Could your house be sold without your knowledge or consent ?

[Alex321]

No they aren't allowed to give out that particular information, FOI requests do have limits on what is released.

Of course FOI has limits. But do you really believe they would not know that, and know what information they are required to give and what they are not allowed to give?

If they weren't required to give it, they wouldn't. It is more common for bodies to try and avoid giving out FOI inoforation than to give out any they don't need to.

I'd be interested to know which of these provisions you believe makes that info exempt.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/part/II

And which further law actually means they are not allowed to give it out (The FOI exemptions don't generally mean it can't be given out unless another law says so, they just mean it doesn't have to be).

 

[neil_merseyside]

All I know is the program said that many FOI requests for exempted data was actually given out, but most councils didn't release the exempted data. It isn't beyond the realms of possibility that the BBC whole story wrong (😉) but I assume not being news based or political they checked it out, FOI and fraud being the point of the program, certainly names and addresses of private individuals to 'joe public' is surely a no-no, though the overall number of empty properties without location harms no-one.

 

[Alex321]

All I know is the program said that many FOI requests for exempted data was actually given out, but most councils didn't release the exempted data. It isn't beyond the realms of possibility that the BBC whole story wrong (😉) but I assume not being news based or political they checked it out, FOI and fraud being the point of the program, certainly names and addresses of private individuals to 'joe public' is surely a no-no, though the overall number of empty properties without location harms no-one.

If they are giving out the names of the owners of the empty properties, then I agree that would be a breach of data protection legislation, and would exempted under section 40.

But without the names or some other way of identifying the individuals, it isn't personal information.

 

[Arrowfoot]

The FOI is not be the issue or the control point. The controls should lie with Govt Agencies and both set of solicitors to do a proper due diligence and this should be enshrined by law. Besides title and deed transfers, the lasting power of attorney or POA should have some challenges. It is literally a license now.

Criminal penalties should be significantly enhanced where mandatory custodial sentences be brought in.

The govt agencies did not even establish the identity of the person that was presenting the documents.

 

[oldwheels]

One thing we've had to do is not sell MIL's house whilst she is in a Nursing Home.

Why, because as soon as she's not specifically under the Local Authority, the Home would charge us an additional £20k for MIL to be there per year.

So, keeping a perfectly usable house empty, saves MIL £20k pa in fees. Can't even rent it as the work needed to put it in a rent-able position would be too much cost, and then the LA takes about 90% to offset residential fees - the remainder wouldn't be enough to cover landlords responsibilities.

We've even stopped SIL from thinking she can have the house cheap - sorry but it has to be market value.

That possibly explains why a house near me is unused. The owner is still alive but being cared for somewhere { I have no idea where}. Her daughter and husband keep the garden tidy and do some minor repairs but I have been surprised that it is not at least let given the desperate need for housing for local workers here.

 

[fossyant]

That possibly explains why a house near me is unused. The owner is still alive but being cared for somewhere { I have no idea where}. Her daughter and husband keep the garden tidy and do some minor repairs but I have been surprised that it is not at least let given the desperate need for housing for local workers here.

I would think the care costs, especially if rented out don't actually make it worth while. Madness isn't it.

 

[Badger_Boom]

Of course FOI has limits. But do you really believe they would not know that, and know what information they are required to give and what they are not allowed to give?

If they weren't required to give it, they wouldn't. It is more common for bodies to try and avoid giving out FOI inoforation than to give out any they don't need to.

They're really not that smart. Mrs BB works in part of the NHS and the number of times she's had to either point out that they are not legally obliged to answer a question, or that the person writing the response has given a much more wide ranging answer than was required (or sometimes requested) is quite startling.

 

[MrGrumpy]

You can and should set up an alert on the property. I have alerts setup for my whole extended family - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/property-alert

Does this apply in Scotland ?

 

[annedonnelly]

Does this apply in Scotland ?

No England and Wales only