We’re ready to exchange on a new (old) house and have discovered the house has a rather unsavoury history, it was used as a half way house for ‘wronguns’ and there was an offence committed there 12 years ago.
We can see past the grim history but the local rag has the house number and street name on two articles which are the top of google search results, I called them and asked if they could edit it to remove the house number and their policy is that if it’s factual they won’t touch it.
I think this is wrong as the house will be forever tarnished, and working from home I can’t have people google my address and seeing those results.

My question is can anything be done legally or is it time to bale out?

Use a PO Box for your work mail?

Not sure if the ‘right to forget’ that Google et al have to adhere to works on premises or just people but might be worth checking?

Can you not change your house number to a house name?

Perhaps;
Rape’N’Murder House,
London Road
xx21 2xx

Commit an even more abhorrent crime that will knock the others articles lower.

It’s a bit middle class desperation but you can append a name to the number by just filling out a form at the PO, then give out your business address as ‘Dunridin’, Acacia Avenue, Burbsville rather than ’10 Acacia Acanue’. Should solve the google issue but not the resale.

Edit – though scruff’s name FTW

Change the house name via the Post Office.
Call it Dunkillin or something catchy

Use a PO Box for your work mail?

Not sure if the ‘right to forget’ that Google et al have to adhere to works on premises or just people but might be worth checking?

It’s people physically calling at the address. I’ve been looking at getting Google to remove it from their search results but removal of address is not something they would usually do.

It has got a name, is it easy to just drop the number?

Dunkillin

😀

The owner didn’t mention this? (Obvs not)

It’s a repo.

Anyone know if it’s possible to get something like an injunction?

Change the name to;

“NoWayIsYourStuffStoredWithCorpses”

tbh, if the physical address is that important then I’d be looking to get one with no negative press.

Post Office etc aren’t that keen on just names for buildings as it makes them a pain to find so I’d imagine your customers will feel the same if they have to try and find it from a post code coverign several dozen properties?

I’m a postie, people change the name of their houses all the time.

There is a proper channel, going through highways and royal mail. but plenty just do it themselves.

Every street in england will have at least 2 houses without numbers or names on.

If you do go about it yourself, give your postman a heads up to change his frame and stick a big clear sign on it with the new name.

I don’t think you can get them to remove from articles if those articles are factually correct. If it was proven they were incorrect then you’d have a chance.

I can’t see the point.

“Which house are you”?

“The one between number 2 and number 6, but it’s not number 4. Honest”

Surprised you didn’t google the address prior to purchase.

Anyway, as above, if it’s factually correct historical information then it should stand IMO.

Make it a feature….. “do you want to hold the meeting in the downstairs office or in the upstairs room where Mrs Miggins was cruelly bludgeoned to death?”

Can you explain why

working from home I can’t have people google my address and seeing those results.

It happened, that was reflected in the sale price, live with it.
Or should Auschwitz also be renamed Krakow Kampingplatz?

FWIW, an ex-girlfriend lives in the house where a relative of mine slit his own throat. She doesn’t seem to mind the history

surely you just need to get enough results in google to cover the front page with your version of it? no one reads past the first page anyway.

Is is haunted? You could make a few extra £££s if it is…

Is there a patio?

(Sorry. Sorry…)

To be fair I doubt any business contact would Google your address, find out about something that happened many years ago then be put off from continuing a business relationship with you. If they did you would probably be better off without them.

Is there a patio?

Yes, but it’s been laid terrible. Loads of bumps in it.

Why do you think people will Google the full address?

Do you really think it’d put clients off? Might make an interesting talking point instead.

Do you really think it’d put clients off?

I’m trying to work out what type of business it is that people regularly come to the door to collect things.

It’s not a ‘service’ like a physio so a product that’s either too bulky to post or local and bespoke.

Make it a feature….. “do you want to hold the meeting in the downstairs office or in the upstairs room where Mrs Miggins was cruelly bludgeoned to death?”

Real life Cluedo, your visitors can take it in turns to be the victim or perpetrator.

Try living in Dunblane.
The Google search results are all about the massacre.
I have messaged Google to suggest they alter – if you search ‘Dunblane’ you get up to date/relevant, with a ‘Did you mean ‘Dunblane Massacre’ below – didn’t even get a response.

Unfortunately, rewriting historical journalism based on personal whim is a deadly precedent to set.

There is no such thing as a bargain, if something is too good to be true… etc etc.

Did Louise live there?

Fit exterior lighting and lease a white BMW.

That will overshadow any interest in the murder.

On here anyway.

I feel your pain. I moved into a house 12months ago where the chap’s daughter ran a plumbing business from. She’s done a runner to france and trying to get the business listings removed from my address is proving a nightmare. Even getting companies house to make changes is proving impossible.

Anyone else just want to know what happened in said house??

DrP

We can see past the grim history but the local rag has the house number and street name on two articles which are the top of google search result

The previous owner voted for Brexit?

Why do you think people will Google the full address?

Because they are lost and are looking for it?

We viewed a house that was a murder scene a few years previously.

The fact someone had been murdered wasn’t the reason that we didn’t pursue the house.

Anyone else just want to know what happened in said house??

Yeah i did, I think i found it. but if i post it on here it will be another customer lost for the OP

Why do you think people will Google the full address?

Because they are lost and are looking for it?

I’d use google maps for that personally.

Not a lot of news stories pop up on there.

Piecing it all together I’m guessing it was the local Conservatives HQ?

My friend owns a campsite.There was a very negative incident and subsequent story in the local rag about a venue/hotel with the same name.
Immediately he started getting abuse/negative reviews despite him pointing out he has no link to news story.It’s cost him a lot of money in lost/cancelled bookings
He’s contacted the paper repeatedly to print a piece pointing this out…..they’re entirely uninterested.

Just found the story too. Not nice.

I don’t think it should be an issues- if you take the number & road name in isolation it shows the story, but if you search number, road name & postcode it doesn’t show the story. I would think the majority who search the address would either search on postcode only or postcode & number/road name. It should be okay.

Also agree that it would seem odd for a 12 year old story to impact business relations.

Yeah, bit of net sluething found it.

I can see why you’d want dissociation from that. Hope it all works out for you…

DrP