Bought a house without an EPC which I have just found out is illegal!

TBagpuss

You can get an EPC for under £40. If you get one now, it'll last 3 years longer than if you's had one when you bought (possibly more, as it could have been up to 9 years old when you bought)

So, your loss, and therefore any compensation you might be entitled to, would be up to 70% of £40, or about £28.

The seller might be fined for selling without an EPC but that wouldn't benefit you.

Bacon_Sandwich

You should be due at least £5,000 for this. i don't blame you for trying to claim. The solicitors of the people (if you can even call them 'people') you bought from would be liable. You should sue them, or get the solicitors you used for your purchase to act on your behalf - this should come under their remit anyway for the purchase, so they will probably do it for free.

ma77

Bacon_Sandwich wrote: »

You should be due at least £5,000 for this. i don't blame you for trying to claim. The solicitors of the people (if you can even call them 'people') you bought from would be liable. You should sue them, or get the solicitors you used for your purchase to act on your behalf - this should come under their remit anyway for the purchase, so they will probably do it for free.

Thanks for your advise Bacon Sandwich.
Who should I sue though? Estate agents or the solicitors? Unfortunalty I used the solicitor that is part of the estate agent group so I doubt they will be keen to act on my behalf.

societys_child

Who should I sue though?

You are actually considering taking this to court?!!:rotfl:

Mermaid89

Bacon_Sandwich wrote: »

You should be due at least £5,000 for this. i don't blame you for trying to claim. The solicitors of the people (if you can even call them 'people') you bought from would be liable. You should sue them, or get the solicitors you used for your purchase to act on your behalf - this should come under their remit anyway for the purchase, so they will probably do it for free.

Honestly can't tell if this is sarcasm or not

G_M

1) The seller is responsible. Trading Standards can prosecute.
2) the seller's estate agent has a duty to ensure there's an EPC. Complain to the relavant ombudsman:
* The Property Ombudsman
* Property Redress Scheme
3) your solicitor should have pointed out to you the lack of EPC, and demandd one from the seller. Complain to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
4) Compensation. Your claim goes via moneyclaimone against the seller.
5) How much to claim? You need to look at the new EPC you get and see what it says.
eg if it shows no insulation, and you will be paying £2000 pa in heating bills, then clearly you would not have purchased the property. So your loss is about half that (ie at the point where you would have continued with the purchase. So claim £1000
Additionaly you should claim for your time researching this matter, at your employment hourly rate. So if you are an MP for example, earning £77K pa your hourly rate would be £38.50.

How long have you spent on this website?

Davesnave

Thank goodness GM has arrived to put matters right on this thread!

Many of the answers people have given fall short of the mark or are just plain ridiculous. It's shameful that ther majority on a so-called house buying forum make light of what is now a statutory requirement, the omission of which is capable of costing the OP thousands of £ in extra expenditure.

googler

ma77 wrote: »

Thanks for your advise Bacon Sandwich.
Who should I sue though? Estate agents or the solicitors? Unfortunalty I used the solicitor that is part of the estate agent group so I doubt they will be keen to act on my behalf.

Let me expand on Bacon's reply for you;

[SARCASM]
The reply
[SARCASM END]

sal_III

Davesnave wrote: »

Thank goodness GM has arrived to put matters right on this thread!

Screw that, clearly Bacon's solution of suing for 5k is superior :rotfl:

HampshireH

Also remember the criteria then and now is different for letting a property.
What would have been ok 3 years ago to buy, may not be now for letting so you may have had to get a new one regardless.