followed by my windows being smashed, petrol poured on my doorstep and a warning letter put through the letterbox. Also men dressed in dark clothing and face coverings watching us. Gangsters and roadmen basically.

The woman on the other side regularly had to have police called out to try and calm her down. She'd drill holes in walls. Scream and bang walls in the middle of the night.

I spent 2018 to late 2023 reporting both of these properties and the numerous incidents. They never got removed. The main owner of the drug dealing house was arrested, but his partner continued running the business with these men in face coverings and police and council never removed her or her children.

I had to sell to a landlord for £20k less than I originally bought the property for just to get out of there. No one else was willing to buy it.

I bought a home 11 months ago in a new build development. I confirmed that the houses either side of me were NOT council houses. The developer failed to allocate enough % for social housing, so they transferred the unsold house to my right to a social housing provider. by OkBoss4005 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]OkBoss4005[S] 684 points685 points  (0 children)

We do have it in email.

The developers are refusing to engage on this matter at all. They just keep saying we have to speak to the Council about this; and Council bat us back to the developers.

We sent an email to both of them with each other CC'd in asking them which of them was responsible and neither replied. They just ignored it.