dangerous structure on crystal palace road

[UVArchitects]

Just a quick warning to maybe avoid walking past this house on CPR, i think it is no. 234 but im not sure, its between pellatt and rodwell.

I notified Southwark some months ago, but it would appear not a lot has been done, it has got steadily worse and seems to be deteriorating by the day and looks like the bricks could fall onto the pavement any day now.

I would cross the road!

[UVArchitects]

Sorry, rubbish photos, heres a blown up set to show how precarious that brick panel is:

[yard]

Looks very dangerous to me. Re Southwark Council, if it's not a Council House they cannot repair it because something of this nature is up to the owner whom no doubt Southwark has contacted.

[UVArchitects]

Hi

I reported it as a dangerous structure, the council are empowered to either enforce action by the owner or take remedial action themselves and charge the owner:

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/building-control/dangerous-structures

'We have statutory duties to deal with dangerous structures under the London Local Authorities Act 2000 and the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939, to ensure that all structures within the borough which are considered dangerous are made safe with the shortest possible delay.'

[intexasatthe moment]

Thanks for highlighting this UV .I've mentioned it on a local councillors thread ,hopefully he can succesfully chase up .

[Earl Aelfheah]

I noticed this the other day and wondered about it. Shamefully, I didn't give it any deeper thought, but now that you point it out, it really does look very dangerous. I'm surprised the neighbour whose house is joined to it hasn't made more of a fuss.

[solar]

This house has been empty for very many years. Someone did start to put a loft extension on it years ago and then abandoned it. It's gradually got worse ever since. Hope something can be done before it falls down.

[hamsandwich]

We have a similar issue on our road. 96 Upland Road is completely falling apart and the trees are growing over the pavement. There is an owner who lives a few doors down who refuses to do anything about it.

A few weeks ago, there was a letter from the council that was tied to their front drainpipe. Still, no action, despite it causing severe damage to the house attached to it.

[UVArchitects]

If you think its a danger, notify Southwark Building Control, it is there duty to at least assess it and take action if necessary

[uncleglen]

This house has been in a state for at least 2 years- the front bay windows have black plastic over them now- no doubt to hide the fact that the ceiling inside is hanging down

[Ann]

What I don?t understand is how these dilapidated houses are left like this. Who owns them and why wouldn?t you sell at reduced market price which around here wouldn?t be a small amount of money?

I?m probably being naive about this but I genuinely don?t understand.

[Lowlander]

Ann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What I don?t understand is how these dilapidated

> houses are left like this. Who owns them and why

> wouldn?t you sell at reduced market price which

> around here wouldn?t be a small amount of money?

> I?m probably being naive about this but I

> genuinely don?t understand.

1. Going into negative equity (i.e getting less than you paid for it in the first place includng builder's costs etc.)

2. if (1) then leaving the property until the price increases such that you can break even or make a profit

[uncleglen]

Ann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What I don?t understand is how these dilapidated

> houses are left like this. Who owns them and why

> wouldn?t you sell at reduced market price which

> around here wouldn?t be a small amount of money?

> I?m probably being naive about this but I

> genuinely don?t understand.

Someone with no relatives may have died...

[intexasatthe moment]

House next door to my mum in Peckham took years to be possessed by council and auctioned off .

The owner couldn't be traced ( though rather unhappily his body was uncovered in the house when it was being gutted ) and Southwark eventually claimed the building in lieu of unpaid taxes ,

[JohnL]

intexasatthe moment Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> House next door to my mum in Peckham took years to

> be possessed by council and auctioned off .

>

> The owner couldn't be traced ( though rather

> unhappily his body was uncovered in the house when

> it was being gutted ) and Southwark eventually

> claimed the building in lieu of unpaid taxes ,

That's awful

[solar]

It's now got a Dangerous Structure notice on it and a couple of barriers in front of it.

[UVArchitects]

slightly worrying though as the panel above the bay will clearly fall outwards and will most likely land on the pavement.

[Hawley]

I had the misfortune of dealing with the owner of this property back in 2013. He lives in Stamford Hill and in my opinion is a highly unusual character.

As other posters have pointed out the house has been empty for at least six years, probably a lot longer. When I last ventured inside in 2014 the interior was caked in pigeon excrement. It was crusted all down the staircase and banister, like a sort of bird-poo stalactite. The smell was indescribable.

After months of trying to get the owner to sort out his chamber of horrors, I contacted James Barber and Tessa Jowell, both of whom were extremely helpful. I was put in touch with Michelle Williams at Southwark Council who was... well, less helpful.

The upshot of all this was that the council assured me that they would enforce a compulsory purchase order on the property. This was in 2014.

Clearly little has been done since. No surprise there.

[NewWave]

Who on earth would let a house worth upwards of 800k rot like that?

surly you'd just sell it at auction?

[Sue]

Somebody has just been killed on Albert embankment by a window falling on them from a building

[Abe_froeman]

I guess it started rotting before it looked being worth anything like 800k. As it is Id be surprised if the value is much above 200k.

[fishbiscuits]

Abe_froeman Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> As it is Id be surprised if the value is much above 200k.

Agreed. I expect it needs to be demolished.

[Hawley]

It was in poor/middling condition in 2013. Things went rapidly downhill when the (unfinished) loft conversion was carried out in 2014. The "project manager" had no building industry experience whatsoever, he was simply an associate of the owner. The guys who carried out the work lived in the property for the duration, without electricity or heating to the best of my knowledge. I was also led to believe that, bizarre as it now sounds, Southwark Council funded the works in the form of a grant. The property was to be handed over to them for rented housing.

The owner goes by the pseudonym of James Richards. His real name is Jacob Reichman and he is an utter tool.

[Sue]

So. If somebody is injured, or worse, by something falling from this building, who is responsible?

The owner? Or the council, who cannot claim that they were not aware? Or somebody else?

[Hawley]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> So. If somebody is injured, or worse, by something

> falling from this building, who is responsible?

>

> The owner? Or the council, who cannot claim that

> they were not aware? Or somebody else?

Both, I would imagine.

I'm rather glad I kept copies of various emails to and from the council. If any of the direct neighbours are reading this thread and have any issues in the future re house insurance or the like, do feel free to DM me.