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House sold and now issues from buyer
Teddy1963
Posts: 4 Newbie
Hi All
New on here but in need of advice..
We sold our property and moved into our new home approx 5 - 6 weeks ago.
Our buyer before exchange of contracts insisted on 3 gas appliances being serviced. We politely declined and said we wouldn't be doing that. The estate agents let us know that the buyer was threatening to withdraw so we discussed and agreed to service the gas fire and the hob. We paid for these services and provided copies of certificates prior to exchange.
We didn't have the boiler serviced as we paid £5k for a new hive and boiler 12 months ago. We were aware the warranty for the boiler would become invalid without the 12 month service but as we were moving house we weren't prepared to pay for something we would not benefit from.
We completed fixtures/ fittings form.
Then the surveyor report came in with an issue highlighted with the roof and our buyer followed that up with a request for £3.5k towards the costs of putting right the issue. We knew that the report made no sense - it was something to do with roof ventilation. .
We paid for an independent surveyor to come in and he quashed the buyers survey saying that the ventilation ate difficult to see from the outside ground level whete the survey was taken ftom but all in place and satisfactory. No work required let alone a suggested bill of £3.5k to put right.
4 days before exchange of contracts we received an email from estate agents with a list of outstanding queries sent by our buyer including service/ warranty for the boiler, alarm code and fobs and instructions for the slarm, colour and codes for paint, gloss , flooring etc.
We didn't respond to the email.
The reason being we had bent over backwards to do everything we could to make the process stress free and simple but we had had enough of our buyers demands and threats to withdraw from the sale..
The day before exchange our estate agents called saying our buyer had now asked for curtains to be left, I flatly refused and stated I was prepared to lose the sale and our new home as this was the final straw and not a chance was I leaving downstairs curtains. I suggested our buyer could purchase them from me.
Each week since completion the agents have called asking for paint colours and where the floor came from before then asking permission to give our adress and copies of correspondence to the buyer. We refused.
Today a recorded letter arrived from the buyer adressed to 1 of us with the opening line of the letter being adressed to the sole owner of the previous property and if that was incorrect to provide him with paperwork to confirm that.
The letter go's on to say that it is imperative the boiler service is provided as the property was purchased on the basis of a boiler with a valid warranty.also to provide codes, fobs and instruction for the house alarm. We do not possess these and never have had. The alarm didn't work when we bought the house 5 years ago so we've never had codes and fobs.
I've rechecked the f/ f pack and it does show that we ticked the alarm fitted box as a yes but this is a genuine oversight. It's never been a working alarm.
It then go's on to say the upstairs fire alarm was incomplete - it was as the top part had come adrift but was like that on valuation and on viewing.
Bath/ sink plugs missing - no idea, can only assume accidentally packed but haven't come across them so genuinely no idea.
Hallway and entrance hall paintwork badly damaged consistent with items being moved out, so bad he has had to have re-painted. We had the hall decorated 4 years ago and has not been redone or touched up since and it was badly scuffed but again was like that on valuation and on viewing.
The buyer only viewed the property once, no second or additional viewings were requested.
We really don't know what to do, he has asked for response within 7 days and has suggested he will be taking matters further.
Can anyone offer advise?? Also how would he know who owned the property as in just the 1 of us and where we moved to?
Any advise good or bad welcomed please...
Thanks in advance..
New on here but in need of advice..
We sold our property and moved into our new home approx 5 - 6 weeks ago.
Our buyer before exchange of contracts insisted on 3 gas appliances being serviced. We politely declined and said we wouldn't be doing that. The estate agents let us know that the buyer was threatening to withdraw so we discussed and agreed to service the gas fire and the hob. We paid for these services and provided copies of certificates prior to exchange.
We didn't have the boiler serviced as we paid £5k for a new hive and boiler 12 months ago. We were aware the warranty for the boiler would become invalid without the 12 month service but as we were moving house we weren't prepared to pay for something we would not benefit from.
We completed fixtures/ fittings form.
Then the surveyor report came in with an issue highlighted with the roof and our buyer followed that up with a request for £3.5k towards the costs of putting right the issue. We knew that the report made no sense - it was something to do with roof ventilation. .
We paid for an independent surveyor to come in and he quashed the buyers survey saying that the ventilation ate difficult to see from the outside ground level whete the survey was taken ftom but all in place and satisfactory. No work required let alone a suggested bill of £3.5k to put right.
4 days before exchange of contracts we received an email from estate agents with a list of outstanding queries sent by our buyer including service/ warranty for the boiler, alarm code and fobs and instructions for the slarm, colour and codes for paint, gloss , flooring etc.
We didn't respond to the email.
The reason being we had bent over backwards to do everything we could to make the process stress free and simple but we had had enough of our buyers demands and threats to withdraw from the sale..
The day before exchange our estate agents called saying our buyer had now asked for curtains to be left, I flatly refused and stated I was prepared to lose the sale and our new home as this was the final straw and not a chance was I leaving downstairs curtains. I suggested our buyer could purchase them from me.
Each week since completion the agents have called asking for paint colours and where the floor came from before then asking permission to give our adress and copies of correspondence to the buyer. We refused.
Today a recorded letter arrived from the buyer adressed to 1 of us with the opening line of the letter being adressed to the sole owner of the previous property and if that was incorrect to provide him with paperwork to confirm that.
The letter go's on to say that it is imperative the boiler service is provided as the property was purchased on the basis of a boiler with a valid warranty.also to provide codes, fobs and instruction for the house alarm. We do not possess these and never have had. The alarm didn't work when we bought the house 5 years ago so we've never had codes and fobs.
I've rechecked the f/ f pack and it does show that we ticked the alarm fitted box as a yes but this is a genuine oversight. It's never been a working alarm.
It then go's on to say the upstairs fire alarm was incomplete - it was as the top part had come adrift but was like that on valuation and on viewing.
Bath/ sink plugs missing - no idea, can only assume accidentally packed but haven't come across them so genuinely no idea.
Hallway and entrance hall paintwork badly damaged consistent with items being moved out, so bad he has had to have re-painted. We had the hall decorated 4 years ago and has not been redone or touched up since and it was badly scuffed but again was like that on valuation and on viewing.
The buyer only viewed the property once, no second or additional viewings were requested.
We really don't know what to do, he has asked for response within 7 days and has suggested he will be taking matters further.
Can anyone offer advise?? Also how would he know who owned the property as in just the 1 of us and where we moved to?
Any advise good or bad welcomed please...
Thanks in advance..
0
Comments
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File in the appropriate place (WPB).
Tell your agent to stop responding.0 -
Refer them to Arkell v Pressdram.
(seriously though, just ignore unless they take it further)0 -
My gut feeling would be to not respond to the letter. Responding to it sounds like it would open up a number of additional letter from him. Alternatively, you could write "return to sender, 'your name' not know at this address".19/12/14: Spent 10 years of savings!!
:heart2: ..... to buy my first home. :heart2:
11K OP 31.03.19
Current goal: €151,000 deposit Ireland and counting, to buy Spring 2022 we hope!0 -
Tell the estate agent that if they dont cease the hassle then you will report them for breach of data protection.
Ignore the buyer. Clearly an idiot.0 -
That's what I call a nightmare of a buyer!
Return the letter.0 -
They sound like chancers to me.
To be fair some of it you just say, sorry no idea can not remember about paint and wood..(like most people)......that's the end of it.
The alarm, well you made a mistake and they have a point. This could be expensive. You will have to find a compromise. Repair old one or maybe pay towards and install a new one!
If you promised to have the boiler serviced............then you should have. If there is not proof then that's that I would have thought. Again that probably can be done for £75-£100 easily.
Fire alarm was incomplete???..is this a smoke detector or fire alarm linked to the house alarm. I have similar with ADT?
Bath plugs??...............here's £5-£10 to shut them up.
Hallway and entrance hall paintwork badly damaged................no that's how it was when you viewed it you reply. Or maybe offer to pay for the paint as a compromise. Of course if it goes to court, acting reasonably will go in your favour.0 -
Whilst your buyer is clearly a PITA with the petty demands I do feel a bit for them.
If you ticked the property had a fitted a alarm it is right for the buyer to assume it is working and to ask for the codes and fobs.
If you stated the boiler was new with warranty then if I was your buyer I would be really peeved if you let that warranty become invalid.
It seems that the buyer has made so much fuss about minor common things that the two that they may have a valid point on have got lost in their over fussiness, your deliberate stopping of the warranty on a boiler is not really on (unless of course you listed it didn't come with warranty - that would be different, apologies if you did, you haven't said as such).0 -
Sounds absolutely bonkers. Just ignore it. Engaging in any sort of dialogue is just offering encouragement.0
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If you promised to have the boiler serviced............then you should have. If there is not proof then that's that I would have thought. Again that probably can be done for £75-£100 easily.
It is not a case of simply servicing the boiler that is something any new buyer should expect to take on, its the fact the boiler has missed a service meaning the warranty cover has now expired. If I was the buyer I must admit this would annoy me.0 -
iammumtoone wrote: »It is not a case of simply servicing the boiler that is something any new buyer should expect to take on, its the fact the boiler has missed a service meaning the warranty cover has now expired. If I was the buyer I must admit this would annoy me.
ohh ok
Then they should contribute to a new warranty until the 3 or 5 years ends. I think that's a dirty thing to do if they promised to be honest!
If there is nothing in writing, and they did not then I don't see how the other party can do much.0
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