Man buys a 3-bedroom house, accidentally ends up owning an entire school for 11 years
Surprisingly, nobody realized the blunder until 11 years later.
In 2013, UK businessman Sukhjit Bains bought a three-bedroom house at auction for approximately $530,000 (£395,000). Located on Fountain Road in Edgbaston, Birmingham, the house has a back garden that is right next to George Dixon Primary School's playground. When Bains, owner of NH Care Ltd, a care home, purchased it, his solicitor accidentally used the wrong legal form. Since the house and the school were registered under the same Land Registry number, the form transferred both the properties to Bains' company. And surprisingly, nobody realized the blunder until 11 years later. In April 2024, when Birmingham City Council first informed the owner of the error, he agreed to return the school but later stopped responding; the Daily Mail reported on Oct 5, 2026.
A costly mistake
The house was initially built as a cottage for the school's caretaker. Later, a childfree couple owned it and left it to Birmingham City Council in the 1960s. In 2013, when Bains purchased it through his company, the council’s conveyancer used a TR1 form (transfers all of the property registered under a number) instead of a TP1, and accidentally transferred the ownership of the school to him. The error went unnoticed for more than a decade, until April 12, 2024, when the school started exploring a change to academy status and noticed the ownership title.
Ghosting the Council
When the news outlet investigated the case, a legal expert who examined papers related to this case remarked, “I don't think I've ever come across anything like this in 40 years. It's the most incredible legal cock-up I can recall.” When the Birmingham City Council first contacted Bains, he agreed to transfer the ownership of the school. But later, he stopped replying to the requests and refused to sign any papers. The council said they couldn't contact him despite repeatedly turning up at his office.
No one knows whether it’s backlash or plain jealousy, but neighbors are complaining that Bains’ house has become a hub for antisocial behavior and is overrun by prostitutes and drug addicts. Bains’ company has also faced heavy criticism. Care home inspectors found that residents with learning difficulties in one NH care home are subjected to “abusive behavior and threats.”
The school needs attention
The inspection also found faults in the school's system. In fact, the Ofsted report shows it currently has 324 pupils instead of 300, which is its actual capacity. Besides, a large proportion of disadvantaged pupils did not show good performance in reports. A major chunk of students were also found weak in reading, writing, and math. Moreover, investigations revealed poor student attendance. Meanwhile, the local authorities have launched High Court proceedings against Bains’ company to reclaim ownership. They also claimed that neither the school nor its fields can be sold without the Secretary of State's consent.
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