Buyer claiming boiler broken on day we left!

Jennyes2011

Hello, We recently sold our house. We had a working, recently serviced boiler. On the day of the move, we switched the boiler off at the wall because the door was open all morning and we didn't want to waste energy etc.
A few days later the buyer told us that the boiler was not working when they arrived and they had to get an engineer out to fix the expansion vessel at a cost of £115. They are asking us to pay the money or they will take 'further action'. Since the boiler was working on the day we left, should we pay them the money?
What possible 'further action' should they take and do they have a case?
My belief is they switched on the boiler and perhaps the pressure was a little low. A solution would be to let water into the system to get the pressure up, therefore even if this was the case - this is still a working boiler. However they have stated it wasn't working and had to stay in separate accommodation for a few days.
While I feel bad for them I also feel like I shouldn't pay the money because as far as I was aware it was working when I left.
Thanks, Jenny

davidmcn

Did your contract include any warranty about the condition of the central heating system? (probable if you're in Scotland, less so elsewhere)

ess0two

Switching it off looks dodgy to me, how does it save energy? surely on the day of moving why bother having the heating on?

hazyjo

I wouldn't want to pay it, but I'm not sure it's the right way to go.


Do you mean 'off' as in literally all off, no pilot light, nothing - so no hot water (presumably) too; or do you mean you turned the heating bit off as you maybe did every summer? If you've never felt the need to turn it (or even just the heating bit) off in summer (I just turn mine down at the thermostat), it seems odd.


If I'd bought from you, I'd not believe you. (Sorry! Not saying you're not being honest, just know how I'd feel as a buyer!)


It really is a catch-22. Either you're happy to just pee them off and walk away, or you don't want to look like you've been trying to lie and just pay up to keep the peace.


Hmm. It's tricky.


Jx

Guest101

Clearly it wasn't working fine, or they wouldn't have been in touch with you.


It doesn't make sense that you would switch it off on completion day, so did you move out much earlier than completion? In which case you don't know the state it was on the day

Hoploz

They've had work on the expansion vessel, but you mention low pressure and letting water in .... I thought you would either have one or the other, but not both on the same system?

In England there is no come back after completion, they can't come back and ask you for money. I believe the system is different in Scotland where you are liable if something goes wrong in the first week after selling.

stator

If you're in Scotland you might have a problem

If you're in England then it's their problem (unless it was mentioned in the contract).

Guest101

The property should be the same as it was at exchange.


So if the boiler worked at exchange, it needs to work at completion. Just FYI (and yes that's in England)

DRP

+1 for rather dodgy sounding story. I'd certainly not believe it as a buyer!


+1 for it is unlikely the buyers will pursue £115 - they're trying their luck.

AnotherJoe

Someone posted pretty much this exact same story about a week ago. Both halves of the same couple maybe?

If its not the same story (OP of other was in Scotland) then either you say tough luck or pay up. If you say tough luck they may or may not make a claim against you.

It was a very bad idea to turn the boiler off at the wall, I wouldn't believe you either (I am not saying you are lying, but i just wouldn't believe you and I might be annoyed enough to make a small claims court against you.) Why not just turn the heating and hot water off rather than the whole boiler?

Peter333

I think the rule in Scotland should also apply in England, as people are too fond of leaving their house with things that are not working, or are VERY faulty! I know someone who moved into the property they had just bought, and the water was turned off. When they turned it on, the utility started to flood, because the sellers had taken the dishwasher and hadn't capped off the pipe, and it ruined the floor covering.

Also, someone else I know moved into a house, and a couple of kitchen units fell apart when any pressure was applied. They were virtually held together with blu-tack!

I also know of several people who moved into a property, and within 1 to 3 WEEKS, the boiler packed up! Goodbye two grand!

There should be some comeback! Anything else you buy has a guarantee, if only a short one. It's ludicrous that people can buy a £5 toaster with a 12 month money-back guarantee, yet you have no comeback with an item worth 100s of 1000s of pounds.

If something packs up 9-12 months later, then fair enough, but if it happens almost immediately (like within the first week or two,) then you can bet that the seller knew about it!

People should be liable for anything that is broken or faulty when they sell a house, for the first month to 6 weeks. Unless they disclose it, and the new buyer is happy to buy it with that flaw or fault.

Re the OP; I find it very strange that you switched the boiler OFF. Why? I have never ever switched a boiler off in my life. If you were worried about 'losing heat,' then why did you not just turn the thermostat down as low as it will go?

You have not done yourself any favours here, as it all sounds very suspicious to me. That said, I doubt if the buyers will have much of a case.

Problem is, if you cough up, that means you are admitting liability, and if something else goes wrong with it, (and it could be something much more expensive,) you could put yourself in the firing line for paying for that too.

Just say no. Say it was working fine when you left. As I said, it does sound odd that you switched it off, but I certainly would not be coughing up if I were you. Because of the way the law stands; it's their problem now. Not a nice way to think, but as I mentioned before, you could find them coming after you for money for all sorts if you give in.