Skyline Apartments
It’s a beautiful new development near The West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Going on holiday? Leave a note for the milkman and the council just in case they sell your house!
As part of a regeneration attempt, Calderdale Council are trying to breathe new life into empty and derelict homes by putting them up for sale.
It’s part of a pledge by Calderdale Council to bring empty properties back into use.
A stone-built terraced house close to Brighouse town centre was the first to be sold on Friday.
The house on Victoria Street has stood empty and neglected for many years following the owner’s death.
It’s hoped that this will be the first of many to be sold under the new scheme. The derelict house was quickly becoming an eyesore in the area and attracted litter. Over the years, Calderdale Council paid for rubbish to be cleared and essential repairs to the roof and gutters. After numerous failed attempts to trace executors or relatives of the owner the council believed that the property would continue to remain empty.
The money owed to the council will now be repaid out of the sale proceeds and the remaining money will be kept until someone makes a legitimate claim for it.
We wonder is this could soon be the case in Leeds as there are plenty of seemingly abandoned houses in most areas of the City with little or no sign of an caring owner. It’s interesting to see that the council sell the property and retain the monies until someone comes forward and makes a legitimate claim for it, is there a cut off period for this or do they get to keep it forever? What happens if no one ever comes forward, do they just keep it? We know its in the public good, but can you ever really trust a council to “do the right thing with money”?
