Aedis Building Inspectors unreachable

JME5052

I just got off the phone with another building inspection company who are taking on some of Aedis's work and they confirmed Aedis have gone into liquidation. We just started our build with Aedis and they have been on site inspecting foundations Etc. but then we haven't been able to get in touch with the inspector in the last 2 weeks and like everyone else on here we haven't been able to get an answer from the office. From what I understand, each local council is handling the next steps of the process depending on their capacity to take on new work. There is also the option of using another building inspection company. I was concerned ther businesses may face the same insurance issues as Aedis but I looked on the CICAIR register and you can locate inspection companies in your area and once you click on the company name you can click into their insurance policy and see when it is up for renewal. At least then you can see what timeframe you might be working with!

guitar77

What a mess. Our LA haven't been massively useful. Just 'fill out a from and pay the full whack'. which is not particularly useful in terms of where we are in the project (extension complete - awaiting sign off). What we do and what we pay will vary significantly dependent on whether the council get our inspection notes (if they exist!).
Will we have to rip holes in the property to show structural stuff? dunno. How long will all this take? dunno. Do we wait until Aedis actually give us a plan of action to access notes? dunno. Aedis mention a third party taking over. Will they? dunno. Refund? fat chance.
Aedis management have acted like a bunch of cowards. No excuse for not telling updating us and at least telling us our notes are safe and can be accessed.

I don't hear any voices from government, regulators or the media about this. This is having a massive effect on probably thousands of people. I'm with Banstead and Reigate council. If anyone else is with them and they get some positive information off them as to a plan, then please tell us.

Has anyone phoned Total Building Control? Whats their take on it?

OK we just phoned Total building control. They are inundated with calls about this and they said they were 'not picking the pieces up' and its the council that will be sorting this out. He said there is nobody from Aedis that they can to talk to either, so in terms of them taking over, I'm not sure where this is coming from, but it seems a dead end. Sorry folks.

theGrinch

When the weasels at Aedis talk of "someone taking over", they are surely referring to the appointed liquidator running the company.

They will in turn write to all creditors and give them the usual bs. Once secure creditors are paid and the suits get their fees there is likely to be no money in the pot. If there is then getting money back will be a few years and then its 1 or 2p in the £.

I worked in that industry for a while and know how it functions.

The LAs are dealing with the pieces and yes this will be big, but won't effect all BC companies (though it will push premiums up) and yes there is no leadership at national government level until it starts biting their own !!!!!! with government projects that need signing off by a set of inspectors whose insurance is up in the next few months.

My inspector has directed me to send an email to admin@aedis.com
to get my notes, which I did a week ago and I am still waiting.

ComicGeek

guitar77 wrote: »

Our LA haven't been massively useful.

I'm not sure why they would be - the LA competes directly with the Approved Inspectors for work, and you decided to choose a competitor over them. If the LA have to undertake any inspections or reviews, then they need paying - no different to any other company undertaking that role, the fact that they are operating within the LA offices makes no difference in this case.

I do think that you have been incredibly unlucky with timing on this - it has happened before, and will happen again, but you're unlucky to be caught out by it.

JT19

Didn’t a similar thing happen with a warranty provider recently?

Whatamuddle

Try not to take your anger out on local authority building control - they have not caused this issue but, with very little information and time, this problem is being dumped on them to sort out. They will do all they can to help you but, you also need to work with them to achieve this. Sadly, you will have to pay again as the local authority building control service is required by law, to be self financing from the charges it makes for its service so, it cannot cover the financial issues you have with Aedis.
At very short notice the local authority service is having to try and react to handle all the potential additional workload that this situation has caused (Aedis isn't the only Approved Inspector [AI] affected).
Incidentally, I believe the process being referred to, to involve the local authority provision, is called REVERSION, not regularisation, as that is something quite different. This process is there to manage incidences when an AI is unable to proceed with a project; usually when they are unable to obtain compliance from the builder as, AI's are unable to carry out legal enforcement. The project is accordingly REVERTED to the local authority to do this. These situations do happen but not very often and generally individual projects; it was never really designed to cope with the situation now faced with potentially many reversions hitting individual local authority services in one go.
CICAIR is the registering body for AI's but, they don't seem to be doing anything at all to assist or even monitor the situation amongst their members. Why Aedis cannot secure alternative insurance can only be speculated upon.
So whilst this will be very upsetting and annoying for many people and may cost additional fees, rather than take it out on your local authority service, who will simply want to try help you through the process, complain to the registration body, CICAIR - and to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government - you can easily Google the web details
Yes, I have had involvement in building control over the years and I think a reasonably good understanding of the systems. AI's, as can be seen, can fold and seemingly leave you stranded, local authority building control can't, and won't but, you make your choice of provider....

Whatamuddle

guitar77 wrote: »

What a mess. Our LA haven't been massively useful. Just 'fill out a from and pay the full whack'. which is not particularly useful in terms of where we are in the project (extension complete - awaiting sign off). What we do and what we pay will vary significantly dependent on whether the council get our inspection notes (if they exist!).
Will we have to rip holes in the property to show structural stuff? dunno. How long will all this take? dunno. Do we wait until Aedis actually give us a plan of action to access notes? dunno. Aedis mention a third party taking over. Will they? dunno. Refund? fat chance.
Aedis management have acted like a bunch of cowards. No excuse for not telling updating us and at least telling us our notes are safe and can be accessed.

I don't hear any voices from government, regulators or the media about this. This is having a massive effect on probably thousands of people. I'm with Banstead and Reigate council. If anyone else is with them and they get some positive information off them as to a plan, then please tell us.

Has anyone phoned Total Building Control? Whats their take on it?

OK we just phoned Total building control. They are inundated with calls about this and they said they were 'not picking the pieces up' and its the council that will be sorting this out. He said there is nobody from Aedis that they can to talk to either, so in terms of them taking over, I'm not sure where this is coming from, but it seems a dead end. Sorry folks.

You chose an AI but now expect the public service to bail you out for free? the local authority building control service will try help you but they are up against it too having being dumped on with very little notice or information - and they have to service their own customers too!

Whatamuddle

JT19 wrote: »

Didn’t a similar thing happen with a warranty provider recently?

Carillion - then overstretched themselves and crashed taking their building control service with them. Local Authorities were expected to bail them out too

Whatamuddle

theGrinch wrote: »

While technically we are in breach, I will finish (as I am at final inspection stage) and then wait for some clarity as the dust settles.

I will not make a regularisation application at this stage.

.

It is called a reversion - regularisation is something different. It is a process to cover your project in the event of your AI no longer being able to continue As I understand it you can cancel your Initial Notice submitted through Aedis either, submit another IN using a different AI - if you can find one willing to take on the risk of another AI's work or, revert back to the local authority - Reversion. Fortunately local authorities are reliably there to pick up the pieces for you but, you need to work with them to achieve this. The private sector system has caused this problem not local authorities. You will need to give the local authority service time to deal with this; it was not of their making and they need to gear up for the situation.
If you complete building works without any appropriate legal inspection then don't moan when you have to open up works etc to gain sign off or avoid prosecution. Being bullish is all very well but could cause more hassle... just a thought...

Whatamuddle

myk33 wrote: »

I read that it is Total Building Control who are the company to take this on..

I think Aedis started to work through TBC but TBC are not proceeding