Collapsing cottage costing council thousands sells for £50k

A collapsing cottage which racked up a huge bill for a Lincolnshire council has been sold at auction.

Toll House Cottage is in such poor state that South Kesteven District Council have been forced to spend thousands on scaffolding.

The ruined Folkingham building near Sleaford sold on Wednesday for £50,000 to an unknown buyer.

An online auction by Brown & Co saw an unexpected amount of interest in the property, which is considered in need of demolition.

Consultant Ian Walter described it as a “Grade II listed building with far-reaching views, built in the late 18th century and in need of complete restoration.”

He added: “It is rare to sell a property with such low guide price” of £20,000.

Brown & Co’s images from inside the wrapping show the poor state | Photo: Brown & Co

The property on Bourne Road has become an eyesore after being derelict for at least 15 years.

As a listed property, the council were required to stop it from falling down.

The building was encased in scaffolding and plastic sheeting, which cost £1,400 per month.

Ward Councillor Jan Hansen said: “I am relieved the cottage has finally been sold after so many years, unfortunately I doubt it will cover what it has cost the taxpayer.

“It’s a shame the council has been in this position where it has been forced to spend this amount of money.

“I am glad it went for more than £10,000, which was the original asking price. At £50,000, it will certainly be a very good investment for someone.”

Keeping the house upright has cost the council thousands of pounds | Photo: Brown & Co

The council says it hopes to recover some of the costs of the scaffolding from the sale.

It secured a legal order to sell the property due to the owner’s outstanding debts, and had to go to court to agree to guide price for the sale.

The owner complained that the recommended one would be “basically giving the property away.”

Councillor Robert Reid, Cabinet Member for Housing and Property, said at the time of the hearing: “A notice was served to the owner of Toll House Cottage, Folkingham, several years ago to protect this listed building.

“Regrettably, the necessary repair work was not undertaken so SKDC arranged installation of scaffolding, originally paid for by the owner, to prevent further deterioration.

“Although the owner is no longer covering the cost of the scaffolding, an Order for Sale has been granted to encourage a new purchaser to take on and improve the site, and through this SKDC would expect to recover its costs.”