Found asbestos in roof less than year after purchase - surveyor should have spotted

csgohan4

mountain out of a mole hill. You should have applied due diligence prior to sale.


The surveyor mentioned there may be asbestos but you ignored it.

Davesnave

Thrugelmir wrote: »

You've been there a year and never examined the damage yourself.

You paid for a middling report in terms of detail, not for someone to spend hours looking into every small corner of the property for something that might, or might not, be there.

It's people like you who ensure that surveyors lace their reports with caveats, so it's appropriate that any attempt to go after this one will be blocked by theirs.

Haylescom

I was present when the surveyor did a Home Buyers Report on the property I'm selling. His inspection, inside and out, took no more than 10 minutes, the remaining 40 minutes was spent recording his report on a dictaphone. He mentioned asbestos on my stairs because of the artexing, but it was a very general comment that I think gets made about most properties of a certain age.
I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree with previous posters; they have told you it could be present in the building so you could have an in depth asbestos survey if desired, along with all of the other things they recommend you get a full survey on in the report. Seems like it's more to cover the surveyor's back; "we told you this might be here so if it is we've done our job".

lush_walrus

davidmcn wrote: »

And it turns out they do! I don't see that you have a claim.

Exactly this, a surveyor can tell you that there may be asbestos however only an asbestos surveyor will be able to take samples and test to confirm there is asbestos. There is no recourse on your survey, a surveyor will never identify it they will only give you an indication.

Your builder, as many of us also, has clearly seen asbestos sheeting before and given you an idea from his own experience. Reality is asbestos may be elsewhere in your property in less obvious places, lagging around boilers, toilet seats and even fake snow all can contain asbestos it was a very very popular and diverse material.

Marvel1

firely2327 wrote: »

due to the age of the property some of the other building components could contain asbestos.

However, I've found a clause in the actual report that states the following:
The surveyor does not carry out an asbestos inspection and
does not act as an asbestos inspector when inspecting
properties that may fall within the Control of Asbestos
Regulations 2006.

They seem to have it covereddue age of property, they are not going to check every gap or hole, they may mention it's there but not look into it.

My house was bult around 1920, I expect it somewhere.

p00hsticks

AnotherJoe wrote: »

This is why I've never bothered to get a full survey after a similar first experience with a caveat ridden survey that missed the important things and stressed irrelevancies.

The OP didn't get a full survey, they got a Homebuyers report....

Kermie

Out of interest, what did the survey say about the utility room roof which is leaking. Did he spot that it might be an issue? Were there already several holes in the ceiling when you viewed it?

[Deleted User]

You didn’t get a full survey, you got a Homebuyers Report. They did say there may be asbestos and that you should further investigate, advice which you chose to ignore. I don’t really see how you have a claim.

teneighty

Potentially you have a claim against the survey company, the key is could a reasonably competent surveyor have spotted the potential asbestos material at the time of inspection.

Peering through a 3 inch hole could be your downfall. The previous owner could have obscured the hole at the time of inspection or stuffed newspaper in the hole or any number of things could have happened. If it was proper access like a loft hatch or a proper access panel then you would have a very strong claim.

Always worth a go though, put in a formal complaint to the firm and be prepared to go to the free independent ombudsman scheme, sometimes they offer to refund the survey fee rather than fight it so maybe some money back to pay for part of the work.

firely2327

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Why would a surveyor look into a hole in the ceiling? Would you expect the surveyor to look into every crack etc on the off chance.

You've been there a year and never examined the damage yourself.

I'm a biologist, not a builder and I've never before seen asbestos. It's not in my skill set to be able to identify asbestos, no more than it is in a surveyors to be able to identify what I have to at work.
It was not a crack but a hole and yes, as various professionals I've had in the past week have stated, it was obvious and the surveyor should have spotted it. I spotted this particular hole when I was viewing the property. I was very apparent.