Non-motoring > Buying a house previously reg address of company??	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Fenlander	Replies: 25

Mon 9 May 11 09:59   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Fenlander

Casually looking at a property and by chance find googling on its address brings up that is is/has been the registered address of a small (but operating nationally in the leisure industry) Ltd company. This company seems to have been registered at three different private houses in a 20ml radius over the past few years. I don't know if they are legit or dodgy but could this add any pitfalls for us buying it as a private house? Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 10:03   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Mapmaker

A house is a pile of bricks stuck on the ground. How do you think that coming up on google will reduce its value? That said, it might make it less desireable to punters who google it, which must therefore make it more desireable to you. By the time you sell in a few years' time, any such trace will be very old. If it were Huntingdon Life Sciences my answer might be slightly different. Last edited by: Mapmaker on Mon 9 May 11 at 10:03 Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 10:04   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Zero

The next door neighbour bought their home from the builder who lived there, 4 years ago. The builder had gone bust, his marriage broke up and he moved out. 4 years later, and they are STILL getting hassle from the creditors of the previous owner, and discovered that the address also caused credit score issues till it was resolved through contacting one of the reference agencies. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 10:10   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - spamcan61

I'd be checking the current status of the company, if they are still trading, but from a different address, then it should be OK, OTOH if the company was liquidated whilst the address in question was still their registered office then I'd be dubious of buying it for the reasons Zero mentions. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 10:14   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Mapmaker

>>4 years later, and they are STILL getting hassle from the creditors of the previous owner You mean letters? Send them back "not known here". If they are opening the letters they are breaking the law by interfering with HM's Royal Mail. You mean "visits"? Sue the credit collection agency for harassment if they happen repeatedly. The credit score issue is an urban myth. See myth number one here: www.experian.co.uk/consumer/top-10-credit-myths.html Realistically, that all sounds like a few minutes work. On the upside, some people (I can see of them in the list above) will be afraid of these issues so there should be less competition for the property. And in reality, there is no suggestion that the company mentioned above is in financial difficulties. Indeed, it possibly is not even the trading address of the company in question. Last edited by: Mapmaker on Mon 9 May 11 at 10:15 Reply to this message | Report message       1

Mon 9 May 11 10:23   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Zero

>> Realistically, Realistically, it was hastle that the new owners didnt bank on or need. The "few minutes" theory is just that, its been much more hastle than that, and is only coming to an end. And you can say as much as you like about the "myth" of credit score, but it happened to them. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 10:40   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Iffy

To answer Fenlander's question: I don't think being a previously registered business address should cause any difficulty in the buying process. The 'post and visits' question is separate. As Mapmaker says, all post should go back unopened marked: 'return to sender'. The chances of getting a visit must be tiny when you consider how many incidences must coincide. Even if there are creditors, it's unlikely any of them would think it worthwhile travelling to an out-of-date registered office address. And so what if they did? It's the same 'return to sender' answer, only delivered verbally instead of written on an envelope. Last edited by: Iffy on Mon 9 May 11 at 10:41 Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 10:55   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Fenlander

Thanks for the ideas. Both the house and background warrant further investigation. It's been empty for months but doesn't appear repossessed. I am amused to see the shed that was the *office* for this company who have tried to give the impression they have substance. We did take on a 12mth rental a few years back where the previous tennant left without paying the utility bills and we suffered loads of phone calls plus a couple of collector visits. A mountain of mail too including loads of mail order porn/bondage videotape catalogues. I guess if I wanted to I could make a public access request for company info online?? Just getting their deeds from Land Registry to see if that turns up anything... at least I'll know who has the house for loan security. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 11:06   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Iffy

...for this company who have tried to give the impression they have substance... It will be no more than one of the directors using his house - or his mum's - as the registered office. It's not a trading address, just a formal one for 'service of documents'. A lot of companies never use their registered office, because everything goes to their trading address. Some accountants offer the use of their office address to customers, so the accountant's office ends up being the registered address of many different companies. At one time, they all had to be listed on a board by the front door, but that may no longer be the case. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 11:09   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Fenlander

Ahh that's a thought Iffy. I did hear that the house was owned by an older couple who had moved away quite a while back and their son had been living there. Perhaps just using it as a business base for legal/address purposes. If baliffs arrived at the door what proof would they accept that the place had changed hands and we had no connection with the business? Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 11:31   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Iffy

...If baliffs arrived at the door what proof would they accept that the place had changed hands... The deeds might do it - aren't you buying this one outright? :) Your word should be enough, and you are bound to have a few documents to hand that show you are not John Smith and have no connection with BustCo Ltd. But I do think you have no need to worry, and there's no point in doing so. You could pass on this house and buy one which has a 'debt history' which you couldn't uncover. If this house is suitable in other respects, I think it would be a mistake to reject it. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 11:51   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Mapmaker

>>You could pass on this house and buy one which has a 'debt history' which you couldn't uncover. That of course is a very good point as you cannot find out a house's debt history. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 12:00   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Fenlander

>>>The deeds might do it - aren't you buying this one outright? :) We seem to have reached that point in life. The power of the net is, as always, shocking. I've managed to find the owners details, new address, their past business and their planned but on hold (with problems) new business, newspaper articles about them, son's Myspace etc etc. Found out they own the house outright and also about an interesting right of way/ easement across the garden and that the front garden has taken in a whole corner of ground not owned by them on their deed plan. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 12:15   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Iffy

...The power of the net is, as always, shocking... Well researched, but there's a danger of having enough information to confuse, but not enough to truly inform. The garden stuff would/should have been picked up during conveyancing. And it seems you aren't much further forward with the 'debt history or not' question. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 12:23   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Fenlander

I think broadly speaking if they don't have loans against the house then there is far less chance they would have anyone chasing them or a black spot on the gatepost. >>>The garden stuff would/should have been picked up during conveyancing. True but gives far more power to know such stuff at the offer stage and save our solicitor clunking halfway through the process only to find there are conditions we're reluctant to accept. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 12:31   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Iffy

...True but gives far more power to know such stuff at the offer stage... Understood, so long as you are happy with the accuracy of the information you have found so far. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 12:28   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Bromptonaut

Information can alos be seriuosly out of date. A search for my address draws a blank except for the usual offers of valuations, houses near etc. It does however show a flooring company registered next door. These houses were built in 1998. The first occupier of that house was indeed in the flooring business and laid beautiful stone tiles throughout the ground floor. He sold up and emigrated to Spain around 2000 and the house has changed hands once more since then. The current owner works in, I think, a printing business and his wife for a Building Society. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 12:37   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Dave_

>> At one time, they all had to be listed on a board by the front door, but that may no longer be the case. When I was delivering parcels in affluent residential areas, around 1 in 5 houses had a small brass business plaque or two near the front door. And in the reception of some office blocks there would be a board on the wall with dozens of company names listed as having their registered office there. If it's not still a current requirement then it's only recently ceased to be. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 12:46   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Cliff Pope

You can't be too careful. Better check here also: www.hauntedplaces.co.uk/location.htm Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 12:52   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Fenlander

Thanks Cliff... house thankfully not on the list. Anyway our two teen girls shrieking about the place would drive anything off. This however is a bit close for comfort on the daily commute... www.hauntedplaces.co.uk/conington.htm Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 9 May 11 at 12:53 Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 13:10   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - CGNorwich

I sometimes wonder about houses where gruesome murders have occurred. Do these people realise what they are doing to their house value when they chop up their wife in the living room? Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 13:16   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Pat

I don't think that would be uppermost in the persons mind at that time:) Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 16:37   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - CGNorwich

>> I don't think that would be uppermost in the persons mind at that time:) >> >> Pat It would be for Daily Express readers. Totally pre-occupied with house values. ;-) Reply to this message | Report message       1

Mon 9 May 11 13:19   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Zero

>> I sometimes wonder about houses where gruesome murders have occurred. Do these people realise what >> they are doing to their house value when they chop up their wife in the >> living room? I think its a straight equation depending on the value of the life insurance. Actually that raises a good question, in a bungalow near me a guy stabbed his wife to death and left her in the bath, he confessed and was on remand for along while. The bunglow was rented and then sold. Who gets the money? Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 13:58   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - spamcan61

>> >> Who gets the money? >> The beneficiaries of the wife's will collect - assuming she leaves one, and the husband can't collect due to being the benefits of crime. That's my guess. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 May 11 14:34   Buying a house previously reg address of company?? - Cliff Pope

I think it depends on whether it was murder or manslaughter. Reply to this message | Report message