Orbit leaves Ilmington families in limbo on house sale
IT is a good job the Laws and Sharmans live in brick houses as it gives them a wall to bang their heads against – that’s the conclusion of the two families after their recent dealings with housing group Orbit.
One family is in a house they can’t sell whereas the other family can’t buy it.
Rob and Alice Sharman share joint ownership with Orbit of their two-bed mid-terrace house in the Cross Leys cul-de-sac in Ilmington.
When the Sharmans decided to sell up and move last May, to be nearer to Rob’s work as a safety manager in Bristol, they had no idea what a legal minefield they were entering into.
They quickly found eager buyers, Richard and Lesley Law, who live in rented accommodation in the village and were looking to buy somewhere within their budget.
Alas seller and buyer have found themselves in limbo after Orbit refused to update out-of-date legal paperwork on the Sharman’s house. It meant that the Laws were unable to secure a mortgage and were advised by their legal team not to go ahead until the lease had been properly sorted.
Rob says the whole thing has been a nightmare, and has caused a lot of anguish. He said: “Since the start of this process Orbit have been slow to respond and difficult to deal with. It’s so frustrating, they are supposed to be a charity and help people with affordable accommodation. This is costing us money, and I often have to face a long commute, keeping me away from the family.”
The lease on the Cross Leys property dates back to when Stratford District Council owned it before it transferred its housing stock over to Orbit in 1991. And so in order make variations to the lease – to update it – Orbit must seek consent from the council. However, Orbit told the Laws’ solicitor at the start of February that they were declining to do this.
Their solicitor then advised them: “We have hit a dead end. This means that it may not be possible for a purchase to take place based on the current arrangements so the seller may not be able to sell the property. The position is going to get worse as more time passes as the lease will become more out of date.”
Speaking of their frustration, Richard and Lesley said: “This is causing so much unnecessary stress. But from our experiences this is typical of Orbit.”
The Laws have lived in Ilmington for 28 years, and it’s where three out of four of their grown up children also live. Richard looks after cows on a local farm. They have been trying to secure housing through Orbit for a long time without success, and have only been allowed to bid on accommodation in Bromsgrove. As Richard points out: “That’s not very convenient if I’ve got to attend a calving in the night.”
After pressure from the interested parties, their lawyers and the Herald, Orbit issued a statement this week.
Robert Field, head of commercial, property management, said: “We are working closely with both our customer and solicitors to progress the sale.
“We’re currently waiting on specific information from the buyer’s solicitor regarding their requirements in order to satisfy the lender. Stratford District Council will also need to be consulted and approve any variations to the lease, in accordance with agreements that protect low cost affordable housing within rural areas.”
Asked if they had had a change of heart, an Orbit spokesperson commented: “We continuously review and assess the needs of our customers, whilst working within the constraints of the legal framework. We’ve been actively engaging with both our customer and the buyer’s solicitor to help progress the sale.”
