Barrett's homes miss sold 15 houses

markbenson116

We bought off plan just over 15 months ago and after 12 months a full size basketball court was built outside our house.Not one person on the estate who lives near this is happy and was even aware this as to be built, everyone was told it would be a quiet picnic area with trees and benches.
we spoken to barratts who are not interested at all and pass the blame to council even though they still own the land.
The council have sent us plans drawn up in 2007 years before we walked into the sales office and we're told a series of lies about the area. The plans show a full size basketball court outside our houses,the area attracts so much anti social behaviour with drug use, fights and other issues. If we had been given all the information about the development we could have made an informed buying choice.
We all feel miss sold but don't known who to talk to I about it as barratts seem totally uninterested now they have had our money.
The council is trying to help and we have been to many meetings about this. At the time we were forced to used a solicitor that barratts selected, in our legal documents there is a bullet point with a section called 106, this details all recreational areas on a development and explains what you can expect and what guidelines it follows to provide open areas for children to play, we have now found this document is missing from our legal pack and from at least another 3 residents so far, even though section 106 is actually mentioned at the front of the legal documents.
We think we have a case but don't know what to do next. Can anyone offer any advice on this a matter as it's quite specialised and very complicated.

daveyjp

Check your home insurance for legal cover and use it to get some initial legal advice from a planning lawyer.

somethingcorporate

You may also have legal cover through union membership at work.

chanz4

what did the solicitors searches show?

agrinnall

I don't understand why you were 'forced to use a solicitor that Barrett's selected', did they hold a gun to your head until you signed? Why didn't you just say no and get your own solicitor? If doing so would have led to them refusing to sell to you then surely that should have rung major alarm bells.

jacques_chirac

Sorry to hear this, but it is typical Barratts behaviour. I was told that the land opposite me was to be landscaped, they did have planning permission for more houses but were delaying 'indefinitely'. Turns out indefinitely only means two weeks in Barratts world, no landscaping but two apartment blocks instead!

It was a good lesson for me - only ever believe what you get in writing, and don't buy new builds!

ging84

what is this court like? is it fully enclosed by fencing with nothing around it? or is it a patch of tarmac with 2 hoops surrounded by grass and tree with benches to have picnics on?

i would be quite pleased if my house came with a free basketball court, even if i did have to share it

harrys_dad

A section 106 agreement is where a developer pays money to the council for community facilities, which could be parks, playgrounds, school places etc.

lord_tyrannus

agrinnall wrote: »

I don't understand why you were 'forced to use a solicitor that Barrett's selected', did they hold a gun to your head until you signed? Why didn't you just say no and get your own solicitor? If doing so would have led to them refusing to sell to you then surely that should have rung major alarm bells.

it's a common barrett tactic even though they can't actually force you to use there solicitor. a friend of mine had to use there panel solicitor as a supposed condition of his part ex. they also tried it on me when we tried to buy barrett but seeming as my wife is in law it was a amusing conversation

Kildare

It does seem to be a Barratt's bullying tactic. We popped into one of their developments as we hadn't really looked at new builds before and they really put me off. I was told in no uncertain terms that we should use their recommended solicitor and must complete within 21 days, and although we could use another solicitor it was liable to cause problems and delays and then we would lose the house.

We had only popped in to find out the details on the development and look at the show home

Brock_and_Roll

Morals of this story:

1) Dont buy a new build
2) If you do buy a new build, factor in the likelihood that any open areas or farmers fields visible from the property, will sooner rather than later end up under brickes, mortar or hoodies!