Canvey neighbours lose out on bid to buy front gardens at auction (From Echo)
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Canvey neighbours lose out on bid to buy front gardens at auction
10:10am Wednesday 27th February 2013 in News
Neighbours on Canvey were outbid at the auction in London
FOUR families have lost out in a bid to buy their gardens outright after they were put up for auction by Essex County Council.
The families from Marine Parade, Beck Road and Zider Pass in Canvey lost out on buying the strips of land, which they had rented for 25 years, when the plots went up for auction on Monday, February 25.
It means that one resident, Mark Durant, 41, could technically now be classed as a trespasser because he has to walk through his front garden to get into his home in Marine Parade.
The sale by Lambert Smith Hampton was held at the Millennium Hotel, in Grosvenor Square, London, where a private buyer bought the land from Essex County Council for £4,800.
Jean Graham, 65, of Beck Road, joined Mick Bering and his wife Julie, of Marine Parade, at the auction on behalf of the four families.
They had agreed on a price to pay, but could not match the highest bidder.
Mrs Graham said: “It went quite quickly, there was one here, one there, our limit was reached and that was it. If we had carried on, I think they would have carried on too.
“There was quite a lot of interest, but I don’t understand why people want a garden plot. It just seems so unnecessary, we’re utterly deflated that this has happened.
“The photos show the completely wrong plot so the buyer will get a bit of a shock when they see what they’ve bought.”
The families only found out the auction was going ahead when a glossy brochure was dropped through their letterboxes showcasing their front lawns.
They claim they received no notification of the sale, and despite meetings being held at County Hall between Canvey councillor Ray Howard and the cabinet member for finance and transformation, David Finch, the auction still went ahead.
The residents had offered to buy their pieces of land in the past, and were prepared to negotiate but were turned down by the county council. They are now planning on removing trees and shrubs they have spent hundreds of pounds on over the years.
Oliver Childs, head of auctions at Lambert Smith Hampton, said he could not give out the name of the buyer, but said it had gone to an Essex-based “private individual”.
He said the exchange and completion will now take about 28 days.
An Essex County Council spokeswoman added: “The auctioneer clarified the position on land information and photographs at the auction, pointing out the information supplied by Essex County Council had changed as the auction was prepared, and purchasers should rely on their inspections.
“Any rights the occupiers have will not be affected, but if those rights are not formal or documented, the occupiers will need to discuss the future use of the land with the new owner.”
Comments(15)
supermadmax
says...
11:20am Wed 27 Feb 13
Probably that King guy, no doubt he will stick a few caravans on there.
southendPole
says...
11:24am Wed 27 Feb 13
It seems they will get a proposition to buy it from the highest bidder and they'll have to find the money.
Cosmo Spring
says...
12:11pm Wed 27 Feb 13
that's the nature of auction.....
suck it up
Hathi67
says...
1:43pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Cosmo Spring wrote:I would like to see how you would feel if it was your garden some stranger purchased...........
They had agreed on a price to pay, but could not match the highest bidder that's the nature of auction..... suck it up
.
Thekingofsouthend
says...
1:53pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Hathi67 wrote:it wasn't their garden
Cosmo Spring wrote:I would like to see how you would feel if it was your garden some stranger purchased...........
They had agreed on a price to pay, but could not match the highest bidder that's the nature of auction..... suck it up
.
Hathi67
says...
2:12pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Thekingofsouthend wrote:"Mark Durant, 41, could technically now be classed as a trespasser because he has to walk through his front garden to get into his home in Marine Parade."
Hathi67 wrote:it wasn't their gardenCosmo Spring wrote: They had agreed on a price to pay, but could not match the highest bidder that's the nature of auction..... suck it upI would like to see how you would feel if it was your garden some stranger purchased........... .
So is he supposed to levitate to his house?
Druggie Scumbag
says...
4:27pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Hathi67 wrote:I think you might be missing the point, Hathi67. I don't know who has advised the gentleman that he could be trespassing but I doubt it will ever affect his right of access to his property. The point is, of course, that it IS NOT HIS GARDEN, and never was. He would have known this (or should have) when he took over the property.
Thekingofsouthend wrote:"Mark Durant, 41, could technically now be classed as a trespasser because he has to walk through his front garden to get into his home in Marine Parade."
Hathi67 wrote:it wasn't their gardenCosmo Spring wrote: They had agreed on a price to pay, but could not match the highest bidder that's the nature of auction..... suck it upI would like to see how you would feel if it was your garden some stranger purchased........... .
So is he supposed to levitate to his house?
GentleGiant
says...
5:32pm Wed 27 Feb 13
They should never have gone to the press - they might have stood a chance then. After all that is how I found out about it.
:)
Devils Advocate
says...
6:41pm Wed 27 Feb 13
DogsMessInLeigh
says...
10:40pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Woodenspoon wrote:just had a look on google street view and if its the plots i think it is...maybe the garage thing could be possible..even looks like theres housing on similar bits of land further along.
Its worth something to the person who bought it or they would not have bothered.
Maybe they intend to rent it back to the same people, but at what rates is down to him.
Some of them might even be of use to turn in to allotments or garages etc that can be rented out.
A business man does not just buy a piece of land because he can, he is buying it to make money one way or another.
Devils Advocate
says...
12:55am Thu 28 Feb 13
diane m
says...
7:49am Thu 28 Feb 13
Right now savers are getting almost nothing in return for their savings sitting in a bank or building society. Imagine having £10,000 and earning around £1 a month in interest, so you take out £4,800 and purchase some land that you can rent out at even £10 per month to 4 families, over the year, you are making a fair little profit.
(although I imagine this buyer will ask for a whole lot more than that sadly).
I do have sympathy with the people who live there and have lost out. This should never have gone to an auction, a payment plan should have been arranged for them, over the last couple of years, so that this land was then theirs.
What is the difference here really, against a right to buy for a council tenant? They've had the use of the land, they've put money into it's maintenance and care, so as far as I am concerned, first refusal should have been offered to them.
Don't forget (all those who watch the daytime auction shows will know) there are fees attached to using an auctioneers to sell anything, so they won't even receive the whole £4,800 paid.
They should have worked with the people using it daily for years and if and when they opted out or couldn't afford to purchase, only then should this have gone to auction.
John T Pharro
says...
12:48pm Thu 28 Feb 13
Carnabackable
says...
1:25pm Thu 28 Feb 13
John T Pharro wrote:I hope the revised, and increased council tax, provides them with a peace of mind, that all that can be done, is being done, NOT.
Marine Parade for the most part is an unadapted road which is full of massive potholes filled with deep puddles and undriveable over. Had it been adopted and made up not only would this probably not been a problem, a lot of side roads off Point Road past Canvey Supply could have used it easing traffic past Leigh Beck Schools to the Jellico. That should have been done in the mid 60's to the 80's when the majority of houses were built. If the road was not adopted the builders were only responsible for putting in the road the houses fronted on and very few front Marine Parade so very little was made up. Too late now me thinks.
Woodenspoon says...
10:49am Wed 27 Feb 13
Maybe they intend to rent it back to the same people, but at what rates is down to him.
Some of them might even be of use to turn in to allotments or garages etc that can be rented out.
A business man does not just buy a piece of land because he can, he is buying it to make money one way or another.