Garage in Land Registry but not in Mortgage Valuation?!

milkybars · 13 October 2008 at 10:52AM

In the process of buying a house:

The estate agents have never mentioned a garage to us. Our solicitor’s land searches have pulled up both the house and a garage in a block of garages at a different location to the house. Great we thought, a garage included in the sale. Then our mortgage valuation report arrives… in the box for garage they have typed ‘None’. Thus it would appear the mortgage valuers haven’t included the garage in their valuation. I have left an answering machine message for our solicitor regarding this matter but wondered what the thoughts of forum readers were.

My concerns are:

Our mortgage is devoid if we are buying both the house and the garage but the garage wasn't included in the valuation. If they need to visit again who pays for this extra valuation visit? Us? Estate agent for not showing them? Owners (although a beneficiary sale) for not mentioning it to the estate agents?
If the garage is not part of the sale, shouldn't they have separated the two things on the land registry deeds already? Are they within their rights to ask us for more money in order to keep the garage? Or if we're not buying the garage too are we within our rights to ask for money off?

Any thoughts?

lonestar1 · 13 October 2008 at 11:07AM

A garage is unlikely to decrease the value of the house so I doubt a revaluation would be require dunless the initial valuation meant you couldnt get a large enough mortgage.

I am concerned that no garage wa smentioned it may be the seller has sold the garage or doens no intend to included it in the sale you need to talk to the seller and ask why the garage is not included in the details the valuation may not include the garage because the seller told the valuation agent it isnt included.

The seller may be planning on seperating the garage from the house at the same time as they employ a solictor to deal with the sale.

If the garage is not included in the sale and was never advertised as such then the fault is yours assuming you were buying something that was never offered, as such you would get short shrift from me if you tried to use that as a basis for getting a reducation in the sale price

milkybars · 13 October 2008 at 11:15AM

We weren't aware of the garage when we put our offer in so we're not too bothered whether its included at that price or not. But obviously don't want to pay more as our offer is just below the new stamp duty threshold.

It just all seems a bit odd.

I've since found out that the garage is mentioned in the HIPs which we recieved the same time as the solicitors reports. Surely the vendor would have mentioned that the garage wasn't included in the sale when they asked for the HIPs to be compiled?

Thanks for advice so far... keep it coming!

silvercar · 13 October 2008 at 11:18AM

This has happened to someone else on here, from memory. The estate agent didn't know the garage was included but it was on the deeds. After moving in the guy stuck a note on the garage, waited a couple of weeks and then broke in and claimed it. Added value to his property without having to pay for it.

The only problem will be if the valuation without the garage is not high enough for the mortgage, otherwise consider it a bonus if you get it (presuming you were happy to buy without it).

milkybars · 13 October 2008 at 11:24AM

The good news is our mortgage valuation was very positive and has led to our mortgage being approved. As you both say the garage can't devalue the house.

We went to have a look on Sunday... just the outside, seems well maintained, paintwork not too old, padlock on the front, newer roofing to it than the others in the garage block. Well maintained but a bit of leafy build up against the doors suggesting no recent use.

Thanks again!

silvercar · 13 October 2008 at 11:27AM

Some threads about it:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=203148&highlight=garage

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=202286&highlight=garage

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=208674&highlight=garage

lonestar1 · 13 October 2008 at 11:28AM

Probably full of stuff as well could be a real treasure trove failing that its a weekend and a skip

Catti · 13 October 2008 at 11:35AM

This actually happens quite a lot in this area! The town was built as a 'new town' and many garages in blocks - often quite distant from the houses. Where a sale is by representatives (i.e after death or by mortgagees) sometimes they simply don't realise that a garage exists. But as long as the contract your solicitor has does not exclude the garage from the title, then you will be purchasing that as well!

milkybars · 13 October 2008 at 11:41AM

Another reason to get to the bottom of this before exchange... the owner of the house passed away earlier this year, his sons are selling their fathers house.

I followed the other threads... it was like a gripping novel! Maybe the sons just didn't know there was a garage... but if the contents are anything like the furniture in the house, I'd rather they did that trip to the skip/recycling!

mizzbiz · 13 October 2008 at 12:06PM

Thanks for the links to the threads. We have a similar issue withour flat and a garage. I'm just getting the title register and plans now from LR.

I have a couple of questions:

1. It costs £3 per document from LR website for documents. Is this information free if I go in person to the county registry office? If so, then I can run searches on all the flats and garages in the block. Can't really afford to do multiple online searches!

2. Is there any way you can find the registered owner of a garage? I ask because one of them seems to be unused and derelict, and I would like to see if the owner can be tracked down.

Thanks in advance, K

milkybars · 13 October 2008 at 12:56PM

You've all heard of unclaimed bank charges.... what about unclaimed garages as Martin's next big thing. There must be hundreds across the country with their owners unaware!:rotfl:

Garage in Land Registry but not in Mortgage Valuation?!

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