Finding out current owners of buildings?

[Bizicycle]

Does anyone know how I could find out the current owners of a specific premises?

I have been in contact with the previous business group who'd occupied the premises for many years but all they could tell me was that they were close to concluding a sale for the site. I spoke to neighbouring homeowners who had said that the proposed buyers were planning vast changes to the building that they were rejecting at the planning stage so I am not sure if the sale is going ahead.

I would really like to try and occupy the site as it is and would like to try and find out if the new buyers would be interested in leasing the building to me over x amount of years with first chance to purchase once this expires.

I just need to try and find out who the current owners are, any ideas how I could achieve this?

 

[GRDCredit]

You might be able to find the info at the Land Registry for a fee:

http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/wps/portal/Property_Search

 

[Bri]

Usually it says on a big long sign above the door ( sorry I'm in a pithy mood today)

Proper answer, dont know, unless like you've done is ask the neighbours.

 

[Bizicycle]

As the building has been empty for over 2 years there is no big sign above the door. I only found out the previous occupiers from asking around the neighbours.

When asking the neighbours they all stated that the prospective buyers were wanting to raise the whole building to the ground and develop housing on the site, due to the inconvenience that will cause them all they have all stated a strong opinion to oppose this. Therefore, I feel any owners could do worse than lease the site for a few thousand pounds per month.

 

[paultnl]

Try contacting the local council they should know who is paying the rates

 

[i234i]

I found out previously a buildings owner with the £6 land registry fee.

 

[Bizicycle]

Thanks for the suggestion, I have tried a couple of times at the council but it turns into a huge game of "phone tig", I get passed about from person to person, deptment to deptment only to find out I have wasted 45 mins of my day learning that the previous owners were who I already knew about.

I am thinking that if the sale of the site depends on the contractors getting planning permission then it must still be owned by the previous company (going on what the neighbours have told me), but again this brings up a problem with the council. They could be waiting a good few months before finding out if their planning application has been accepted.

I'll give the previous owners a call and just come up front with my full offer and see if that would interest them. Thanks for the helpful suggestions, and the not so helpful one