How do I buy Building Regulations Indemnity Insurance

leejamesbrown

Does anyone know where I can buy Building Regulations Indemnity Insurance? Of if I need to go through my solicitor to do this. I would prefer to do it myself if that is a way to save money.

thanks in advance for any help

Lee

G_M

Via your solicitor

Yorkie1

I agree; in any event your solicitor is likely to have access to bulk buy type policies so would probably be cheaper in any event.

Richard_Webster

Through your solicitor or conveyancer only.

Insurers do not want the hassle of having to explain all the technicalities to lay people, e.g that the policy only pays out if there is enforcement action taken and not for structural failure.

Insurers gets loads of calls from people trying to make claims when something has gone wrong to the property because of bad workmanship, etc.

inmypocketnottheirs

Richard_Webster wrote: »

Through your solicitor or conveyancer only.

Insurers do not want the hassle of having to explain all the technicalities to lay people, e.g that the policy only pays out if there is enforcement action taken and not for structural failure.

Insurers gets loads of calls from people trying to make claims when something has gone wrong to the property because of bad workmanship, etc.

Appreciate this thread is a year old, but I would be interested to establish approximately what sort of cost indemnity insurance is to protect against enforcement action.

justjohn

couple of hundred, however it is based on risk.

inmypocketnottheirs

timmyt wrote: »

£77 for up to £300k.

Tell us why, as rarely actually needed - average conveyancers just shout for it, but when educated on the law, they back off.

Thanks timmyt.

Surveyor mentioned it in survey as house has been extended. One extension is outside regs, pre 11/85, and the other is a conservatory. The conservatory doesn't comply with regs as it is open plan to kitchen. To comply it needs external quality window and door fitting.

Surveyor states both issues can be handled with indemnity insurance.

inmypocketnottheirs

timmyt wrote: »

the surveyor sounds like he is not doing his job, as indemnity protects against enforcement, but there is a 12 month window to enforce unless danger to public health and safety, and who better to know than your surveyor,

Many thanks!

So if the construction is over 12 months old and no H&S issues, nothing can be enforced?

We seem to have arrived at an impasse. Our buyer is cash, but is concerned if he wants to sell in the future, the extension and conservatory issue will make the property un mortgageable.

We had agreed indemnity as per his surveyors proposal, but after visiting solicitor to sign contracts now won't proceed until he has it in writing from the Local Authority that all that is needed to comply is an external window and for between kitchen and house. LA won't put in writing, planning regs are in public domain.

Between a rock and a hard place!!

eddddy

inmypocketnottheirs wrote: »

LA won't put in writing, planning regs are in public domain.

Between a rock and a hard place!!

A similar thing happened to me a few years back. I just wrote a letter, and sent it to my solicitor, and asked him to forward it to the buyers solicitor.

The letter said something like "LA have confirmed to me verbally that...[insert details]. However, it is not their policy to confirm this in writing. The purchasers can confirm this themselves by telephoning the Building Control dept at the LA on ..."

And the sale went forward. I don't know whether the buyers actually contacted the LA or not. (I suspect the buyers' solicitor advised the buyers that it was not too much of a problem.)

pmcx9

I do not wish to hijack this thread but I have a similar problem.

I am considering selling my house that has had an internal wall between kitchen and dining room removed. The wall was structural and a universal beam of suitable size has been put in its place. I did notice this when I bought the house but as I didnt require a mortgage it was not a problem at the time.

However it appears a building notice wasn't issued for the works at the time and it may prove a problem when I sell as a future buyer may require a mortgage. I haved owned the house for a few years and the work was probably carried out many years before that. The house is sound and I have no reason to suspect the works carried out to replace the wall were not professional.

Is it likely a surveyor will pick up on this and would an indemnity guarantee be sufficient to make it mortgagable?

Thanks.

blackshirtuk

pmcx9 wrote: »

I do not wish to hijack this thread but I have a similar problem.



Is it likely a surveyor will pick up on this and would an indemnity guarantee be sufficient to make it mortgagable?

Thanks.

In 2 words, yes and yes!

Indemnity insurance covers action by local authority. As has already been pointed out, the window for action is limited. So it is probably worthless but some mortgage lenders will insist upon it!