The money Pit help info required from sols/surveyors?!

Little_Otter

My OH bought a house last June. He asked a friend (who owns a surveying firm) to do the survey etc on the house (we paid him), we were told there were no real problems with the house, nothing you wouldnt expect from a property that is around 100 years old (its a cottage)

So my OH put an offer forward which was accepted. We have since found out that there are numerous problems with this property that the surveyor 'friend' didnt tell us about/or checked properly.

I have had the house re surveyed by a trainee surveyor (couldnt afford to pay for another one) he is almost qualified and the report he did was assessed by his trainer. He has told me that some of the problems we have encountered should have been picked up on and investigated further.
We have had to re build the chimney stack, we have woodworm and rot (which i know he couldnt have seen through plasterboard) the joists needed replacing. Again he may not have been able to see this through plasterboard.

There was a prominent dip in the floor/ceiling, which we now know was the lintels above the window where rotten and very old. (this was holding up the bedroom floor)
I have written to this surveyor 'friend' of my OH asking him why there problems were not picked up on, and also to provide me with his Home inspectors licence number. He ignored my letter and informally called by OH asking what 'that' was all about.
I have looked him up (tried to) and it looks as though he does not have a licence number. Surely this means he shouldnt be practising/charging for the work he is doing?

My OH definately wouldnt have paid the price he did for a house with so many problems, or even bought it at all. It has caused so much stress and money we really didnt need to be paying out.
I am an estate agent, so know that i must go about this professionally, the surveyors OH is a solicitor, so i do need to tread carefully.
I feel that he owes us some sort of compensation, or that i should take him to the regulatory board?
Any help/advise would be wonderful! x

Debt_Free_Chick

Was the original survey done formally, by the firm? or informally, as a friend?

Little_Otter

Formally. We have a Home buyers report. There are bits missing in it, (the important part of damp) he hasnt filled it in. i also asked him why he had missed this, he told my OH he must have forgot!

Strapped

There's your problem, having only had a Homebuyer's report for a 100 year old cottage. I'd imagine that it would be very difficult to sue unless your OH had had a full structural survey done, and followed up any recommendations for further specialist surveys. (And, as you yourself conceed, plasterboard covers a multitude of sins. We had a full survey done on this place but as it is dry-lined downstairs, we still took a "risk" without getting the owners' permission to peer behind it.)

saggingvenus

as far as I am aware, the only survey with which you have any 'comeback' is is a full structural survey.. check the small print which may have a disclaimer but should clarify...