Coal Mining Report Query from Solictor

Floopy2009

Hi all, 

Need some advice or previous experience from people who have been in the same situation

So my solictors pa rang me as well as emailing me the following :

"In relation to your search reports, we have reviewed the mining report and notes that a subsidence claim was made within 50 meters of the property. This is unusual and not something we see very often and would therefore strongly recommend that you obtain a structural survey for the property to ensure that it is not suffering from any effects of any subsidence"

No they are going to query this with the vendors solictor whether they are aware, not sure when this claim was put inand property, but it has got my solicitor a bit twitchy.

Before these searches where undertaken I had done a level 3 survey and there was no apparent signs of subsidence from the report, the only area where there was internal cracks were in one room but they were not of any concern to survey the rest of the house was fine.

Is it a case i need to do another survey on top of this one and if so what type ?

Also is this something i need to see as a red flag and back away from going any futher into the purchase of this house with a view it might freak other people out in the future when i look to sell ?

Many thanks in advanced

user1977

Have you discussed with your surveyor? You already have a level 3 survey, which is more than the vast majority of buyers get, so I think you're safe enough.

Floopy2009

user1977 said:

Have you discussed with your surveyor? You already have a level 3 survey, which is more than the vast majority of buyers get, so I think you're safe enough.

@user1977 yeah spoke to him before and responded with

"To confirm we did  not note any observable evidence to suggest subsidence, from our investigations we did find the property is built over a mining area so there is a risk of future subsidence, as part of the conveyancing process has your legals obtined a mining report as the report will outline the potential risk"

Thanks 

prowla

Some years ago there was a mini boom in my town as there were subsidence claims against the Coal Board: new cars, extensions, holidays.

Mr.Generous

prowla said:

Some years ago there was a mini boom in my town as there were subsidence claims against the Coal Board: new cars, extensions, holidays.

Some of the surveyors went round with filling knives opoening up cracks between ceilings and walls etc before taking photos, people did a claim for relatively small sums just to get decorating and coving done. My neighbors did it either side of our house. No subsidence, but the cost of house insurance for those who claimed jumped a couple of hundred per year.

Grizebeck

Your solicitor is wrong 
Very common in mining areas for subsidence claims in the 70s/80s/90s
A house I owned in Mansfield had a claim for damages from Sherwood colliery (the effects of longwall mining' where the void collapses as the coal is extracted and the machinery moves along the face)
In fact 90% of the street claimed
Similar story across the coalfields of the UK
Did I care ? No I actually likes the sloping floor!
You can even see coal mine abandonment plans which shows where the faces/tunnels were in relation to an OS map