A UK council has taken legal action against a homeowner — who let their house become so run down that trees were growing inside — in a bid to force the sale of the property.
The Stroud District Council went to court to force the sale of the Gloucestershire home after neighbours complained about ferns and vegetation sprouting out of the abandoned house.
The council say their attempts to get the owner to address the problem were unsuccessful.
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“Extensive efforts were made to contact the owner and encourage them to bring the property back into use,” council said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) last Friday.
“Despite numerous attempts to engage with the owner, officers successfully applied for a County Court order to force the sale of the house.
“The house, which requires extensive renovations to make it habitable, has been sold by auction. The council’s costs will be taken from the proceeds.”
Environmental health officers were called in by neighbours to look at the home, which had been abandoned for some time, the council said.
“We’re taking action on empty homes by bringing this abandoned property back into use,” the council wrote.
“When officers inspected the property, they found the interior was so damp that moisture-loving ferns were flourishing inside, and the structure was badly damaged by years of neglect.”
In an attempt to combat housing shortages in the area, the council is offering interest-free loans of up to £15,000 ($A29,000) for owners of empty homes to undertake necessary repairs, as long as they are then offered as affordable rentals.
The council’s move comes amid growing homelessness in rural Britain, which has spiked 40 per cent in the five years to June 2023, charity CPRE said.
