June 07, 2010

Today's Special: Free Land

I thought this might interest some people.

Check out these short videos and listen to Freeman Stephen as he shows us how to go about claiming a piece of land.



There are around 7 million* plots of land without owners. This could be for a variety of reasons such as: the original owner died intestate, or ownership is "assumed", or, most commonly, it was never owned by anyone in the first place.

If you spot a plot that you think is available (a big clue is the state that it's in. If it looks unmanaged, unkempt, or just generally uncared for, take a closer look), the first thing to do is a search for the owner. Having found no-one claiming title, you lodge title with the Land Registry, wait, and eventually the land becomes yours. If I recall correctly, the fee for lodging a claim is around £50, so "free land" is a little misleading, but £50 for an acre, or 100 acres, is pretty damn cheap.

There is a little more to it than that, but not much more. Watch how Freeman Stephen goes about it.

Interesting stuff.

CR.

*Before we all get over excited, several million of those free lumps of Mother Earth are exactly that. Little 10 x 10 foot gaps between houses, or narrow strips of land that are no real use to anyone. And your claims are not limited to land either. Some people have successfully claimed rows of terraced houses, or derelict buildings right in the heart of the city. Get claiming!

2 comments:

James Higham said...

Good - I could do with a bit of land.

Captain Ranty said...

Look for a scruffy bit.

I had my eye on a derelict building 50 yards from the beach. It had been empty for 35 years by the time I discovered the trick of picking it up for a song.

I started my investigation by looking for the owner when I learnt that the local landowner (an Earl) had bought it for £1 six months earlier.

I now have my eye on a 5 acre wood behind my house.

CR.