Estate agents false advertising.

Toptom1

The estate agent advertised a house as a 3 bedroom 1 being which as a dorma which would be ideal for a master bedroom. I asked if the loft conversion has planning permission and they said it should have as it has been sold previously.

Paid for a basic survey which didn't come back with anything wrong with the house apart from a cavity wall tie so i then decide to go with the mortgage fees and solicitors so at this point im £1400 down.

It has come to my attention that there was never any planning permission or building regs for the loft conversion and the estate agents were blackmailing me to exchange by Monday or else the seller will move on.

The seller has no admitted that there never was planning permission on the loft conversion and the estate agents claims they never adervtised the house as a 3 bedroom but as a 2 bedroom with a dormer. I have gone round with a builder and he told me to run for my life as there was a list of things wrong with it such as no fire door, 3" Joists, no insulation and damp which the survey never pointed out.

I have pulled out and withdrew my offer and argued with them on the phone for lying to me and now they saying they only advertised the house as a 2 bedroom with storage space.

Im going to speak to my solicter on Monday but can i sue for false advertisement and leading me on as false pretenses?

Links below of the house.

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/property-history/6-heatley-close/denton/manchester/m34-2jd/34303052

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=32029866&sale=21757328&country=england

fishpond

What are you hoping to gain by speaking to a solicitor?

Toptom1

Well i have to speak to my solicter to cancel the purchase. i would ask for refunds for my exspences and my time. No doubt reed rains will have a disclaim but all i can do is ask.

kinger101

It was clearly advertised as a 3 bedroom. They even state that the dorma is "ideal for use as master bedroom". Make print-outs in case they disappear for the web. Trading standards might be a start;

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/advice-business-ftbussum7.cfm

Hoploz

Perhaps when he created the advertising materials the agent was not aware of the problem your solicitor found. If the seller did not know or disclose it then he had no reason to think anything was wrong.

You will get nowhere and will just have it all on your mind for even longer.

It's time to move on.

suse*

Shouldn't you also be talking to the person who did the survey if it was a structural one? As if it is as bad as the builder is saying it sound like they were negligant, rather than the estate agent, as it would have been them who you were paying to check the building was sound.

oldbaldman

What sort of survey did you have done? Hopefully not a homebuyers report?

In what sense did you feel "blackmailed"?

obm

Mallotum_X

Estate agents can only tell you what the vendors tells them, buyer beware. The point of the survey is to find stuff like this.

Don't chuck good money after bad.

kinger101

Mallotum_X wrote: »

Estate agents can only tell you what the vendors tells them, buyer beware. The point of the survey is to find stuff like this.

Don't chuck good money after bad.

The estate agent should also exercise due diligence when creating the advertisement. The question is, what clarification did they seek that the loft room has building regs? They can't just call it a bedroom because it might have been signed off.

http://www.nfopp-regulation.co.uk/media/539514/loft-conversions.pdf

If it was my money, they'd have the choice of paying me back, or it being reported to Trading Standards. It might go nowhere, but it's worth a try. I suspect they know they're in the wrong, as they are now (falsely) claiming they advertised it as a 2 bedroom.

Thrugelmir

Toptom1 wrote: »

I asked if the loft conversion has planning permission and they said it should have as it has been sold previously.

So you didn't pursue the matter before proceeding further?

Summer-Sunshine_2

Screen print it also if u can? Also keep any emails etc.. it may help if u go further with this?