Can anyone help, water drainage questions holding up sale.

R&C

Just wondered if anyone could help me out with this.

Basically we are selling our shared ownership flat, and we have come close to exchange so many times then there's always something that our buyers solicitor wants to know.

The very last thing that seems to be a problem is our water drainage. The flat was built in 2004 and we most definitely are connected to the main drain, and the water drainage search included in our HIP backs that up. However, our buyers solicitor has done her own search or something and it looks as though we're not connected to the mains sewerage, and she is concerned that we have a cesspit! :mad:

Other than the drainage search in the HIP, is there anything we can do to prove that we do not have a cesspit?

Many Thanks

MunnyBoiler

If your property is bought through a Housing Association, are they able to provide a letter clarifying the drainage situation? Or, is your water company able to?

Emmzi

is it just that the drains aren't adopted by the water board? this is common in property recently built (3/4 years?)

There may be a plan to adopt but it hasn't gone through yet. It *is* a valid concenr but it's *not* the same as a cesspit!!

Debt_Free_Chick

Do you have a bill? Doesn't that show a charge for drainage/sewerage?

R&C

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Munnyboiler - the HA are unhelpful (no surprises there!) and I was holding on the phone trying to speak to someone at the water company today for absolutely ages, until the battery on my cordless phone ran out. Grrr. Will be trying them again tomorrow.

Emmzi - I have no idea if that is the case, I haven't heard them mention it not being adopted by the water board, I will ask them. Thank you.

Debtfreechick - I didn't think of that... would being charged by the water board be proof that you are connected to them? would ou not get a bill if you are connected to a cesspit? I don't have a clue how it all works to be quite honest! Will dig the bill out anyway and see if it helps, thank you. That would most definitely be the easiest thing to do!

We are wondering however, if this is just a delay tactic of some sort? Our buyer has apparently signed her contract... would she have done this if the water issue was still outstanding?

Also, our HA have had to approve her mortgage and after speaking to them today they said that them giving the mortgage consent would normally mean that everything is fine and we should be ready to exchange, as it's usually the last thing that needs doing when selling/buying a shared ownership property.

DVardysShadow

Delay tactic. This should have been raised upfront, but some solicitors like to hang on to their delay grenade, but even if they don't actually need the delay, they still have to throw the question in.

Debt_Free_Chick

R&C wrote: »

Debtfreechick - I didn't think of that... would being charged by the water board be proof that you are connected to them? would ou not get a bill if you are connected to a cesspit? I don't have a clue how it all works to be quite honest! Will dig the bill out anyway and see if it helps, thank you. That would most definitely be the easiest thing to do!

Cesspit/septic tank owners don't pay the water company for drainage/sewerage as the water co is not providing that service. Your search plus the bill should help .... but it does seem to be a delaying tactic.

However, send the bill sharpish and then see what happens

R&C

Thanks Debt Free Chick, I'll be passing a bill on to my solicitor to fax over today. Hopefully that will be sorted!

If our buyer wants to delay completion I don't mind so much, I just want to exchange so we can breathe a sigh of relief!

Now my OH has reminded me about the "which way does your surface water flow?" question that is also holding things up. Anyone have any ideas about that one?

DVardysShadow

R&C wrote: »

... Now my OH has reminded me about the "which way does your surface water flow?" question that is also holding things up. Anyone have any ideas about that one?

Keep a straight face and repeat after me "Surface water always flows from the higher to the lower".

Richard_Webster

Are we talking about surface water or foul drainage? In the real world everyone living on the development should know if they are not on mains drainage because a lorry would come every so often to empty the cesspit or septic tank. I can't imagine that's the issue.

Even if the foul drains in the immediate area haven't been taken over yet the Water Company would still show a connection to mains foul drainage. This could be through a 1 metre length of drain or through half a mile of private sewer. They never tell you how you are connected!

Much more likely the surface water doesn't drain to a public sewer. Unless the soil conditions are such as not to allow surface water to drain away easily, modern properties now are not generally allowed to have surface water drainage into the sewerage system. Soakaways have to be provided. Possibly the buyer's solicitor had not realised that this was common/normal and thought there was a problem in that respect.