PEOPLE living in property abutting village greens or common land may get a shock when they come to sell their homes.

Many are still unaware that they have to register a claim to cross the greens and pay a percentage of the value price to their parish council for enjoying the privilege.

The Countryside Act 2000 means that between a quarter and 2pc of the property value is being demanded as compensation for a prescriptive right (crossing the green illegally for a number of years).

Charges are levied according to the length of ownership and age of the house.

Many villages in the area which have a green flanked by cottages are affected by the Act, and residents could have to pay between a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands.

Parish councils have been urged to register individual or blanket requests for rights of way across greens nationally.

The Act has caused something of a dilemma at Kilburn where four of the five councillors live around the green and so have a vested interest.

The parish council decided to register residents' requests, but because only one councillor could vote, the council was inquorate.

In order to solve the problem, North Yorkshire County Council has been asked to sort out the problem.

"But, if and when they do this and money is handed over to the parish council, we will not be able to vote on how it is spent because four us live on the green," said one councillor.

"When I purchased this house eight years ago I had no idea that I would be asked to stump up about £5,000 now to gain access to my home, or if I sell the house. As the property value goes up, so does the access charge.

"I would be willing to pay up and get this matter settled if we were all charged the same, say a quarter per cent of the value. Most people just cannot afford to fork out these unexpected charges."

A resident can keep quiet about the charge, until challenged, but the value of houses will be affected on selling when owners realise that legally they cannot sell without access rights to the property.

Ian Strong, chief executive of the Yorkshire Local Councils' Association, has been advising parish councils how to go about dealing with registration.

He said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy the right to cross the green legally. Most owners have been doing so for years illegally. But the Government, keen to preserve village greens, is taking a harder line, hence the Act.

"Some people are unaware of the Act and its complicated operation. A deadline date for registering a claim was July, but I believe there is still a loophole available. Defra is willing to give advice to parish councils.

"Even if the village green is in private ownership, it is the parish council which has to oversee the registration and collect the money, for the parish or the landowner.

"Before the 2000 Act, owners had no opportunity of buying a right of way to their properties. The Act creates a two-way system which can add thousands to the value of a house for those who opt to pay the required fee, or reduce it if they come to sell and are shocked to discover that legally no right of way exists except an illegal one.