Hey Mockney piers, Your words couldn't be more truthful, infact there are such laws in place but how to execute a compulsory purchase order or a renovation order if there is no-one to give it to? In fact the owner if not officially notified can claim that the council has in effect STOLEN the property That's why that house is stuck there, as far as we know the owner could be anywhere in the world, but you wonder why he/she hasn't re-surfaced in so many years ? Maybe the owner is indeed sitting on the death wing of some USA jail. Hope not. B). Or maybe sitting on a box full of gold bullions somewhere in Brasil... and can't return to the UK for obvious reasons.. In the USA if you prove that the house has been empty for over ten years and the owner hasn't appeared during that 10 years, you can then move in and claim it. Or same is if you lived in aproperty for ten years an no one claimed it ( Ok this is general for many States but others have different laws ), I am surpised that nothing similar exists here.