Leased solar panels

Hope56

Help help help !!!
Has anyone got advice on how to get them removed at no cost to myself.
I can't find out who is responsible for them. Installed in 2012 company has since gone bust.
Trying to sell my house but this is causing me a problem.

ajbell

Then where is the FIT payment going?
Are you sure it's not just the installer that's gone bust and not the company that owns the panels and leases your roof.
I believe it's a 20/25 year contract.

tim_p

Quickest way to find out who is currently benefiting from them would be to pull the breaker in the consumer unit. You should soon hear from whoever is no longer getting the benefit. That does of course assume they are able to monitor the system. If you’ve been there for a year of more and no-one has been to read the meter then chances are they could have been abandoned. If you had them installed then surely you have details / records???

Hope56

After a lot of researching I found the panels have never been registered.

Hope56

Thank you Tim
I have plenty of documents, however it seems the panels have never been registered.

Hexane

My friendly local installer used to offer a service of removing unwanted solar panels. I used to wonder why anyone would want that.

Anyway, they are in Lancashire, which part of the country are you in?

I could ask a lawyer about it as well, but friendly installers are usually better to deal with than lawyers.

EricMears

Hope56 wrote: »

Thank you Tim
I have plenty of documents, however it seems the panels have never been registered.

If you're sure the panels have never been registered and your solicitor can confirm that there's no lease mentioned in the Land Registry documentation, you're presumably free to remove them if you want to.

But why should you need to ? If potential buyers can be assured (by the same means) that they aren't a problem and are told that the panels are reducing the house's electricity demand then surely they'd be happy to take them on.

Really not sure what sort of 'claim' could possibly arise but no doubt your solicitor would be able to insure against it for a modest premium.

pinnks

I agree with Eric. And these premiums are modest. We had to put one in place when selling a property and required one to be put in place when buying one. From memory they were both about £100.

Hope56

Thank you Eric.
It's more to do with my buyers mortgage lenders. They need to know who is responsible for them, as in maintenance and repairs.

Hope56

Hi there I'm in South Wales. Any idea of costs for removals. I spoke to a local company but would only do it for exsisting clients

EricMears

Hope56 wrote: »

Thank you Eric.
It's more to do with my buyers mortgage lenders. They need to know who is responsible for them, as in maintenance and repairs.

Assuming you're correct in saying nobody else owns them, then answer is quite straightforward : the buyers will become responsible for any maintenance and repairs. However, I'm not aware that SPs ever require 'maintenance' and any 'repairs' should be covered by normal buildings insurance (which mortgage lenders usually insist is taken out).

Hard to see why your solicitor isn't able to reassure them that there is no lease of the roof in place and I'm amazed that he/she hasn't already suggested you take out an insurance policy to guarantee against any problems (and since commission rates for such policies are usually around 50% most solicitors are eager to arrange one )