Road and sewers unadopted and no management company, should I walk away?

davidmcn

If it's only 8 years old then there probably haven't been any maintenance charges because nothing has needed maintained yet. The sewers could last decades before they need attention. The road will probably need looked at before then. Has your solicitor explained what the maintenance provisions in the titles say? The lack of a management company just means somebody else would need to take on the responsibility of sorting out any work. It's not immensely unusual or impossible, but I expect it will put off some buyers and/or lenders.

Owain_Moneysaver

It's not necessarily a problem. How many houses share the unadopted road/sewer, and do any other houses have access over the unadopted road but do not have to pay towards it?

And are the houses likely to be and remain owner occupied as resident owners are usually more likely to pay up for essential repairs than some landlords?

Mickygg

lilsweetie wrote: »

Thank you splatfoot very helpful, was it maintenance charges you paid to a solicitor I take it? I’m thinking of popping a note through the door of the last house to sell on that road and ask if they know anything as when I asked the lady who’s moved out of the house she looked at me blankly and said she never had a clue about them being unadopted. She’s now moved into a new build, I’m buying her house that she part ex’d for the new build.

It Is possible she wasn’t aware. When I sold my new build several years on from when I bought I only found out then the roads had not been adopted. There was an issue with council and developers over some houses encroaching an area that shouldn’t be.

When I bought I asked my solicitors to hold some money back in case of maintence charges if roads were not adopted. It was only £500 and when I sold this was transferred to new owners. Maybe check if this happened with previous owners.

My main thought on this though would be if the roads are not adopted what will happen to the road and sewers when an issue such as major blockage or pot holes occurs? Round the corner from me now I went to look at a house that has never had road adopted and no residents association or management company set up I loved the house but didn’t buy because the road was awful for pot holes both for cars and looked so messy. We were taking 20 years plus though but if you are thinking of staying for many years it’s worth a thought as the road may never get adopted by council.

lilsweetie

Thanks for all your helpful replies, a lot to think about. That’s exactly my worry Micky, what on earth happens when a sewer blocks or a pot hole occurs, there’s no management company, so do we then get a bill that could be thousands? I don’t know. I don’t want to purchase a house where the road and sewers fall onto my responsibility with nothing put in place where money is being put aside for this already so it looks like I will pull out on this occasion, unless by some miracle my solicitor finds out some good news which isn’t looking great right now.....

It seems on both sides it has downfalls, if I stay for years I could end up with road bills and if I sell I’m more than likely going to have trouble selling it and wary buyers.

davidmcn

lilsweetie wrote: »

there’s no management company, so do we then get a bill that could be thousands? .

Even if there was a management company, you'd still get the bill (plus their own fees). The main issue is that the road and sewer aren't adopted.

lilsweetie

Yeah sorry I understand that, I worded it wrong maybe, at least if a pot was already put to the side for the roads and drains I mean there would be a pot of money ready for when something does need doing and a hefty bill wouldn’t be as much, rather than finding the whole amount when repairs do need doing.

itmakessense

Do you not have a solicitor/conveyancer?? Ask them that's their job

RelievedSheff

We moved into a new build last April and the roads and sewers here are still not adopted.

Our mortgage lender sought something in writing from the developers to confirm that the roads and sewers would be adopted at a later date when the development was finished.

I don't think that this is an uncommon occurance.

DoaM

lilsweetie wrote: »

She’s now moved into a new build, I’m buying her house that she part ex’d for the new build.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding ... who exactly are you buying from? If she's part ex'd the house then you can't be buying from her, surely, so why would you ask her? What do the people you're buying from say?