Mine shafts within 20m

KenKen

Hello everyone,


I am in the very stressful buying process as a FTB and I need honest advice from all members!
I will try to explain the process step by step:


1- Agreed on 205,000 over purple bricks (PB) for a 3 bed detached in Middleton LS10 / Leeds
2- Turned out PB inflated the price as valuation came as just 190,000
3- I have done my homework which I should have done at the beginning as a FTB
4- Negotiated the down price of 195,000 after couple stressful weeks
5- My *** solicitor remembered to share the mining report with me after 1 month she got it
6- The report says that there are not just 1 but 3 mine shafts within 20m of the property
7- They say that they are all capped back in 1985 (30 years ago) and no current mining issue in the area
8- The house built in 1995 (20 years ago) and no mining related issues since then
9- They bought the house from new and this will be the first sale
10 - My solicitor ordered more detailed Imperative Mine report and will write to Halifax about shafts...


I know that even 1 mine shaft putting some people off and I have 3 unfortunately even though they have capped as report says. I think this will be still an issue when I try to sell it in future.
I have already spent 3 stressful months and some fees for this house. This is the main reason I am still considering this house...


What would you do if you were in my shoes ?


A- Negotiate down for the valuation price of 190,000 or maybe more!
B- Wait for the Bank reply.
C- Walk away!


Thanks in advance!

ProDave

D- Find out EXACTLY where the min shafts are. Under your back garden or driveway? or next door or further?

ariba10

They must be very, very small mineshafts if there are three within twenty meters?

KenKen

They are in front of the house and driveway:

4. Mine entries

Within, or within 20 metres of, the boundary of the property there are 3 mine entries, the
approximate positions of which are shown on the enquiry boundary plot.

Our records disclose the following information:

431428-006. was located and subsequently capped with shaft no. 005 @ 024 by Leeds CC in 1984.
431428-024. was located and subsequently capped with shaft no. 005 @ 006 by Leeds CC in 1984.
431428-005. was located and subsequently capped with shaft No. 006 @ 024 by Leeds CC in 1984.

LEJC

Dont forget that as part of the mine report and indeed the subsequent report there is usually an indemnity attached to it that is provided by the coal board for use in the event of there ever needing to be a claim....they do indeed cover well should anything happen and in my enquiries regarding opening up's that happen there is usually some evidence of warning prior to it happening.

I live in an area thats not on the face of it known for coal mining but it's riddled with them!
The house I currently live in and have done so for a good few decades still standing....I have 4 other properties in the local area all of which there have been no problem with and the house I am currently purchasing has had to have the 2nd detailed report too....admittedly theres only one mine shaft within 20 m but having said that it's within 20m of at least 4 other houses too.

It's personal preference and up to you how you proceed but it shouldn't really be putting you off...afterall I suspect a lot of your local area was indeed mined and has gone on to have many houses built on it.

To put things into perspective in the 20 plus years I've lived in my area I have seen evidence of 2 houses where the gardens have opened and thats in a populated area of maybe 100 000 homes....

...are there schools near your proposed purchase property...no doubt they are built on or near mine shafts and their entry points...it's just part of life in some areas of the country

to go back to your original question...wait for the bank reply...it wont be the first time they have given a mortgage on this type of property.

Chances are if you already live in the area in which you are purchasing ....your on a mining area.

have a look at this website...it plots the historic mines well
http://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/coalauthority/home.html

missprice

The whole of Middleton and surround are riddled with mine shafts. If you wiki it, there are something like 750 known and countless unknown.
It's that kind of old mining area, you won't get any houses in the direct area without proximity to one or more. Back of my house there is one, and two more further up the street.

Yet it's not been on the news about any sink holes or houses disappearing. Nothing to worry about

KenKen

I have checked the Coal authority indemnity insurance attached the report and it says that only max of 50,000 covered!

LEJC

KenKen wrote: »

I have checked the Coal authority indemnity insurance attached the report and it says that only max of 50,000 covered!

where exactly are the mine entry points....if anything were to open it would be around them...so maybe your garden for example which wouldn't presumably cost £50000 to rectify.

Remember that those are rebuild costs which are also probably lower than the valuation/purchase price of your house.

Whist I'm not saying you should be complacent about this ...I wonder if you haven't really looked into it and actually seen how many houses this potential type of thing has an effect on.

Pull out of this purchase and if you buy in the same area you'll likely encounter it as part of the searches there too.

armchaireconomist

I live in a former colliery house with the main pit head was behind my back garden.


House is over 100 years old and still standing...


If I were the seller and you tried to negotiate more money off because of some capped mine shafts that are causing no harm after you've already saved £10k due to one person's opinion i'd tell you where to go

LEJC

Just to clarify something regarding the poll.....

You have 2 options listed....price reduction or walk away...where is the option for me to vote that I would carry on with the purchase after consideration.

or indeed...you must have a figure in mind that you think the vendor should offer you as a price reduction....whats that figure?

Presumably there is a price point that you would buy this house...I'm just curious to find out what that is....

In a mining area....dont expect that figure to be a significant price reduction if at all!

missprice

http://mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/coalauthority/home.html

Check out the interactive map here, if it's a deal breaker, don't buy anywhere in Leeds or surround. Down to Nottingham