How do I find the owner of an abandoned house?

arbitron

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Apologies if this is the wrong forum.

A relative lives in a very nice housing estate. There is an abandoned house nearby which has been empty for 15+ years and no-one knows the original owner. We are interested in buying it and renovating it.

I got the folio from the land registry, which gives the name of the owner and states it was remortgaged several times with INBS 20 years ago. No-one in the area recognises the owner's name and we have had no luck online.

A CRO search gave us a business that was registered to the address with 2 director names which are different surnames to the owner. The company was dissolved 20 years ago, the year after the house was remortgaged. The 2 directors have no other directorships. I did some searching and it looks like they were a married couple living elsewhere who have since died.

So 20 years ago the house was remortgaged, an associated business was then dissolved, and the house was soon after abandoned. I would have expected the bank would have foreclosed and sold the property, but maybe it got caught up in the INBS closure? Or maybe it was left in a will and there is a family disagreement?

How do I approach this? Who would have info that they would be allowed to provide to me?

I am thinking:
- the council, but which department?
- the bank, but Irish Nationwide is gone, so who would have the deeds?
- solicitors, but would they be able to discuss it?
- probate office?

All advice appreciated, thank you
 
Sounds like a great case for adverse possession. Move in, stay 12 (?) years and hey presto.

Is there any mail going into the house? The deeds, because of the remortgage, are probably in the IN archives whereever they may be now. At a guess I'd say no probate was taken out or even if it were, this property was overlooked.
 
I'm presuming the electricity has been cut off and other utilities? How are you going to get the electricity back ? "IF", as someone has mentioned you move in. I DOUBT THE ESB WILL JUST CONNECT YOU WITHOUT SOME PROOF OF OWNERSHIP, SAME WITH GAS, ETC.
 
Sounds like a great case for adverse possession. Move in, stay 12 (?) years and hey presto.

Is there any mail going into the house? The deeds, because of the remortgage, are probably in the IN archives whereever they may be now. At a guess I'd say no probate was taken out or even if it were, this property was overlooked.

Apparently a few fellas did try to squat in it before and were very quickly removed by neighbours!

No post is going to the house and the postman says none has for a long time. He has no knowledge of the owner.

INBS merged with Anglo Irish, so does that mean INBS loans are now in NAMA?

I'm presuming the electricity has been cut off and other utilities? How are you going to get the electricity back ? "IF", as someone has mentioned you move in. I DOUBT THE ESB WILL JUST CONNECT YOU WITHOUT SOME PROOF OF OWNERSHIP, SAME WITH GAS, ETC.

Live off-grid, solar panels, heat pumps. Onsite generator with a Tesla battery for storage

Yes, all utilities are cut off. We wouldn't go the squatting/adverse possession route.
 
Find out who the local Census Enumerator is/was and find out what they know. Better still the Census Area Supervisor.
 
There are services that look up people for inheritance purposes, they might be able to help?
 
Dublin City Council have a derelict site list...it might be on it...

[broken link removed]
 
Your could order the 'copy instrument' form the mortgage that was applied to the property folio. This contains all the background information used by the land registry to make changes to the folio. There will be details of the solicitors used, pps numbers, names, addresses, bank details etc. You could contact landregistryireland and make an application there.
 
Thanks, I've looked into this but it seems it's only available for practising solicitors acting on behalf of the registered owner.
 
I did and there are no planning applications. The houses are relatively new, which makes it all a bit stranger, as it has been vacant maybe 70% of the time it has been built!
 
There are some details on the folio that we don't understand (copied below) - does anyone have any experience of these?

1 - Why is there a burden noted in 1980 but the purchase date is 1989?
2 - Are the burdens from 1996 and 1997 re-mortgages?

Thanks in advance.

*******************************

Ownership: 01-AUG-1989 89XXXXXXX MARY SMITH of 99, ANY STREET, MYTOWN, A COUNTY is full owner.
Land Cert Application No.: 123456789
Date: 31-FEB-1989
Issued To: A. SURNAME, SOLICITOR
Address: IRISH BANK, DUBLIN

Burdens and Notices of Burdens:
01-FEB-1980 A1234/80
The property is subject to the covenants and conditions relating to the use and enjoyment thereof specified in Instrument No. A1234/80.

01-MAY-1996 96XXXXXXX
Charge for present and future advances stamped to cover £30,000 repayable with interest.
IRISH BANK is owner of this charge.

01-OCT-1997 97XXXXXXX
Collateral charge for present and future advances repayable with interest. Original charge stamped to cover £22,000.
IRISH BANK is owner of this charge.
 
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