Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Retrospective Building Regs Compliance (from uk.legal)
A thread is running over on uk.legal re the above topic. This may have all sorts of impact on DIYers and others. Apologies if this has been posted before. The OP is reproduced below: ---------- Path: border1.nntp.ams.giganews.com!border2.nntp.ams.gig anews.com!feeder6.cambrium.nl!feed.tweaknews.nl!xl ned.com!feeder1.xlned.com!newsfeed.freenet.de!news peer1.nwr.nac.net!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!bo rder1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!loca l01.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.eclipse.net.uk!news .eclipse.net.uk.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 07:02:23 -0500 From: Postman Pat Newsgroups: uk.legal,uk.finance Subject: Building Regs compliance disclosure all the way back - unworkable? Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:02:22 +0100 Organization: NoSpam Recently, conveyancing solicitors have been checking on whether any alterations have been done, and if so have they met BR. An explanatory leaflet I have just seen from one solicitor says that while a Section 36 notice could in the past be served at most 12 months after the work was completed, a test case in 2000 has changed this and now ALL alterations, no matter how far back, can require proof that building regs (presumably as they were at the time!) were met. They say that a mortgage lender will not lend on a property unless this has been verified by a surveyor. He will presumably compare the original builder's plans (if available) with the current state. One can get insurance but these policies are conditional on the Council's attention not having been drawn to the alteration, or to any subsequent enquiry. It appears to me that this is an unworkable system. Almost any house a few decades old will have had alterations. Possibly trivial ones like a rewiring, or walls removed, etc. If the lenders really won't lend, this is really going to cause havoc. ---------- |
#2
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Retrospective Building Regs Compliance (from uk.legal)
Practice the mantra, "It pre-exists my ownership of the property".
In reality, if the seller wants to sell, the buyer wants to buy and the mortgage lender wants to lend - a way will be found. The system will not be collapsing into chaos any time soon. In practice Building Control don't do dawn raids to look at your plumbing. All their time is taken up with preventing madmen from creating fire-traps and self-collapsing buildings (and on simply ploughing through all the applications and notices before them). I would be much more concerned about planning violations coming back to bite subsequent owners (or that previous building work was very poorly executed rather than non-compliant). Can you give us a link to the test case you mentioned? |
#4
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Retrospective Building Regs Compliance (from uk.legal)
Presumably in order to be granted an injunction, the LA would have to
prove the building work was carried out subsequent to a particular part of the building regulations coming into force. As far as I'm aware, no part of the BR relating to dwellings is retrospective - though this is not necessarily the case with shops, premises, places of assembly etc. Do we know what sort of building and building work was involved in this test case? |
#5
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Retrospective Building Regs Compliance (from uk.legal)
|
#6
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Retrospective Building Regs Compliance (from uk.legal)
On Tue, 14 Aug 2007 07:44:07 -0000, "
wrote: Can you give us a link to the test case you mentioned? Apparently it is Cottingham and Another -v- Attey Bower & Jones (A Firm) [2000] EGCS 48; [2000] Lloyd's Rep PN 591; [2000] Lloyd's Rep PN 591 http://www.cwpl.com/about/press_Deta...ode=2&PageNo=2 In Cottingham and Cottingham versus Attey Bower & Jones, a firm of conveyancing solicitors was sued by the buyer of a secondhand property for allegedly failing to find out whether building regulation consent had been granted. The owners - who ran into a structural problem after they moved in - won the case. As a result conveyancing solicitors now rigorously check all consents on properties for sale. -- Peter Parry. http://www.wpp.ltd.uk/ |
#7
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Retrospective Building Regs Compliance (from uk.legal)
Terry Fields wrote:
A thread is running over on uk.legal re the above topic. This may have all sorts of impact on DIYers and others. Apologies if this has been posted before. The OP is reproduced below: ---------- Path: border1.nntp.ams.giganews.com!border2.nntp.ams.gig anews.com!feeder6.cambrium.nl!feed.tweaknews.nl!xl ned.com!feeder1.xlned.com!newsfeed.freenet.de!news peer1.nwr.nac.net!border2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!bo rder1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!loca l01.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.eclipse.net.uk!news .eclipse.net.uk.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 07:02:23 -0500 From: Postman Pat Newsgroups: uk.legal,uk.finance Subject: Building Regs compliance disclosure all the way back - unworkable? Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:02:22 +0100 Organization: NoSpam Recently, conveyancing solicitors have been checking on whether any alterations have been done, and if so have they met BR. An explanatory leaflet I have just seen from one solicitor says that while a Section 36 notice could in the past be served at most 12 months after the work was completed, a test case in 2000 has changed this and now ALL alterations, no matter how far back, can require proof that building regs (presumably as they were at the time!) were met. They say that a mortgage lender will not lend on a property unless this has been verified by a surveyor. He will presumably compare the original builder's plans (if available) with the current state. One can get insurance but these policies are conditional on the Council's attention not having been drawn to the alteration, or to any subsequent enquiry. It appears to me that this is an unworkable system. Almost any house a few decades old will have had alterations. Possibly trivial ones like a rewiring, or walls removed, etc. If the lenders really won't lend, this is really going to cause havoc. ---------- No, it merely adds a few hundred to the solicitors' bills and a few hundred to the cost of transaction as you take out insurance where no paperwork exists. Jobs for the boys. |
#8
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Retrospective Building Regs Compliance (from uk.legal)
On Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:57:13 +0100, Peter Parry wrote:
In Cottingham and Cottingham versus Attey Bower & Jones, a firm of conveyancing solicitors was sued by the buyer of a secondhand property for allegedly failing to find out whether building regulation consent had been granted. The owners - who ran into a structural problem after they moved in - won the case. As a result conveyancing solicitors now rigorously check all consents on properties for sale. That was quoted on legal paperwork when I sold my flat a couple of years back, they were demanding signoff as the flat was a converted house, without any planing or building regs as far as anyone could tell. My solicitors response back was basically don't be an ass, its been 25 years if there were problems they would have shown up by now, and that was that. Steve |
#9
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Retrospective Building Regs Compliance (from uk.legal)
On Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:18:58 +0100, a particular chimpanzee, Terry
Fields randomly hit the keyboard and produced: However s36 has a further provision which states that the 12m limitation does not prevent the LA from applying for an injunction for the removal or alteration of works if they don't comply with the building regs. This provision appears to have been overlooked in the past but was highlighted in a case in 2000. As a result, it is no longer safe to assume that a LA has no power to deal with old unauthorised alterations. Yes it is theoretically possible for a LA to take out an injunction, but in practice it would have to be a serious breach affecting health & safety, such as a death-trap of a loft conversion or for serious and evident structural alterations. In my experience as a BCO for mumble years, I've never heard of an injunction being taken out, much less done it myself. -- Hugo Nebula "If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this, just how far from the pack have you strayed?" |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Is this floor plan legal? (re building regs) | UK diy | |||
Retrospective Building Regs on conservatory | UK diy | |||
Proving compliance with Building Regulations | UK diy | |||
Minimum opening width for Building regs compliance | UK diy | |||
Compliance with building regs | UK diy |