Just had phone call ---feeling a bit concerned!

gilly41

We are in the process of buying a brand new house and we have put ours in as a part ex.Everything has been going along really smoothly and we are hoping to move in in October ----it is about up to roof stage now!Anyhow, today i got a call from the lady in the sales office(wont say which builder on here!) and she said that she had got an email from head office asking about the planning permission on our garage.I have lived in this house for 19 years---purchased in 1988 with my ex husband. The garage was already built when we came here. This house was built in 1984 so the previous owner must have had it built in that 4 year period.My solicitor is on holiday for 2 weeks and therefore i cant talk to her! How would I know if the previous owners hadplanning permission!!.My solicitor obviously hasnt looked in to it but the builders solicitiors will be going through everything with a fine tooth comb.Should i be worried? The call from the sales office has definately left me feeling concerned.We signed all the stuff with our solicitor 10 days ago and i therefore assumed contracts had been exchanged.Why does nothing go smoothly?We lost the last house we were buying as our buyers pulled out at the last minute so i am obviously concerned that something will go wrong again!!! OH is telling me not to worry!!!I understood from asking before on here that after so many years they werent interested in planning permission.Thanks for any advice xxx

PasturesNew

You won't need planning permission if it's been up 4 years.
Tell her that for now.

gilly41

I told the lady in the sales office that i understood that if it has been up for about 20 years then planning permission wont be needed. She seemed certain it would!!!!I just hope tomorrow i can get to speak to one of the other partners at the solicitors.x

Doozergirl

She sells new builds, hun. She hasn't got a clue what's what (evidently) Your garage has been in existance way long enough for it not to need PP.

Your *solicitor* can deal with the builder's *solicitor* when they get back. You can ignore the saleswoman who has appointed herself solicitor for the moment.


Do not worry yourself at all. There is nothing wrong. Worst case, you call the council, tell them you are petrified that your house sale is going to because you are not aware of planning permission for the garage and ask them very nicely if they will write to confirm that a garage that old no longer requires any form of PP.

gilly41

Thanks DoozergirlShe said to me that they would definately need planning permission and could i remember the name of the solicitors i used when i bought the house

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ummmmmm so 19 years ago LOL!!!!! I said I couldnt and that i was sure I had read somewhere that after a few years it was no longer needed.She then said that the builders that built this estate(again i best not mention names) will have to confirm that they were agreeable that a garage could be built on our land and that we would probably have to get confirmation from them(not sure that they are still in business but the building of the garage was nothing to do with me anyway!!!!!!). I thought to myself that it all seemed a bit far fetched considering we are talking about nearly 20 years ago!!!!Thanks for your help---you have put my mind at rest xx

Doozergirl

It is possible that there is a covenant in the deeds stating that permission might be needed from the original housebuilders to erect an extension.

In which case you can buy an indemnity policy which will cover you for that. It shouldn't cost more than £100-200

She is taking her job a little too seriously though - I don't think people should be able to phone you up and, frankly, frighten you without being informed on what the issue really is, how serious it is (or isn't) and how it can be dealt with. As far as I am concerned, that is something that should come through solicitors.

gilly41

Thanks again.Someone mentioned that to my OH today but i wasnt sure what it was about.The sales lady also told me that someone had done a part ex a few months ago and didnt have planning permission for a conservatory and therefore they had to apply for it and it delayed the house sale by 8 weeks! I tried to point out that i understooda conservatory is a different thing altogether(I assume the people must have only had it built in the last however many years!!).So the worse case scenario Doozer is having to buy the idemnity policy?And how long would that take to get sorted?Thanks again ----xx

Doozergirl

Will take your solicitor 10 minutes. If that

gilly41

Doozer that is exactly what my OH said about her ringing me!!I havent bought or sold a house for 19 years so i am completely in the dark.Apparently all this had come in an email from head office and quite honestly i think head office should have been ringing my solicitor or asking the sales lady to ring her!! Not me!!!x

tomstickland

They're not much of a saleswoman are they?

krispy444

She is what her job title states she is a sales woman, not a solicitor or licensed conveyancer, basically don't worry about it until you hear from your solicitor. Anything that the builders legal dept wants would be directed to your solicitor, who will then tell you correctly what they require either it is planning permission or there is a breach of covenant. They are not the same thing. So don't worry until you know more. Good luck