A UK businessman bought a Birmingham house for over $500,000 in 2013, and 11 years later the council found the sale included a primary school

Birmingham City Council has launched High Court proceedings to reclaim ownership of George Dixon Primary School after a paperwork error reportedly handed the school to a local businessman who bought a nearby house. As reported by Dexerto, Sukhjit Bains bought the three-bedroom house for around $523,459 in 2013.

The house was originally built as a caretaker’s cottage for the school before being converted into a family home and later a children’s home. It shared the same land title as the school.

According to the council, the buyer’s lawyer prepared a TR1 form, which transfers an entire registered land parcel, instead of a TP1 form, which transfers only part of one. The council’s own conveyancer reportedly signed off on the documents without noticing the school was included.

The error stayed hidden for more than a decade

The mistake came to light in April 2024, when the school began exploring a move to academy status and it became clear it did not own its building. Until then, the school had been operating while legal title sat with a private care provider company, NH Care Ltd.

The school has about 324 pupils and has continued to operate normally. Property purchases can come with surprises, as when a couple found a Cold War bomb shelter under their new house.

According to the council, Bains was not aware of the error when he bought the property, and the house he intended to buy has remained empty and boarded up since. The council says Bains initially agreed to return the school but then stopped responding to letters and phone calls, and it has been unable to reach him despite multiple visits to his office. Bains declined to comment when reporters visited him.

The council maintains that the school and its playing fields could not have been legally sold without the consent of the Secretary of State. A council spokesperson said, “The council is pursuing the appropriate legal process to rectify the position.”

The legal action, filed at the High Court in London, names Bains’ company and his lender, Lloyds Bank.