Estate agent obligations to buyers

KRB2725

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I'm not thinking along lines of "redress" from EA.

My thinking is that "Surely an EA would have put main relevant details of a property on the 'for sale' details? - ie expected costs levels on non-standard issues".

Those EA details mention what Council Tax level is payable and these days have that energy attachment (ie so that people can try and work out likely fuel bills).

Everyone expects that they will have CT bills and fuel bills - but these are indicated anyway. So - I would think non-standard costs that most properties don't have would be all the more necessary to put down on those details (ie as buyers wouldn't be expecting them).

I'm just asking for information sake - and not for "Wonder if I should have a go at EA?" sake iyswim.

I know what a little **** my vendor turned out to be and its them I am holding responsible for "less than accurate portrayal" of things and not the EA.

This is part of the job of your Solicitor. Houses are not always sold by people that know these details.

Davesnave

Surely the only thing that matters is what your title docs say about your obligations in this respect.

People can demand what they like, but you only have to pay them if you have a legal obligation to do so.

Or am I missing something? I really don't see what this has to do with the EA.

Mrs_pbradley936

Having been through something similar allow me to outline what happened in our case. As I have previously mentioned the road was a mess in wet weather so the neighbours had a meeting to see what we could/should do. It was a long narrow cul-de-sac and the people living at the end wanted t far more that the people living at the start of the road. Anyway our share was about £2K.


At no stage did any one neighbour send a demand for payment for something nobody had agreed to. Depending upon the wording I would threaten to report them to the police for demanding money with menaces.

moneyistooshorttomention

Davesnave wrote: »

Surely the only thing that matters is what your title docs say about your obligations in this respect.

People can demand what they like, but you only have to pay them if you have a legal obligation to do so.

Or am I missing something? I really don't see what this has to do with the EA.

What I am querying is whether EA's normally put any "extraordinary" charges down on house for sale details - as they do put "ordinary/expected" charges down.

Logic dictates that if you give an indication of expected charges (ie Council Tax/likely level of fuel bills) that you would certainly put down any "extraordinary" charges as well.

I am asking "Is this the norm to put extraordinary charges down on the for sale details?".

I cant think how to put it any clearer than that...and have been trying to make it plainer and plainer...and...and...

moneyistooshorttomention

Mrs_pbradley936 wrote: »

Depending upon the wording I would threaten to report them to the police for demanding money with menaces.

That is a thought that hadn't crossed my mind - I didn't know it was possible. The demand is couched in threatening terms certainly - rather than just being a formal request.

Is that a possibility? Should I think along those lines if so?

(feels glad I was very helpful to local police recently about a totally unrelated matter re things that were happening in neighbourhood recently......).

silvercar

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

What I am querying is whether EA's normally put any "extraordinary" charges down on house for sale details - as they do put "ordinary/expected" charges down.

Logic dictates that if you give an indication of expected charges (ie Council Tax/likely level of fuel bills) that you would certainly put down any "extraordinary" charges as well.

I am asking "Is this the norm to put extraordinary charges down on the for sale details?".

I cant think how to put it any clearer than that...and have been trying to make it plainer and plainer...and...and...

I still maintain that EAs only put down "bad news" that may cause you to pull out weeks down the line. And then only if they feel you will discover it for yourself before exchange. An example near me, an end of terrace house that had a large plot of land to the side. The EA put in the details that a side extension would not be possible. So anyone viewing with the sole intention of adding a side extension wouldn't bother.

Annie1960

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I am asking "Is this the norm to put extraordinary charges down on the for sale details?".

I cant think how to put it any clearer than that...and have been trying to make it plainer and plainer...and...and...

No, it's not the norm. I have never seen anything like this on any EA's details.

It is your solicitor's job to identify whether the road is adopted or not.

googler

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Is there anything laid down in writing anywhere as to what EA obligations to buyers are legally?

The Consumer Protection Regulations apply to EAs, and replaced the Property Misdescriptions Act in this respect.

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

What I am querying is whether EA's normally put any "extraordinary" charges down on house for sale details - as they do put "ordinary/expected" charges down.

Logic dictates that if you give an indication of expected charges (ie Council Tax/likely level of fuel bills) that you would certainly put down any "extraordinary" charges as well.

I am asking "Is this the norm to put extraordinary charges down on the for sale details?".

I cant think how to put it any clearer than that...and have been trying to make it plainer and plainer...and...and...

Well mine didn't, because they wouldn't have been party to them, as they were in the title docs....which agents don't see.

But then, if there's nothing in your title docs, the agent you used wouldn't have seen them either!

Agents must rely on what sellers tell them....and sellers, being human, forget things.

Andypandyboy

It may not have been known to the EA. Our road is adopted and unadopted in various parts and even the council had to do a lot of digging to be accurate about which part was which.

Your solicitor is at fault here I am afraid if you were not made aware of the possible obligations of buying on an unadopted road.

Edit - but this thread seems to sugest you were made aware.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4726555