Seller doens't own Solar Panels

Gavin83

I know it’s not related to the question but I’d also be concerned why they’re selling up so quickly. Have the given an explanation?

user1977

Isn't your solicitor giving you any advice?

ThisIsWeird

IsaacK said:

mexican_dave said :

Did your mortgage lender "look into" this?? Your lender is unlikely to do this, they will rely on information from your conveyancing solicitor, who will be providing the lender with the property details in accordance with the terms of your mortgage contract. Don't be complacent.
The mortgage company will want to know who owns the kit on your roof, and if it's rent-a-roof what are the terms of the lease. If it is rent-a-roof you might struggle to find these details if the owner is unable to help. The Scottish Power documentation could be for electrical upgrade (maybe fuseboard/distribution board) at owners cost, to enable connection to solar PV. Suggest having a trawl through the various Certification bodies to locate the PV installation certificate eg NAPIT; NEIEC; etc. A copy of such a Certificate should tell you who the "customer" was, ie paid for the work, that would be the FiT company. Here the plot thickens! These are often "fronts" for another company, but they are traceable! Having found the ultimate owner of your PV panels, the lease details will only be released to the property owner, so the seller will have to do the last bit. A real pain, I have been there as a buyer!!!

Good to know we stand in solidarity! 

The doc from Scottish Power is the MCS certificate by the looks of it, which outlines all installation checks and locations of solar panels/ consumer units. It also states that the SSEG owner is the person who had the panels installed in 2012, so I suppose that puts to rest whether it's some sort of rent-a-roof scheme or not.

Not to sound like I'm wearing my tinfoil hat, but I think you could be right about the company being a front, as the company that installed the panel doesn't seem to exist anywhere. Fun!

I suppose all I can do is ask that the seller sorts out their mess out before completing 

Hi Isaak.
It's good you have sight of the MCS doc, as that should confirm it is a legit and certified installation, designed to be connected to the grid. That the owner has a copy of this suggests it was a paid-for system by the then-owner, and not, say, a rentaroof scheme, as I would expect the rar company to have that doc instead, and for it to be in their name, and not the owner's.
So that sounds positive.
2012 was also in the FIT-receiving era, quite possibly at the max rate (can't recall), so almost certainly it was installed by the then-owner to take advantage of this. Another positive.
Then it goes pear-shaped :-)
When the original owner sold to the current one, they had the option of either transferring the ownership and FIT to the new homeowner, or retaining it themselves and keep receiving the FIT. A surprising number of folk want to do the latter, as they are (over)emotively attached to these payments - they paid out the sum for a long term investment, and darned handing that over to anyone else until at least break-even time...
So, you need to find out what happened a year ago. 
The current owners would have had to be naive and poorly guided by their conveyancer to have allowed the ownership and FIT to remain with the original owner, but there's a fair chance that this is what happened.
You have sight of the MCS doc? Good, so you'll have the MCS number. I think that this doc may also show the MPAN number, as the installer has to sign the system owner up to a FIT provider at the time (ours certainly did). 
Armed with these two numbers, I am pretty certain that Ofgem can tell you who the registered owner is, and who is currently receiving the FIT. I need to look back through some emails, but I'm pretty sure Ofgem did this for me for our local school's system.
There is a possibility that the current owner is being deliberately 'coy', if they know that they allowed the previous owner to hang on to the system. If they have, it is just not ideal...
Yes, you will benefit from the leccy being generated, but will have someone else's property stuck to your roof for at least another 15 years. Any work you need doing to your roof, you'll have to contact them for permission. You'll have to pay to remove and reinstate the panels. You'll have to allow meter readers on to your property now and then, even if the regular readings are taken remotely. You'll have to allow maintenance folk on if it goes faulty. For all that, you'll get a £ew £undred's worth of leccy each year, if you can use it whilst the sun is out.
So, I'd be chasing Ofgem (they were very good as I recall) over the ownership.
 

ThisIsWeird

If it turns out to still be in the original ownership, they may be persuadable to sell it on, but expect tough negotiations from the type of folk who wanted to hold on to it in the first place.
The system is almost certainly paid off by now, so it's profit all the way (apart from maintenance). They'll be calculating an income of something like £1.5k pa for 15 years, so comfortably around £25k in total with FIT increases. How much will they want to sell it now? I bet around £10k.

mexican_dave

Quick Google on SSEG throws this up, this company if it's the same are still in business and are submitting accounts to Companies House. Hope this helps, see https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08124507

IsaacK

ThisIsWeird said:

Then it goes pear-shaped :-)

Sounds like you've been hurt before, but it's a good thing I like pears!

I called up Scottish Power, who told me that all I need to transfer the FIT rights to myself is the title deeds to the house, and proof of ownership of the solar panels. I've seen a few people saying that the original owner can keep claiming FIT payments, but perhaps that's not the case anymore as it seems fairly straightforward to get the FIT in my name? (Perhaps I'm the naive one?)

In any case, I've instructed my solicitor to ask the sellers for proof of ownership of the panels, as well as requesting that it be included in the sale. 

Wish me luck!

IsaacK

user1977 said:

Isn't your solicitor giving you any advice?

I asked for guidance and she said:

"I don't know much about solar, I'm just making it up as I go along"

They've been in business almost 40 years

user1977

IsaacK said:

user1977 said:

Isn't your solicitor giving you any advice?

I asked for guidance and she said:

"I don't know much about solar, I'm just making it up as I go along"

They've been in business almost 40 years

Gently suggest to them that they ask a colleague who does know something about solar? Or that they do some research?

ThisIsWeird

IsaacK said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Then it goes pear-shaped :-)

Sounds like you've been hurt before, but it's a good thing I like pears!

I called up Scottish Power, who told me that all I need to transfer the FIT rights to myself is the title deeds to the house, and proof of ownership of the solar panels. I've seen a few people saying that the original owner can keep claiming FIT payments, but perhaps that's not the case anymore as it seems fairly straightforward to get the FIT in my name? (Perhaps I'm the naive one?)

In any case, I've instructed my solicitor to ask the sellers for proof of ownership of the panels, as well as requesting that it be included in the sale. 

Wish me luck!

Good luck!

I don't know if the situation with being able to retain the FIT has changed recently, but I think it's clear that there used to be the option for the system's original owner to hold on to the FIT even after selling the house - I've seen a couple of threads on folk doing this (or trying to, until the buyer complained too much), and the rightful irritation it caused. Also, the 'RentaRoof' type companies clearly do manage to do this every time - they retain ownership of the system for its full FIT life, and claim the income even if the actual house underneath is sold.

Do you have sight of the NCS form? If so, does it have the MPAN number on it? Or, have you been shown an electricity bill for this house - the MPAN should be on there.

mexican_dave

mexican_dave said:

.....The mortgage company will want to know who owns the kit on your roof, and if it's rent-a-roof what are the terms of the lease....

My main concern for Isaac isn't the FiT, but whether the uncertainty of the ownership/lease arrangements will be a stumbling-block to the mortgage, thereby hold-up sale. For how long?