Owner told to sell house as it became a crime hub
ABANDONED WEST HULL HOME ATTRACTED ANTISOCIAL ACTION
AN abandoned home in west Hull which has become a crime magnet has been seized by Hull City Council.
Neighbours in Perth Street West have complained about fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour around the property, which has stood empty for more than ten years.
The problematic privately owned property has sparked numerous complaints to the council and local councillors in relation to its poor condition, including the deteriorating state of the overgrown garden and the crime it has attracted.
The local authority has now secured the enforced sale of the neglected home following action brought by the private housing environmental health team and legal services with the aim of now bringing it back into use.
Despite repeated attempts, the owner failed to engage with the council, resulting in the service of statutory notices and the council having to pay for works the owner failed to cover.
The council has been successful in carrying out an enforced sale procedure, which includes a legal request for the owner to pay the outstanding debt on the property to the council.
Councillor John Black, Hull City Council’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “This is a really positive outcome to bring a long-term private property back into use which was having a negative impact on the neighbourhood. The legislation means that we will also recover all costs.
“This has been a first and we are now considering this legislative tool to deal with a number of other problematic privately owned empty properties where the owner owes money to the council and the property is having a detrimental effect on the neighbourhood.”
The local authority will recover up to £12,000 for works to the property the owner failed to fulfil, as well as outstanding council tax payments and legal costs.