Sellers liability after sale

Darcydoo

I bought a house three months ago. While viewing I noticed a stain on kitchen ceiling. During the purchase I asked for pipes above to be checked (through lawyer). It came back that they’d been checked so bought house. I used en suite shower for first time this week (I like a bath) and my kitchen flooded exactly where the stain had been before. Now I know I was stupid not checking before this but with moving house and starting a new job I’ve just not got round to it. Seller (Barratt, one of their part exchange properties) are saying they’re not liable as they got assured by last owner it was fixed. I’ll be phoning my solicitor tomorrow but anybody had anything similar? Cheers

middleclassbutpoor

I dont think you have any chance of getting the seller to pay for it. Its buyer beware. If you had concerns, you should of asked for a report or had someone you trust to give you that peace of mind.

3 months could be argued that something else could have caused this and it would be hard to prove it was the same issue.

AnotherJoe

This time, pay for a plumber instead of a lawyer

eddddy

It sounds like you made a "pre-contract enquiry" via your solicitor, and got a reply via your solicitor.

If that's the case, the reply forms part of the contract.

So what exactly did the reply say?

If the reply was untrue or misleading, you might be able to claim from the seller for 'breach of contract' or 'misrepresentation'.

It's up to you whether you want to pursue this.

Your solicitor probably won't want to get too involved, unless you are prepared to pay for his/her time. Maybe at most your solicitor might send a letter to the seller's solicitor.

Darcydoo

Thanks for all the responses. I’m looking for the response but am sure they said a plumber had checked it but when I got a response from them today they said the previous seller had assured them it’d been fixed.

Davesnave

Darcydoo wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses. I’m looking for the response but am sure they said a plumber had checked it but when I got a response from them today they said the previous seller had assured them it’d been fixed.

So, you have only hearsay evidence.

Time to get a plumber and move on.

PassingOutInTheParade

Cost of plumber c.£150 = job done and ability to move on.

Cost of solicitor c.£250 = no job done and inability to move on.

Simples...............

spirit

I had this happen at my last house. A new build but not Baffatt.

Had plumber round. I had option to dig up ceramic floor in en suite or ceiling from below in order to check pipes. I opted for the bit of ceiling. It wasn't the pipes, they were dry.

What it was was the grouting in the shower in en suite and main bathroom. Seemingly the builders just tiled over the breeze block internal walls and the grouting had failed.

You could see where previous owner had 're tiled a bit, so it clearly had happened before. I took off lower tiles and the breeze block had disintegrated and was like cake. So plumber had to line it and then filed 're tiled both showers.

Then of course I had the ceiling 're plasterboarded and plastered over.

csgohan4

Welcome to the world of house owning. Our vendor 'forgot' to mention the bathroom sink leaks and found the kitchen ceiling was leaking water in the morning.


Fixed it eventually, needed a new bathroom anyways, the kitchen ceiling is still coffee stained and bulged a bit which we will come to fix next year, 4 years after with a new kitchen too

Cakeguts

When you are buying a house it is up to you the buyer to pay for all checks to be made.

csgohan4

Cakeguts wrote: »

When you are buying a house it is up to you the buyer to pay for all checks to be made.

Made that mistake and learned from it, thankfully no major damage done


Next time if I buy, defo get a plumbing survey and if the property if very old, structural/ Electrical survey too