How to find an absent landlord?

[Globalti]

My MIL's garden adjoins the garden of a house, which is rented to students from the local agricultural college. Their fence has collapsed and since October she's been trying to get a message to the landlords asking them to get it repaired. I'm assuming it is indeed their fence.

The students aren't interested in helping and for reasons I can't fathom my MIL hasn't got the address of the couple who own the place. Is there any other way of finding out where they live?

 

[zimzum42]

Offer the students a bag of weed and then ask again?

 

[bonj2]

< wot zz said.
little bit of stick and/or carrot and they'll help you

 

[surfgurl]

Check first whether it is MIL's fence or if it is the Landlords. Try asking the neighbours the other side? They might know which fences belong to them and from that you should be able to work out who the fence belongs to.
If it does belong to the landlord, put a note through the door addressed to The Landlord. They should then pick it up when they go and collect rent and check the property.
You could ask at the college they attend. Student services may have it on their list of student properties and be able to inform the landlord for you.

 

[bonj2]

can't the land registry tell you who the owner is?

 

[Maz]

Is the house let through a letting agency? Can they be contacted?
Rule of thumb (from experience) - if the fence posts are on your side of the fence, it's your responsibility to maintain the fence. Clearly this depends on the type of fence.

 

[Speicher]

can't the land registry tell you who the owner is?

I expect his MIL would like a reply before 2012!

I have also recently been reliably informed that the law govening ownership of fences has been changed over the last decade. Each fence is now in shared ownership of the householders each side.

I was going to suggest Student Services as well.

 

[Maz]

I have also recently been reliably informed that the law govening ownership of fences has been changed over the last decade. Each fence is now in shared ownership of the householders each side.

OK. I didn't know that, Speicher.
(know a fence intended)

 

[thomas]

For my UNI they hold details of some places and the landlords so students can find properties...otherwise google the address and MAYBE the agency who runs the property will pop up.

Can't Mil just ask the students for a phone number or something? Surely if they don't have to help fix the fence they won't mind it being fixed?

On my property next year I know this little make shift divide between my house and the house next door has fallen over - first thing our agency can put right

When that's done the front of the house will look really good!!

 

[Willow]

for a fee you can search the land registry to see who owns the land that doesn't necessarily mean you can get hold of them once you know. It's a start though. The service is very quick.

 

[RedBike]

Just ask the students for the Lardlords telephone number. I can't believe they've got no way of contacting him.

 

[Arch]

If it does belong to the landlord, put a note through the door addressed to The Landlord. They should then pick it up when they go and collect rent and check the property.

Assuming he ever does. Rents are often paid direct from bank account to bank account these days, and at least one of my previous landlords never set foot in the house in the three years I was there, to my knowledge.

I don't know why the students won't help, excpet that they may just be lazy feckless eijits who can't be bothered. I can see however that if someone turned up wanting a phone number for a landlord, one might be cagey about giving it out - you have no idea who someone really is - I wouldn't give out a third party's number without their permission... Once you're into "give him a message to call me" territory, you rely on someone actually bothering. (or the landlord bothering to get in touch)

 

[Keith Oates]

When I saw the title of the thread I thought it was about a pub where you can now get free beer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Globalti]

Arch has it - it's all about bothering. Nobody is bothered when it's a little old lady.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Assuming he ever does. Rents are often paid direct from bank account to bank account these days, and at least one of my previous landlords never set foot in the house in the three years I was there, to my knowledge.

I don't know why the students won't help, excpet that they may just be lazy feckless eijits who can't be bothered. I can see however that if someone turned up wanting a phone number for a landlord, one might be cagey about giving it out - you have no idea who someone really is - I wouldn't give out a third party's number without their permission... Once you're into "give him a message to call me" territory, you rely on someone actually bothering. (or the landlord bothering to get in touch)

Arch, are you Irish by any chance?