Subsidence Claim (moved from a diary thread)

sinkingsick

Hi, followed your claim very carefully so glad you have it settled cos I do know how stressful it is. My problem is similar to yours in that I have just discovered that my house has sunk at the front and side! Have been here 6 years, soon after moving in I realised that the floors were sloping, never noticed when we looked at the house, never noticed any of the huge problems I now have! I did have a chartered surveyor look at the property because I would nver never buy a property without a survey!!!!! The surveyor said the house was solid, I told him that I was not bothered with baths,kitchen units etc. because I was replacing them, I just needed to know that it was structurally sound. I was told it had no problems and was sound!!! Go ahead and buy it! Have recently discovered that its leaning, distorted and sinking!!! I am now worried sick! Incidently the surveyor is my brother! Dont know where to turn.

huckster

Well you need to report this your Insurers and follow their process. BUT before you do, I would suggest that you obtain a structural engineers report. You don't want to rush to any judgement before you have had definate confirmation of the cause of the problem.

I have asked the site admin people to move your post to a separate thread.

sinkingsick

I had level survey done last month and boy is it distorted!!! When I first suspected something was not quite right I had my poor husband on the roof with a spirit level ,he went along with me to humour me because he couldnt see the lean. We were reassured that there was no lean but it still bothered me. It wasnt until we had a party wall agreement with our neighbours due to their new build that my suspicions were proved right!! It was there in black and white, the wall was leaning! I then had the level survey done.Wait for it, its leaning back to front,40mm on one side 25mm on the other!Its leaning to the side 70mm at the back and 55mm at the front. Now to the wall, its leaning out by 55mm. The engineer suggests another survey in 6 months and if theres any movement then its the nightmare of underpinning! I dont know where I stand!!!!I had no knowledge of any of this when we bought the house, had I known I wouldnt have touched it with a barge pole.

Studlea_Phatt_Katt

Dear Sinkingsick,


Of course, are very sorry to hear you are experiencing a stressful situation.

If the whole building is leaning then this suggests a raft foundation as we have, wherein the whole building can move without any significant cracks etc coming to light.

Others more expert will guide you better, but from the little you have posted, I suggest you contact insurers, ask your purchase surveyors to comment, and then either as we have, launch a joint action in tandem with your insurers against the surveyors, or seek to do such yourself. There are no win no fee firms doing this type of work, but usually you will have to pay for the expert witness before the firms will take on the case. (approx £,1000.)

Feel free to pm me if you think our experience can be of any assistance to you.

Best wishes & good luck,

SPK.