Contaminated land - or not as the case may be

jra505

dc197 wrote: »

It took about a week to get a fantastic letter and a map back from the council, if a 7-year memory has not faded. Cost around 40 quid.
I then sent this to Ground Sure or whoever it was that did the search, and it took another week for them to give the house a pass.

Naturally I kept this letter. Regarding selling, I preemptively sent it to my current solicitor in case my buyer's search revealed the same. I don't know whether it did but my sol would have forwarded itthe letter to them.

Thanks for the info. Do you know whether a "pass" is actually required for a sale to go ahead?

davidmcn

jra505 wrote: »

Thanks for the info. Do you know whether a "pass" is actually required for a sale to go ahead?

You don't actually require to carry out an environmental search at all. From your OP I thought you were satisfied for the purposes of your purchase - or do you need some further evidence for your lender? Really a question for your solicitor, as they're the ones advising the lender whether there are any problems in the searches.

Thrugelmir

Industrial sites of bygone eras are full of surprises. Been there myself. Fortunately we found evidence that our plot was occupied by workers cottages. Those elsewhere on the development weren't so lucky.

jra505

davidmcn wrote: »

You don't actually require to carry out an environmental search at all. From your OP I thought you were satisfied for the purposes of your purchase - or do you need some further evidence for your lender? Really a question for your solicitor, as they're the ones advising the lender whether there are any problems in the searches.

Personally I am satisfied. I guess I am just worried that should the lender learn of this then they will demand action before releasing the funds - I've got no reason to suspect that will happen, just nerves and paranoia. We're so close to the purchase (and sale of our current house) being complete, I just don't want any spanners in the works at this late stage.

I'll speak to the solicitor tomorrow - the last I heard from them on this subject was that they would get in touch with the seller's solicitors.

AdrianC

jra505 wrote: »

I guess I am just worried that should the lender learn of this then they will demand action before releasing the funds

Yep, that really is the only other potential fly in the ointment.

But if, as you say, large areas of the vicinity are similarly built on land infilled on brickworks, then it's very likely that this is an issue that any local solicitor or mortgage broker has come across, and quite probable that most lenders have come across. If it was a widespread issue, then mortgages would be hard to come by, so property prices there would be depressed as a direct result.

That doesn't mean EVERY lender will be happy, but you shouldn't find it overly hard to get funds.

jra505

AdrianC wrote: »

Yep, that really is the only other potential fly in the ointment.

But if, as you say, large areas of the vicinity are similarly built on land infilled on brickworks, then it's very likely that this is an issue that any local solicitor or mortgage broker has come across, and quite probable that most lenders have come across. If it was a widespread issue, then mortgages would be hard to come by, so property prices there would be depressed as a direct result.

That doesn't mean EVERY lender will be happy, but you shouldn't find it overly hard to get funds.

OK thanks. The lender approved the mortgage two weeks ago and we got the mortgage deed to sign a couple of days ago, so perhaps we've already got past that stage anyway?

AdrianC

jra505 wrote: »

OK thanks. The lender approved the mortgage two weeks ago and we got the mortgage deed to sign a couple of days ago, so perhaps we've already got past that stage anyway?

Sounds it.

stator

When you sell the house the buyer can always take out an indemnity policy. You can buy one if you are worried about it.
Otherwise just carry on as normal. It's unlikely to cause a problem. Lots of houses have this type of issue flagged up.

moneyistooshorttomention

dc197 wrote: »

It took about a week to get a fantastic letter and a map back from the council, if a 7-year memory has not faded. Cost around 40 quid.
I then sent this to Ground Sure or whoever it was that did the search, and it took another week for them to give the house a pass.

Naturally I kept this letter. Regarding selling, I preemptively sent it to my current solicitor in case my buyer's search revealed the same. I don't know whether it did but my sol would have forwarded itthe letter to them.

That was a good idea to keep that letter. Always worth getting any such letters imo.

On my last house - I had a free Radon check done on it at a time when no-one much seemed to be bothered about that and it certainly wasnt a legal requirement. I seem to recall that I was asked for details of radon when I sold that house recently (??). I just hauled out the official letter giving it the all-clear - having kept that all those years just in case there was any legal requirement to know about that in the future and gave it to my legal executive for the buyer.

Job done.

dc197

jra505 wrote: »

Thanks for the info. Do you know whether a "pass" is actually required for a sale to go ahead?

I could have purchased without the pass, so no, it is not required.
For me, getting a pass was not the end goal. For me, understanding the issues under my house and garden and being satisfied that the soil in which I would be gardening is clean were the goals, and it was the letter that did this. Getting the pass was just closing the loop.