Build Over/Thames Water ISSUE!!

cwcw

Yes, I would drop out too if I was the OP, as there should be no sentimental attachment to an investment.

It doesn't answer what happens if the building or extension pre-dates building regs and build over agreements though.

C_Mababejive

People and builders seem to flout the rules/law all the time. You wouldnt believe what could be buried in your back garden or just passing a few feet from your home. On seconds thoughts,perhaps ignorance is bliss.

RobertoMoir

cwcw wrote: »

All well and good but what if the building or extension pre-dates Building Regs coming in (i.e. before 1984)? Planning Permission granted but no building regs since they didn't exist, and no sign of a build over agreement. How can anyone move forwards from that position?

Are you asking from a hypothetical viewpoint? Why would the OP care if they took the advice to walk away from the deal and let it be someone else's problem? That's kinda the point of doing that...

cwcw

RobertoMoir wrote: »

Are you asking from a hypothetical viewpoint? Why would the OP care if they took the advice to walk away from the deal and let it be someone else's problem? That's kinda the point of doing that...

Yeah I quoted your post but actually meant to quote the one by Richard Webster.

The_Bridge

geoffky wrote: »

You can be sure as hell that the water company now they have been notified that this has happened will be taking a keen interest in it..

Do you really think they will take an interest now? I have potentially opened a can of worms for all the other flat owners in the block! [the sellers solicitors said they didn't mind me going to Thames Water, as they contacted them too]

The_Bridge

Update;

after a long chat with Thames Water this is what they’ve said; if the block was built without consent from TW then it’s too late, they wouldn’t knock the whole place down! [that’s not what they do!] So they can do a retrospective agreement where they check the condition of the sewer, if for any reason it’s damaged due to the age of the sewers then it’s TW’s responsibility to maintain. If however there’s damage due to the building then it’s a different story, but he said it’s been there for 20 odd years so shouldn’t be a problem.

So from this I may go ahead, however I am concerned if the absolute worst case scenario shows it’s head then what are the costs involved? And all the owners of the flat are liable surely.

vuvuzela

The_Bridge wrote: »

Update;

after a long chat with Thames Water this is what they’ve said; if the block was built without consent from TW then it’s too late, they wouldn’t knock the whole place down! [that’s not what they do!] So they can do a retrospective agreement where they check the condition of the sewer, if for any reason it’s damaged due to the age of the sewers then it’s TW’s responsibility to maintain. If however there’s damage due to the building then it’s a different story, but he said it’s been there for 20 odd years so shouldn’t be a problem.

So from this I may go ahead, however I am concerned if the absolute worst case scenario shows it’s head then what are the costs involved? And all the owners of the flat are liable surely.

Personally, it's still a no from me. The costs could be negligible or enormous, no-one can really predict them. As an investment, you want to make money from this, so I would definitely get somewhere else with no issues like this hanging over it.