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Council declared loft conversion unauthorised, but failed to disclose in local search

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  • giraffe69
    giraffe69 Posts: 3,558 Forumite
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    So it sounds like they did carry out the search properly.

    I don't think that in 2016 saying that it depended on whether an index card had been filed in and filed is really good enough.
  • societys_child
    societys_child Posts: 7,110 Forumite
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    giraffe69 wrote: »
    I don't think that in 2016 saying that it depended on whether an index card had been filed in and filed is really good enough.
    An index card that maybe should have been completed years ago . . . so what would you propose?
  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,813 Forumite
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    johndhuk wrote: »
    The letter was part of a huge bundle of documents sent to us by our solicitor after completion. We're talking a huge stack of everything, really old deeds, old electrics certificates etc. I imagine our solicitor was sent them after completion and forwarded them on.

    Moving the staircase is something we are interested in doing. Currently they're really steep, almost a ladder, and you have to duck under a purlin when you get to the top of the stairs.

    Then it needs to comply to current regs!

    The get around here is that if you fill in the form in a way that the brief description stating that the loft conversion is existing, the new certificate will reflect that and effectively give you a sign off or sorts. So in the description you would put something like 'replacement staircase for existing loft conversion'.

    Drag up the old issues and you will reignite them. Don't talk about them and you'll get a fresh look at it. BCOs don't care about old work, they really don't have the time or inclination and are generally just happy to see the effort made with new work.
    Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
  • johndhuk
    johndhuk Posts: 100 Forumite
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    giraffe69 wrote: »
    I don't think that in 2016 saying that it depended on whether an index card had been filed in and filed is really good enough.

    The exact wording was:

    "It used to be manual system where such cases were written on a card system to notify land charges of any issues. If that was not done when the case was closed it would not show up on later searches."

    Which reads to me like somebody probably forgot to write it down when closing the case.
  • Sootoo
    Sootoo Posts: 26 Forumite
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    Why do you want it regularised - is it so you can count it as an extra bedroom on resale? If so you'll have to go through the process - if not, just let it go and use it as you wish!
  • johndhuk
    johndhuk Posts: 100 Forumite
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    Sootoo wrote: »
    Why do you want it regularised - is it so you can count it as an extra bedroom on resale? If so you'll have to go through the process - if not, just let it go and use it as you wish!

    That is one of the reasons we are interested in getting it regularised.

    I asked the council about the previous building inspections to see what they showed and get an indication as to how much work would be required.

    The problem we're having is that the council told us it would take around 7 days to get these reports... and that was on the 20th September.

    I've chased them up since then and they still haven't responded at all. It feels like I'm getting the cold shoulder.

    It is the fact that the council is seemingly ignoring me that has led me to wonder what are appropriate next steps to take, and also to examine our legal position on the fact the council failed to provide this important information in the local searches we paid for.
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