Japanese Knotweed misidentified by Surveyor

BrandNewStart

Hi all

My flat (upstairs of a terraced house) was under offer until this week when the buyer's surveyor report came back saying that there was Japanese Knotweed present. The buyer pulled out immediately on the recommendation of their mortgage lender and surveyor.

I sent pictures to 3 different companies all of whom said from the pictures they could see no JK. This morning two PCA-certified surveyors in Japanese Knotweed carried out an inspection all around the property and found none, and I now have their Japanese Knotweed Survey Report.

My Estate Agent has been trying hard to get in touch with the buyer, who is on holiday, to let him know.

I guess I'd like to know - is there anything else I can do?

How can Surveyors get such a crucial thing wrong with seemingly no consequences for them?

Will a new survey need to be carried out to negate the old one?

Thanks all,

BNS (still debt-free)

moneyistooshorttomention

Has the surveyor that made this mistake originally given you a photograph of the plant they mis-identified as JK?

I don't know whether photos are a normal part of a survey or no. I had a mid-range survey on both Starter House and Current House. The first house one didnt include any photos. The one on Current House did and the surveyor was using them to illustrate the points they were making in my survey report (seemed like a good idea to me).

If you were given photos included in your survey report - what are they like?

ACG

Is it in any of your neighbours gardens? Or did the report specifically state your garden?

BrandNewStart

I haven't seen the survey yet. Waiting for copy from buyer. No none of the houses around me have it either - this is specified in the report. Really frustrating situation!

BrandNewStart

Still waiting for my estate agent to make contact with the buyer. Has anyone else had a similar experience? I'm afraid they'll be put off now even though we have the survey to say it's not there.

hazyjo

Try to reverse it - would you be suspicious if the vendor had their own survey done which showed no JK? Would you think maybe they'd dug it up before instructing the specialist? (Not saying you have :eek:)


Will the specialist (or anyone else) actually state in writing that the specific plants the surveyor identified are not JK? Would one of them visit with the surveyor to put his mind at rest and prove they're not JK?


If no to the second para, I think you've lost your buyer. Sorry!


Jx

DaftyDuck

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Has the surveyor that made this mistake originally given you a photograph of the plant they mis-identified as JK?

I don't know whether photos are a normal part of a survey or no. I had a mid-range survey on both Starter House and Current House. The first house one didnt include any photos. The one on Current House did and the surveyor was using them to illustrate the points they were making in my survey report (seemed like a good idea to me).

If you were given photos included in your survey report - what are they like?

It's not his survey report, photos or no.

All you can do is try to persuade the buyers to come back in. You have no contractural relationship with the surveyor.

They will naturally be suspicious, so it may be difficult. It's always worth a shot, and they may talk to their surveyor and see how (un)confident he is in the face of your reports.

BrandNewStart

Yeah I think it's game over to be honest. The buyer is not responding at all to the agent.

Hazyjo you make a good point, I can see how that could look. I still haven't seen the original survey to see if any photos etc.

Quite down about it today, seems really arbitrary and unfair! And nothing I can do about it.

moneyistooshorttomention

Do you have the buyers contact details?

If you do - then there's nowt to lose by contacting them direct.

hazyjo

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Do you have the buyers contact details?

If you do - then there's nowt to lose by contacting them direct.

And say what? I'd feel quite intimidated I think if the buyer tried to reason with me or explain when I'd already had/paid for expert advice. I'd probably run even faster tbh...

Ithaca

Bear in mind it's not just the potential buyer you have to convince.. if the mortgage lender has a copy of the original survey report (and that's the reason they have declined to approve a mortgage) they're still not going to lend on the property if they think there is JK present.

Feels like a big ask for your buyer to not only convince her/him self to accept your updated surveys, but also convince their mortgage lender to re-survey the property and re-approve the lending decision.