Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

I have just been sent an email directly from Haringey Council

A Crouch End flat in a prime location near Priory Park will be auctioned by Haringey Council after the owners failed to bring the empty property into use. They claim that this is the third privately owned property to be auctioned by Haringey Council as a result of an enforced sale. The vacant property will be forcibly sold after remaining empty for a long time.

The Council is apparently now working to bring all vacant properties back into use where the owners leave them empty and unkept for some time.

This latest property to be auctioned is a 1 bed flat in the prime location of Priory Road in Crouch End, N8. This flat has been empty since 1998 with the owner owing over £9,000 in Council Tax.

Cllr John Bevan, Cabinet Member for Housing, says:
"The borough has over 3,000 privately owned properties empty with nearly 4,000 families in temporary accommodation. We don't want to see properties abandoned and left empty for years when they could be used to house people.

I was just wondering why it is going to auction where an investor/landlord is likely to want to buy it as cheaply as possible, enhancing the chances of it becoming another poorly maintained and rented property (possibly to provide temporary accommodation and not long term accommodation)?

A local and reputable Local Estate Agent is far more likely to:
(a) Obtain a better price.
(b) Target professional landlords and/or people looking for a home and not just an investment.

It concerns me, and obviously many others in the local community, that there is such a high ratio of poorly maintained rented properties within the area. Isn't this just chancing another one?

Tags for Forum Posts: Agents, Council, Empty, Estate, Haringey, Landlords, Property

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It's a good point but I wonder if it's because of the issue of how they could possibly justify choosing one estate agent over another without risking a judicial review/some other legal action from everyone else excluded from the process?
Interesting point, they could put it out to tender where agents effectively apply and agree to meet a certain standard. In fact I am sure Haringey Council did this about 12 years ago (if my memory serves me). After all, they have had to select one property auctioneer over others.

This approach would also put Haringey council in a strong position to negotiate a preferential fee with the agents (again cutting down on taxpayers money).

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