Do I have to pay for a new HIP? Help plz!

kerol

A total newbie here, any help is welcome. First time buyer here, I just got a letter from my solicitor today, apparently the HIP from the seller’s solicitors is outdated. It seems that the house may have been on the market for a long while as the searches in the pack were obtained in February 2009.

in the mail, she stated "Guildelines are (and mortgage lenders require) that searches must be no more than 6 months old at the date of completion so we cannot now rely on the local search and drainage search in the pack and will have to obtain up to date ones. These will cost £48.60 and £42.30 respectively."

As I recall, HIP was abandoned since the new government took control, so I am really confused why would my solicitor still wants a new HIP. Do I have to get it?

PasturesNew

The HIP was abandoned, but those reports in the HIP have always been required and are still required.

The HIP was a bunch of stuff including those - and other stuff. The whole lot is no longer required in one pack, up front... but individual searches etc are still a requirement of your lender. So these are things you will be billed for.

While HIPs were running, you might have had some leverage to have said to the sellers "Ere guv ... bit out of date ... fancy reimbursing me on these?" you've now really not got that opportunity. It's a charge buyers used to pay, so now it's back on the buyers (unless you're hard-nosed and want to put them over a barrel).

sonastin

The HIP included a few different bits of information, including searches. (others being a questionaire and the energy report if I recall).

In property buying/selling these searches were always done - before HIPs came about the buyer usually paid their solicitor to do them. The previous government thought it would help if they made the sellers get the searches done before they came on the market - hence including them in the HIP. But as your solicitor says, they are time-limited because things may change between the date that the search was done and the date of purchase. Even during the days of HIPs, a lot of solicitors preferred to re-do the searches anyway to make sure they were up-to-date which is why a lot of people thought HIPs were a waste of time and the new government suspended the requirement for them.

The local search is more likely to have changed since Feb 2009 than the drainage search but if your solicitor is advising that they are both re-done I would take his advice. Buying property is a big commitment and its worth making sure you're getting the right thing...

kerol

thanx 4 for the prompt reply, I guess I'll have to wave goodbye to additional 90 pounds cash.........

Evilm

Most solicitors (ones I know or people I know have used) do another set of local and drainage searches anyway no matter how recent they are. The reason they use tends to differ however.

timmyt

kerol wrote: »

A total newbie here, any help is welcome. First time buyer here, I just got a letter from my solicitor today, apparently the HIP from the seller’s solicitors is outdated. It seems that the house may have been on the market for a long while as the searches in the pack were obtained in February 2009.

in the mail, she stated "Guildelines are (and mortgage lenders require) that searches must be no more than 6 months old at the date of completion so we cannot now rely on the local search and drainage search in the pack and will have to obtain up to date ones. These will cost £48.60 and £42.30 respectively."

As I recall, HIP was abandoned since the new government took control, so I am really confused why would my solicitor still wants a new HIP. Do I have to get it?

the lawyer is being a bit silly, as the drainage info won't have changed so ignore that serach.

as for the local search, do not rely on personla searches now hips have gone. get official. if he has quoted the official search price then well done, cheap council.

the hip may be no longer used, but searches remain a requirement, and in date ones.