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Surveyor made mistake
Jrcw6
Posts: 1 Newbie
Hello, I'm new to the forum, but haven't been able to find a thread which totally relates to our issue so am wondering if anyone could offer some advice.
We bought a basement flat two months ago. Upon completion, I received an email from the seller advising us that there was a 'slight bounce' in the laminate in the living room bay window, which they’d had checked by a flooring specialist before we’d even viewed the flat. The specialist supposedly advised them to ‘wedge the floor in the down position’. When we'd viewed there was a sofa in this spot.
Upon entering the flat, it was clear that whatever should have been under the laminate was not there anymore. We removed the laminate and found that two joists have completely rotted and the floorboards in the bay are covered in wet rot. This has been caused by the external floor level being raised, blocking the air vents. We have not yet contacted the sellers as we are unsure if this would achieve anything.
Our homebuyer’s survey stated that the floor was of solid construction. As is standard, they advised us to get a full damp and timber survey, which we did. Because we thought the floor was solid, we didn't ask them to examine it in the survey.
We told the surveyor what had happened, and after a couple of emails outlining our position, with quotes and pictures, they have responded stating that the site notes state that the floor is timber, and note the lack of vents. They said that the surveyor forgot to put this in his report and as a result have offered us £2k without admitting liability.
We have also discovered that there is an open drain in the garden which should be covered. We have mentioned this to the surveyor but they have not admitted any fault and we have not responded to this yet. The £2000 will pay for the floor and redecoration, but won't cover replacing the drain.
I've spoken to a couple of people who say we should pursue the surveyor further, as without much of a fight they've already offered us a payment. My partner wants to take the money and leave it but I'm inclined to fight some more. Does anybody have any advice/ideas?
We bought a basement flat two months ago. Upon completion, I received an email from the seller advising us that there was a 'slight bounce' in the laminate in the living room bay window, which they’d had checked by a flooring specialist before we’d even viewed the flat. The specialist supposedly advised them to ‘wedge the floor in the down position’. When we'd viewed there was a sofa in this spot.
Upon entering the flat, it was clear that whatever should have been under the laminate was not there anymore. We removed the laminate and found that two joists have completely rotted and the floorboards in the bay are covered in wet rot. This has been caused by the external floor level being raised, blocking the air vents. We have not yet contacted the sellers as we are unsure if this would achieve anything.
Our homebuyer’s survey stated that the floor was of solid construction. As is standard, they advised us to get a full damp and timber survey, which we did. Because we thought the floor was solid, we didn't ask them to examine it in the survey.
We told the surveyor what had happened, and after a couple of emails outlining our position, with quotes and pictures, they have responded stating that the site notes state that the floor is timber, and note the lack of vents. They said that the surveyor forgot to put this in his report and as a result have offered us £2k without admitting liability.
We have also discovered that there is an open drain in the garden which should be covered. We have mentioned this to the surveyor but they have not admitted any fault and we have not responded to this yet. The £2000 will pay for the floor and redecoration, but won't cover replacing the drain.
I've spoken to a couple of people who say we should pursue the surveyor further, as without much of a fight they've already offered us a payment. My partner wants to take the money and leave it but I'm inclined to fight some more. Does anybody have any advice/ideas?
0
Comments
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I would get quotes for all of the work including the drain cover, and then approach them with this total figure. Get 3 quotes if you can.
If they've offered £2k straight away then this is unlikely to be their final offer, it's just the start of the negotiation.
If you can get the costs covered without resorting to legal action, then you can get it all sorted quickly and move on.0 -
I bet if you read the full thing, including all the caveats, it says that they believe the floor is of solid construction, but couldn't be certain because they didn't have full access.Our homebuyer’s survey stated that the floor was of solid construction.
You have two choices.
* Rip all the laminate up, and replace the affected boards.
* Put a sofa there.
The second will be a perfectly adequate stopgap until you do the first.0 -
The seller was a bit unwise to mention the 'bounce' since that is an admission of knowledge of a problem. However, it is not evidence that he knew the extent, cause, or cost of the problem, so I doubt you'll get anywhere there.
The surveyor has in effect admitted liability, without actually admitting liability! Follow this up.
As CG says above, you need 3 quotes, from reputable builders (members of the FMB? Guild of Builders?), for the full costs of rectification. Maybe another surveyors report too - not on the whole house, just this issue.0 -
Who were the "specialists" that the seller used?0
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