Allocated Parking and Car Park Repairs

Section62

Weathergirl_76 said:

@HampshireH I have no idea who owns the timber wall, and my purchase is a month in, I haven’t had anything through yet from my conveyancer, but I will be raising the point. The timber retaining wall holds back the grass bank behind it. I don’t know who owns that. Will this all be confirmed as part of the sale? Sorry I’m new to this, I’ve only purchased properties with private parking/driveways. 

From the small amount visible through the vehicle access on streetview it appears the wall is some form of 'Criblock' - so almost certainly structural rather than cosmetic/landscaping.

5 foot high would make it significant - this wasn't just a landscaping project. In the circumstances it is quite likely the wall was built so the developers could cut into the existing slope to make space for the car park. If that is the case then it is also quite likely the wall (and possibly the slope above) is in the ownership of the properties at the bottom.

Repairing/replacing members at the base of this kind of wall is problematic, as they are designed to 'lock' themselves in place from the weight of the wall and supported ground.

But if the wall has also moved/bulged then it would imply that either the design was under-strength, or there has been movement on the slope above which has caused forces greater than the design strength.

Either way, if significant work is required to strengthen/repair the wall then an estimate of £20k is likely to be very low. I'd suggest a ball-park of six-figures as a minimum.

Also relevant is the limited headroom in the access way - which I assume is the only way of accessing the rear of the properties. The headroom issue is made worse by the slope up into the car park - which will limit the length of vehicle of a given height that would be able to pass through the access.  That would seriously constrain the type of plant the contractor will be able to use - to the point where they may have no option but to bring in a crane to lift excavators etc over the top of the building.

If the wall is the responsibility of the properties, and the survey is correct, then this would look to me to be a case of walking away asap before spending any more money on the purchase.

Weathergirl_76

@section62 thanks for looking into this and your comments.  I will ask my conveyancer about this, as I am keen to know if residents are aware of the issue with the wall and how they would plan to deal with this. Is this something an indemnity insurance could cover? 

Section62

Weathergirl_76 said:

@section62 thanks for looking into this and your comments.  I will ask my conveyancer about this, as I am keen to know if residents are aware of the issue with the wall and how they would plan to deal with this. Is this something an indemnity insurance could cover? 

I can't see any indemnity policy paying out for the costs of repairing/replacing a retaining wall which was identified as defective before the policy was taken out.

The best hope for the residents (if the problem is as serious as I suspect) would be if the management co had taken out a general insurance product which covers this risk, or failing that, if the maintenance of the wall is someone else's responsibility.

Weathergirl_76

Section62 said:

Weathergirl_76 said:

@section62 thanks for looking into this and your comments.  I will ask my conveyancer about this, as I am keen to know if residents are aware of the issue with the wall and how they would plan to deal with this. Is this something an indemnity insurance could cover? 

I can't see any indemnity policy paying out for the costs of repairing/replacing a retaining wall which was identified as defective before the policy was taken out.

The best hope for the residents (if the problem is as serious as I suspect) would be if the management co had taken out a general insurance product which covers this risk, or failing that, if the maintenance of the wall is someone else's responsibility.

Thanks, I will ask the questions and find out. I appreciate your input. I hope the MC has something in place. 

Justonemorecupoftea

Can you ask how much is currently in the management charge maintenance pot?

Also surveyors often point out things that will need replacing soon, that go on to last for 10+ years 

Weathergirl_76

Justonemorecupoftea said:

Can you ask how much is currently in the management charge maintenance pot?

Also surveyors often point out things that will need replacing soon, that go on to last for 10+ years 

Yes, I will be asking lots of questions. I am interested to know if this is on the radar of the MC and/or residents. 

When I purchased my previous property, the mortgage company sent someone to do their checks, and one of the points raised was the timber decking under the water tank in the loft was under ‘immense’ strain and needed ‘immediate’ attention. I moved in and had it checked, and the builder scratched his head and couldn’t see an issue. It remained in situ with no known issue until I moved out several years later.