Deflated

PoGee

I wanted to use an inheritance to purchase a property to let out. I was prepared to pay the ADS tax and told the solicitor this but that the ONLY condition was 'subject to mining report'. I understand that it takes time for conveyancing so happy to wait, but I've already been sent a bill to include the purchase price, ADS, VAT, legal fees. I've not to pay it yet but received it anyway. The legal firm also want me to show where the money is coming from, which is no problem. 
Anyway, I went onto the government website, used their map to draw the area I wanted checked and it says it is on a coalfield and advises to get something called an Enviro all in one report starting at £66. Would you buy a property on a coalfield? Just feel would have been better to get the mining report done first.

Abby1984

Why didn’t you check using the Government website if it was on a coalfield before starting the process?

PoGee

I did it myself after getting that uneasy feeling that said - the firm should have received the report by now.

theartfullodger

PoGee said:

I wanted to use an inheritance to purchase a property to let out. I was prepared to pay the ADS tax and told the solicitor this but that the ONLY condition was 'subject to mining report'. ............

Did you "Tell" solicitor by a formal letter/email of instruction, or was it just an informal chat??

Do you have a signed contract with solicitor??

Done any training in how to be a landlord? Or in the 100+ Acts &  regulations that govern landlords??

Are you comfortable you have the financial AND EMOTIONAL reserves to copy with the tenant-from hell (or agent-from-hell) etc etc etc??

PoGee

Informed by email 3/4 times, not signed anything yet, yes I've been a landlord (via letting agent) for approx. 25 years.

user1977

Millions of us live on coalfields, that's hardly an issue. 99% of coal reports don't disclose anything problematic - if it's a particular worry of yours, you can of course get one first, but it's usually treated as a formality in order to tick the box. Plus if you're buying in Scotland, the norm is that the seller's solicitor gets all the searches, so you'd usually wait until they get to the stage of doing that.

Plenty of other far more likely things to worry about!

propertyrental

Given that this was a show-stopper for you I'd have advised you a) to do your own research before even instructing a solicitor and/or b) instructing the solicitor to take no other action till he'd verified this aspect.

My own current purchase had various concerning features - it's on a private estate, owned by the residents so before doing anything I researched the company that owns it to ensure only residents could be shareholders, looked at the accounts to check fees were sensible and looked at the management company employed to run things.

There were several other potential 'show-stoppers' I looked into, and only when satisfied, if only on a preliminary basis, did I instruct a solicitor to proceed.

Had the estate appeared to be badly or expensively managed (or in your case situated on a coalmine!) I'd have walked away before running up costs.

PoGee

Found a map showing most of west of scotland in mining areas however my main residence and rental are not near coal mines. With the new potential purchase, there is an actual mine 0.3 miles away at an angle of 100 degrees and another 0.5 miles away at an angle of 190 degrees. Being on a coalfield would have been fine but sounds too close to actual mines. Oh dear.

user1977

PoGee said:

Found a map showing most of west of scotland in mining areas however my main residence and rental are not near coal mines. With the new potential purchase, there is an actual mine 0.3 miles away at an angle of 100 degrees and another 0.5 miles away at an angle of 190 degrees. Being on a coalfield would have been fine but sounds too close to actual mines. Oh dear.

Why "oh dear"? It's really not a problem.

PoGee

user1977 said: 

PoGee said:

Found a map showing most of west of scotland in mining areas however my main residence and rental are not near coal mines. With the new potential purchase, there is an actual mine 0.3 miles away at an angle of 100 degrees and another 0.5 miles away at an angle of 190 degrees. Being on a coalfield would have been fine but sounds too close to actual mines. Oh dear.

Why "oh dear"? It's really not a problem.

On doing a google search, a sink-hole appeared in 2021, 77 metres away, on a street at an angle of 280 degrees from the property. I'll have a chat tomorrow.  

user1977

PoGee said:

user1977 said: 

PoGee said:

Found a map showing most of west of scotland in mining areas however my main residence and rental are not near coal mines. With the new potential purchase, there is an actual mine 0.3 miles away at an angle of 100 degrees and another 0.5 miles away at an angle of 190 degrees. Being on a coalfield would have been fine but sounds too close to actual mines. Oh dear.

Why "oh dear"? It's really not a problem.

On doing a google search, a sink-hole appeared in 2021, 77 metres away at an angle of 280 degrees. Just gets better   

And did the sinkhole have anything to do with coal mining? Whereabouts are we talking about?