leaking water pipe on solictors questions

silvercar

Advice please.

On the paperwork that came through from the solicitor the seller stated that the local water authority have asked the seller to fix a leak in the supply pipe.
The pipe is shared between 4 houses, two of which are housing association owned. The HA has ignored letters from the seller. The seller has also asked the water authority to prove that it is their pipe that is leaking and not water flowing down the hill from another source - not sure if there has been a response on this.

Where would I stand as the (new) owner. Would I be liable for the cost, would it automatically be shared between the 4 houses by the water board?

Could an indemnity policy be bought?

itsakidsworld

In days gone by the waterboard would come along and fix a water leak on a pipe on your property within your boundary.

Sadly, as with all things they have changed to make more money. Now the situation is that the waterboard will send along someone to investigate the leak, but all they are doing is finding out if the leak is within YOUR boundary or not!! They will fix a pipe upto your boundary but anything beyond they charge a fortune for.

I had the same problem and so I asked my plumber to remove all old pipe which was in lead upto the waterboard connection in the street. With the price the waterboard gave us I thought they were buying the house:rotfl:

You cannot tap into the mainpipe in the street, but by doing what I did saved me a fortune. The waterboard then come along and connect into the main pipe for a reduced fee and then we filled in the hole again( a big saving again!!!)

I hope for you that the other three properties will share but if it is within your boundary then it is your problem. Harsh but a fact. Could you not ask a plumber you know to give a quote?

Good luck

silvercar

I hope for you that the other three properties will share but if it is within your boundary then it is your problem. Harsh but a fact. Could you not ask a plumber you know to give a quote

As the supply pipe is shared, it is written into the deeds that the repairs are shared between 4 properties. This is why we would need the water company to do the work and then bill each house. No plumber is going to do the work and then bill each house.

No-one has been able to pinpoint the leak, it may well be in next doors garden, we would still be liable for a quarter share.

As the water company have already written to the householders, their next step could be to fix it and bill everyone.

Solicitor has advised that getting the seller to agree to pay the bill doesn't work because he might not have the means to pay up when the bill came.
He has suggested a retention on the purchase price; I don't know how well that will go down.