Certificate of structural adequacy

redman1989

Hi All,

We are in the process of selling our flat and there is documents that refer to the certificate of structural adequacy, we have a copy of it and have a copy of the assignee being transferred to the previous owners (it was a probate matter so the executor transferred to the new owners)

This wasn't transferred to us and our fee earner is making a big deal about it. I would have thought that the certificate would be transferred to who ever owns the property automatically but being informed otherwise.

Being told if we can't get the assignee changed over to us we need to pay for a full structural survey. Feel like our fee earner is working against us!

Guess my question is - is this correct?

Tom99

A certificate of structural adequacy normally is the end result of an insurance claim for subsidence.
Do you have details of such a claim?
Unless this certificate contains a guarantee that the structure will remain sound I can't see any urgent benefit in assigning it to you.
You will sometimes also see a Defects Insurance Guarantee which should be assigned.
Normally in such cases it is the purchaser who pays for any surveys on the building.
You will probably be wasting your money if you commission a survey since the surveyor will have no liability to you purchaser.
Who do you mean by your 'fee earner' and who are you 'being told' by?

redman1989

Hi Tom,

I have all details and have the signed certificate that was originally produced, though being told i need to have a signature assigning it to me.. ?

The "subsidence" was the result of weight re-distribution throughout the house as we had stairs removed which caused some internal crackings but in the structural survey it was said that it was longstanding and not to be an issue, i have a details of the works carried out in which it was just decorative then i have the signed cert to say it's structurally sound. it just fell under subsidence in the claim, it just looked more gnarly then it appeared to be.

The fee earner is the person we have instructed to act on our behalf of us for the sale.