From: Wanderer 
Newsgroups: uk.finance uk.legal
Subject: Re: Paying off blackmailers usually works.
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2004 17:23:21 +0000

On 3 Nov 2004 08:54:37 -0800, Matthew Church wrote:

> 1) A farmer announces that he is going to sell part of a field.
> 2) He gets some swarthy gentleman in a white transit van to measure it
> up, ask about power and water...
> 3) He holds a sealed auction.
> 4) The local villagers club together and buy the field at a vast
> premium - 6-10 times more than it is worth.
> 
> It is happening (if you believe the The Daily Mail) all over Britain.
> Would you be *more* or *less* inclined to by a property in such a
> village?

Hmm. more fool them. First thing to do would be check the LA's Local
Plan, see if the land falls inside or outside the development line. Then
do some homework on the number of identified development plots within
the LA's area of remit compared to Government targets for the area, then
research local employment potential, transport infrastructure, schooling
places......

It might take an hour or two of someone's time, but it's a damned site
cheaper than forking out money at the first sign of panic.

-- 
wanderer at tesco dot net