Anger at UK Gummint's power over inherited property

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Anger at power over inherited property

 

By David Harrison

(Filed: 18/06/2006)

 

The government came under fierce attack yesterday after quietly bringing

in measures to give councils the power to seize the homes of the dead

from bereaved families.

 

Ministers were also accused of " burying bad news " by publishing details

of the rules while the nation's eyes were trained on the World Cup.

 

 

Michael Gove: 'Labour has scored an own goal'

 

The measures, released by Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, on

Friday afternoon, give local authorities the power to confiscate homes

that have been vacant for six months and rent them out to the homeless.

 

From next month councils will be able to break into, alter or refurbish

the properties and let them out to tenants of their choice for up to

seven years.

 

Exceptions include second and holiday homes and the homes of people

working away temporarily.

 

Ministers said the measures, passed in 2004 by John Prescott, Ms Kelly's

predecessor, were aimed mainly at run-down and abandoned inner-city

properties that were magnets for crime and could be used instead for

social housing.

 

But the Conservatives, housing experts and bereavement charities reacted

furiously, arguing that the Empty Dwelling Management Orders left

bereaved families facing the appalling prospect of having deceased

relatives' homes confiscated unless they rushed through a quick sale.

 

Michael Gove, the shadow housing and planning minister, accused the

Government of releasing details of the orders when the nation was still

mulling over England's World Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago on

Thursday night - and without informing MPs or the media.

 

Mr Gove claimed that Labour had " scored an own goal by using the World

Cup to bury their bad news " .

 

Bureaucrats would be able to take over " private homes in perfect

condition " , he said. " Seizing homes of the rec-ently deceased is

particularly disturbing. This is a stealthy new form of inheritance tax. "

 

A spokesman for Cruse, a charity that helps the bereaved cope with their

loss, said that the pressure of having to sell a house within six months

would add to the grief.

 

" People don't always want to sell the house quickly, " a spokesman said.

" Often it's where they grew up and there are sentimental attachments. "

 

Robert Whelan, of the think-tank Civitas, said the " outrageous "

confiscation of property ran " right against the ancient common-law

principle of private property, which is as fundamental as habeas corpus.

 

" The right to private property is the Englishman's right to his castle " .

Labour was " behaving more like a dictatorship than a democratic

government " , he said.

 

Yvette Cooper, the housing and planning minister, said, however, that it

was an outrage that empty properties were not being used to tackle

housing shortages.

 

" There are all kinds of safeguards for owners who leave properties empty

through no fault of their own, " she said.

 

" But local councils should be able to take action to deal with the

outrage of properties which are abandoned and ignored but blight local

communities and deny people needed housing for their area. "

 

A spokesman for Ms Kelly denied that the powers would be used to seize

homes inherited by relatives. If the issue was not resolved in

discussion with the council, he said, it would go to a tribunal.

 

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