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For anyone buying a property, it’s important to have as much information about your new home as possible before you commit to buy and exchange contracts. Finding out about major plumbing issues with your new property only when everything has already gone through can be very difficult to deal with, so there are some steps of the house buying process that aim to minimise the chances of this happening.
The TA6 property information form is a document where the seller must disclose any major issues or defects with the property, or details of any major works carried out recently. This should include if there are major known plumbing problems or issues with the plumbing system of the property. If the seller fails to disclose a plumbing problem that they are aware of or tries to hide the issue during the selling process, you might be able to make a claim for property misrepresentation.
Our specialist team can give expert advice on property misrepresentation claims in relation to plumbing issues. Call us on 0161 696 6178.
If you’ve just bought a house and found plumbing problems of a serious nature that you weren’t expecting, it can be very difficult to deal with and can have significant financial implications for you. Some plumbing issues could mean that there has been serious damage done to the property due to escape of water in the past, or there could be ongoing issues that are causing further problems that might be expensive and inconvenient to rectify. If the seller was aware of the plumbing problem but didn’t disclose this on the TA6 property information form, or tried to hide the problem during viewings or surveys in an attempt to mislead you on purpose, you might be able to make a property misrepresentation claim against them.
A successful claim may result in damages being awarded, which would usually be based on the change in value of the property now that the issues have come to light.
Seeking expert legal advice as soon as the plumbing problem is discovered is essential. Our experienced team can investigate whether there is evidence that the seller misrepresented the property. If so, they may be liable for damages if you bring a claim against them.
If the seller of the property was not aware of the plumbing issues that have since been discovered, but you had instructed a full survey of the plumbing system during the buying process and the issues were missed then, it might be possible to bring a surveyor negligence claim. It will need to be proven that the plumbing problems showed signs or evidence that the surveyor should have reasonably found during their visit for them to be held liable for professional negligence.
If the seller had attempted to cover up or disguise the plumbing problem, it’s unlikely that the surveyor would have been able to spot the problem whilst undertaking the instructed survey.
These are reasons why it is essential to seek expert legal advice as soon as possible so that we can investigate the plumbing problem and the circumstances surrounding the house sale to see if you are eligible to make a claim against the seller or your surveyor. Get in touch with our specialist team today by calling 0161 696 6178.
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