Vendor uninstalling EV charging point

ThisIsWeird

ManuelG said:

It might have cost them £800, but surely the cost of removal and making safe is going to cost them at least a moderate proportion of that?

Almost certainly an indication of the cheapskate mentality involved.

As with FIT-PV systems, where many folk appear to be worryingly attached to them until at least the initial outlay has been recovered, I have heard a few tales about EV owners also being fixated on their running costs, presumably due to the large initial outlay. MIL had a friend visit last year, and she - at 83 years - still cooked him a full English each morn. Despite her asking him to let her know when he'd be ready for this meal so's she could cook it fresh, he'd disappear, sometimes for hours, and turn up unannounced, explaining his app told him that leccy was a fraction of a penny cheaper in the next town.

An ex-scientist, he has also sued, or attempted to, Nissan and now Hyundai for their cars not achieving the stated mileage.

I am sure there are plenty normal EV owners too! (But I bet they're all cheesed off by their current running costs...)

Section62

Pendrive said:

Op, you need to decide whether the lack of an EV charging pint it going to affect you in the short and long term. 

Seriously though, for something of that value,, that was never included, just let it go.

With respect, I think you need to read my posts again, because this misses the actual point entirely. 

Which is precisely your point of the possible effects of the removal of something built into an exterior wall, while leaving other parts of the installation within the wall behind.

As for 'always being taken', I travelled quite a way for two viewings with a rep of the EA who mentioned it as seemingly a selling point. It's fair to suggest that information should have been accurate rather earlier.

Your beef should be with the EA, they are the ones who gave you the wrong information about the CP and as you said, their response has been that the people doing the viewings didn't know.  That fits with the modern trend for EA's to use casual/part-time viewings assistants who know nothing very much about the property and are there just to unlock the door and be friendly.

It is possible the vendor has changed their mind about taking the CP and the EA is just covering for them by taking the blame.

However, beware of being sucked into ThisIsWeird's regular approach of assigning everything to some form of deep-seated personality fault in whoever the OP of a thread is dealing with.  Without meeting the individual being assessed of course, and only having snippits of information about them.

Whether or not the vendor has personal number plates on the car is completely irrelevant to your property purchase.

You are buying the house, not the person living in it.  All you need to know is whether the price you are paying for the property is 'fair' and whether the vendor is sufficiently trustworthy to give you vacant possession on the agreed date and with what remains/taken being as per the declaration.

Any pseudo-psychoanalysis of the vendor is futile, and likely totally incorrect.  A property purchase is a business transaction and should be approached on that basis.... try to avoid making it personal.

The comparison with the FIT payment case isn't a very good one.  That payment would be for something which is installed on the roof which is being left behind.  In effect the vendor would be earning an income from part of the property the buyer would now own, just as if I'm selling a field but expect to keep the rental income for it.

A better comparison would be as I said upthread - would you expect a TV costing £800 to be left behind if it were attached to the wall and was there when you viewed the house?

The key issue is whether the installation will be left electrically safe, and contrary to what ThisIsWeird said, I would have concerns whether the removal was leaving the building weatherproof, thermally insulated, and structurally sound.

Unfortunately without pictures there is little assurance forum members can give you on that key point - you need to flag it up as something specific to be looked at when you have the survey done, you need to have a copy of the electrician's sign-off for the removal work, and if the removal happens after your survey then ideally you need the surveyor to go back to confirm all is well.

You could go back and ask to renegotiate the agreed price of the property.  But that comes with risks.  In any event I would wait to see what the survey turns up in terms of defects (with the property generally) and whether you want something knocked off for that, rather than renegotiating over the charging point and then having to go back for a further renegotiation over building defects/repairs.

silvercar

Plenty of talk on Facebook EV groups about moving chargers. They are worth a few hundred pounds and if your buyer doesn’t even have an electric car, the vendor probably thinks they may as well use it. 

What’s left behind is an electric cable with possibly a data cable alongside, any electrician should be able to make it safe.

ThisIsWeird

Section62 said:

Pendrive said:

Op, you need to decide whether the lack of an EV charging pint it going to affect you in the short and long term. 

Seriously though, for something of that value,, that was never included, just let it go.

With respect, I think you need to read my posts again, because this misses the actual point entirely. 

Which is precisely your point of the possible effects of the removal of something built into an exterior wall, while leaving other parts of the installation within the wall behind.

As for 'always being taken', I travelled quite a way for two viewings with a rep of the EA who mentioned it as seemingly a selling point. It's fair to suggest that information should have been accurate rather earlier.

Your beef should be with the EA, they are the ones who gave you the wrong information about the CP and as you said, their response has been that the people doing the viewings didn't know.  That fits with the modern trend for EA's to use casual/part-time viewings assistants who know nothing very much about the property and are there just to unlock the door and be friendly.

It is possible the vendor has changed their mind about taking the CP and the EA is just covering for them by taking the blame.

However, beware of being sucked into ThisIsWeird's regular approach of assigning everything to some form of deep-seated personality fault in whoever the OP of a thread is dealing with.  Without meeting the individual being assessed of course, and only having snippits of information about them.

Whether or not the vendor has personal number plates on the car is completely irrelevant to your property purchase.

You are buying the house, not the person living in it.  All you need to know is whether the price you are paying for the property is 'fair' and whether the vendor is sufficiently trustworthy to give you vacant possession on the agreed date and with what remains/taken being as per the declaration.

Any pseudo-psychoanalysis of the vendor is futile, and likely totally incorrect.  A property purchase is a business transaction and should be approached on that basis.... try to avoid making it personal.

The comparison with the FIT payment case isn't a very good one.  That payment would be for something which is installed on the roof which is being left behind.  In effect the vendor would be earning an income from part of the property the buyer would now own, just as if I'm selling a field but expect to keep the rental income for it.

A better comparison would be as I said upthread - would you expect a TV costing £800 to be left behind if it were attached to the wall and was there when you viewed the house?

The key issue is whether the installation will be left electrically safe, and contrary to what ThisIsWeird said, I would have concerns whether the removal was leaving the building weatherproof, thermally insulated, and structurally sound.

Unfortunately without pictures there is little assurance forum members can give you on that key point - you need to flag it up as something specific to be looked at when you have the survey done, you need to have a copy of the electrician's sign-off for the removal work, and if the removal happens after your survey then ideally you need the surveyor to go back to confirm all is well.

You could go back and ask to renegotiate the agreed price of the property.  But that comes with risks.  In any event I would wait to see what the survey turns up in terms of defects (with the property generally) and whether you want something knocked off for that, rather than renegotiating over the charging point and then having to go back for a further renegotiation over building defects/repairs.

I could claim irony :-)

jonnydeppiwish!

Pendrive said:

Op, you need to decide whether the lack of an EV charging pint it going to affect you in the short and long term. 

Seriously though, for something of that value,, that was never included, just let it go.

With respect, I think you need to read my posts again, because this misses the actual point entirely. 

Which is precisely your point of the possible effects of the removal of something built into an exterior wall, while leaving other parts of the installation within the wall behind.

As for 'always being taken', I travelled quite a way for two viewings with a rep of the EA who mentioned it as seemingly a selling point. It's fair to suggest that information should have been accurate rather earlier.

I read your posts thoroughly. To ‘make safe’ is as simple as placing a couple of wago’s/chocolate boxes on the end and put into an external waterproofed electrical box. It’s not rocket science and doesn’t need to be completed by an electrician.

As for you travelling quite a way, what’s that go to do with it? You have to do your own due diligence in purchasing - the vendor has by telling you it was going to be taken. The fact that the EA wasn’t aware is not the Vendor’s problem as an example of a wall mounted tv earlier, or shelving.

Use this as learning - ask before if you want something to be included in your offer.

We bought a house because of the log burner 12 years ago - when we made our offer, it was with the condition the log burner stayed.

jonnydeppiwish!

ManuelG said:

It might have cost them £800, but surely the cost of removal and making safe is going to cost them at least a moderate proportion of that?

About £25 to make good.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-32a-3-way-lever-connector-50-pack/2803r
https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-ip55-weatherproof-outdoor-enclosure-75-x-53-x-85mm/33991?tc=BE1&ds_rl=1249401&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx7mW7aap_wIVUsHtCh10egCJEAQYAyABEgLuCfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Pendrive

jonnydeppiwish! said:

I read your posts thoroughly. 

As for you travelling quite a way, what’s that go to do with it? You have to do your own due diligence in purchasing - the vendor has by telling you it was going to be taken. The fact that the EA wasn’t aware is not the Vendor’s problem.

What due diligence would you like me to do, in a context in which I am told something is included at times of viewing, and later find out that isn't the case? And I would suggest the EA, having been appointed by the vendor, is more their problem than mine. Or do you think I'm responsible for vetting them also? I have already contacted them to ask about this, and express my displeasure. But it's a separate issue anyway to what I have actually posted about here.

And why is my coming to this forum now, to ask about experiences and implications of this having now found out about it, not 'due diligence' being carried out?

Travelling quite a way means not being able to get photos which people on here are saying would be useful. It also takes considerable time and and cost, and one needs accurate information - this is not the only problematic issue which has arisen; and misinformation has been an issue. In terms of this particular issue I need to know what the implications may be of removing this charger in terms of possible future cost, future use limitations etc, because the hassle factor is already quite high for this process. And the trust factor on my part is getting quite low.

I am baffled at your coming on here determined to blame me in some way - for what? Asking questions about something I have just found out?

Read my posts carefully, please.

ThisIsWeird

jonnydeppiwish! said:

ManuelG said:

It might have cost them £800, but surely the cost of removal and making safe is going to cost them at least a moderate proportion of that?

About £25 to make good.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-32a-3-way-lever-connector-50-pack/2803r
https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-ip55-weatherproof-outdoor-enclosure-75-x-53-x-85mm/33991?tc=BE1&ds_rl=1249401&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx7mW7aap_wIVUsHtCh10egCJEAQYAyABEgLuCfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Seriously, JDIW - how much is it likely to really cost the vendor to have the CP removed, leaving it all in an aesthetically acceptable and safe condition?

If the actual CP unit itself is a separate removable unit within a weatherproof enclosure that can remain behind, then fair do's, it shouldn't be much. But a tad more than £25.

Tiglet2

Pendrive said:

jonnydeppiwish! said:

I read your posts thoroughly. 

As for you travelling quite a way, what’s that go to do with it? You have to do your own due diligence in purchasing - the vendor has by telling you it was going to be taken. The fact that the EA wasn’t aware is not the Vendor’s problem.

What due diligence would you like me to do, in a context in which I am told something is included at times of viewing, and later find out that isn't the case? And I would suggest the EA, having been appointed by the vendor, is more their problem than mine. Or do you think I'm responsible for vetting them also? I have already contacted them to ask about this, and express my displeasure. But it's a separate issue anyway to what I have actually posted about here.

And why is my coming to this forum now, to ask about experiences and implications of this having now found out about it, not 'due diligence' being carried out?

Travelling quite a way means not being able to get photos which people on here are saying would be useful. It also takes considerable time and and cost, and one needs accurate information - this is not the only problematic issue which has arisen; and misinformation has been an issue. In terms of this particular issue I need to know what the implications may be of removing this charger in terms of possible future cost, future use limitations etc, because the hassle factor is already quite high for this process. And the trust factor on my part is getting quite low.

I am baffled at your coming on here determined to blame me in some way - for what? Asking questions about something I have just found out?

Read my posts carefully, please.

If there are any lessons to be learned from Pendrive's experience, it is that EAs are sales people who are hellbent on selling properties.  They are not legally trained, nor are their colour brochures and sales particulars to be relied upon.  They are not legal documents and are not part of the contract. 

As someone upthread said, EAs know very little about the houses they are selling, let alone what is to be included or not included in the transaction.  The reason being that EAs consider all the nitty gritty of actual facts not their job, instead they insist it to be the solicitors' job.  Look at the lack of EA information regarding leasehold properties for instance.  

A good EA may well ask pertinent questions so that their sales particulars are accurate, but many do not, because the legal conveyancing contract will rely only on what's in the Property Information Form and Fixtures & Fittings Form.  

Pendrive, you have done your due diligence and found out about this before completing on the purchase, which some might not have done.  So, now you must renegotiate the price, or insist that the seller provides evidence that the removal has been done correctly before proceeding.

subjecttocontract

Why not go back and tell them you were led to believe the CP was included and if it's now being removed you will have to reconsider wether you want to purchase the property. You may get lucky and have them agree to leave it in place.