Building Survery - irritation

DGJsaver

Just wondered , we have had a full survey done , the surveyor tells us he couldnt access the drains as they `run down the boundary` and he would have been trespassing , knocked to ask the neighbour apparently but no one was in

Is it just me or something like drains is quite important , i just feel annoyed i will now have to do it myself..., the drain covers are out the front , i could go there tonight and ask and look , it isnt rocket science i suppose but what am i looking for , obvious build up and or blockages?

Richard_Watters

You've paid for a survey so that's what you should get. I'd contact the neighbours and ask for permission, get them to ring him to confirm it's ok and then he can go back and do what you've paid him to do.

DGJsaver

Richard_Watters wrote: »

You've paid for a survey so that's what you should get. I'd contact the neighbours and ask for permission, get them to ring him to confirm it's ok and then he can go back and do what you've paid him to do.

I am just a little annoyed , `running down a boundary` , surely that means its on the property of the house we are surveying and next door , i just feel fobbed off really , i struggle to believe the neighbour would have minded , i also think if i do as you suggest (much as i want to) the rest of my survey wont be as thorough...

I have emailed to say i`m dissapointed with this , i`m pretty sure he wont give a monkeys though

Richard_Watters

It won't affect the rest of your survey, these guys work to RICS guidelines and if they don't survey it properly they're at risk of claims against them in the future.

Tell him you want what you've paid for.

DGJsaver

I was about to reply to him saying i will get permission from the neighbour and ask him back in (after emailing to say i`m dissapointed) but he has just sent me a snotty email with pictures basically saying :

There is a shared drain connection used by numberx and xx. The inspection chambers are located straddling the boundary. The boundary is formed of a step in the paving. The rear chamber is located under the fence and is only accessible effectively from the neighbouring side. The front chamber is located half under pavings of no x, so to lift the cover would require me to trespass on no xx.

I am not at liberty to commit trespass or cause damage to property in the course of my inspections. Without consent from the vendor and the neighbouring owner, it was not appropriate to investigate any further.

If you are not content with my service to date, I will return your cheque now so that you can arrange for an alternative surveyor to inspect the property. Please respond by return, before I start to dictate my report.

Richard_Watters

Seems simple - ask him if he'll go back once permission is granted. If not get your cheque back and use someone else who hasn't got an attitude!

DGJsaver

I feel stuck in between a roack and a hard place , the pictures show a slab of concrete with an arrow saying he believes there might be a chamber under here but it looks like the slab is up against the neighbours fence , then a picture of the front chamber (which i think is actually out the front) which looks half under some slabs that form a step , which i think is where he is referring to as joint boundary

In any case he just emailed me back saying

If I have to re-visit the property I will need to charge you for a second visit. I did not design or built this house and if the arrangements had been otherwise, I would have been able to inspect the drains.

I trust that will be in order for you?


:eek:

Richard_Watters

Ask him for your money back and report him to RICS, a disgrace to his profession.

Tycoed

I don't think the surveyor's email was at all 'snotty'. He has told you why he was unable to inspect the drains, quite reasonably, and offered to refund your money. Couldn't have been nicer in my opinion.

motherofstudents

I have to agree with Tycoed, I don't think the surveyor was being deliberately difficult but maybe you should get the cheque back and try again. Possibly if you had phoned and spoken to him it would have been more informal but I don't think the outcome would have been any different.

dominoman

I think the surveyor is perfectly fine to say that. If he's done all the work it doesn't seem fair to not pay him.

If you choose not to get the report written up (as he offered) I think you should at the least pay him half, even though he didnt ask for that. After all the inspection itself is 50% of the work, and the write-up is the rest.