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British Library guide to tracing living people. Directgov – Research your local, family or house history. You could also check the following websites:
If you know the name of the owner, you might be able to trace them through telephone directories, birth marriages and death records, or the Electoral Register. The title register might include a current address for the owner. This notes useful information, such as ownership, restrictive covenants, and charges.
For a small fee, you can check the title register for any properties on the Land Registry. If you explain to them why you want to know they might help. Sometimes neighbours will know who owns the empty property. Here are some ways to identify the owner of an empty property: Not all properties are registered with Land Registry or are liable for Council Tax. It can be difficult to establish who owns an empty property. A Public Request for Disposal allows an individual to encourage a public landowner to take action over derelict publicly-owned land, and even compel it to be put up for sale. This is a little known piece of legislation from the Local Government and Planning Land Act 1980. Save Britain’s Heritage has details of historic properties in need of repair. Websites – some websites advertise building land for sale, some of which include an empty property. Auctions are also used to sell properties which have been repossessed by lenders. Auction websites have a list of properties to be auctioned and may note empty properties. Estate agents and auction houses – Estate agents will be able to tell you which properties are empty. Please note, not all properties that look neglected are actually empty. An on-foot survey - Look for properties that appear empty in the area you want.
We cannot give you a list of empty properties or information about their owners. In some circumstances we can liaise between you and the owner in confidence. If you are interested in buying an empty property and you are not sure who owns it, you can contact us.