Bought a "new" house, huge issues.

[marco79]

Yeah the 'help you sell' doesn't seem to give two flying ducks about the purchaser.

As far as I am aware a electrical compliance certificate is mandatory, you don't have a choice. The transfer won't go through until you have one.

The electrical compliance certificate on our house was only issued to us by the owner 3 days after registration and we moved in. We were 4 days without electricity because Eskom needs the electrical compliance cert to open a new account.

 

[Carol35]

We are signing tomorrow morning at the banks lawyers so will ask them about the electrical cert and update.

Sorry for the hijack Grimspoon but since you have just been through this (or anyone else), when is a good time to get hold of eskom/municipality etc to sort out the lights and water etc? I dont want to move in and we have no services, also telkom? Will we have to pay deposits etc again or do they just transfer the accounts to a different address from date of occupation and the accounts carry over?

 

[Grimspoon]

Electrical compliance certificate is unfortunately not mandatory anymore for a sale.....

I just went through this with the municipality...

That's news to me. However I think if it's in the offer to purchase it has to be done.

 

[Grimspoon]

We are signing tomorrow morning at the banks lawyers so will ask them about the electrical cert and update.

Sorry for the hijack Grimspoon but since you have just been through this (or anyone else), when is a good time to get hold of eskom/municipality etc to sort out the lights and water etc? I dont want to move in and we have no services, also telkom? Will we have to pay deposits etc again or do they just transfer the accounts to a different address from date of occupation and the accounts carry over?

No problem.

You can only open a municipal account once you have the registration papers. If you are moving in before registration make sure you take the readings on both the water and electricity meters. Telkom transfer your account but you need to give at least 3 weeks notification.

If you pm me your email addy I will send you a document from the council that details step by step what you do when moving with regard to your accounts.

 

[zippy]

At OP, you seem to feel that this property is worth fighting for?

It seems that you are unlikely to get any financial compensation from them.

If the transfer hasn't gone through it seem you have grounds for cancelling? The state the property is now, they probably won't get the same price again which means they stand to lose and this could change the relationship between them and their bank and it will become a repossession.

Is it an option for you to cut your losses now and abandon this purchase?

 

[Splinter]

where do you get your information from? the estate agent has to ensure that all faults are reported to him/her prior to him/her taking on the property for sale. in which case the estate agent has to let the buyer know of what problems there are with the property.

I believe the estate agent has to ask the seller about defects, and then report onwards. If the seller doesn't disclose, then once again it's between seller and purchaser.

However, I think someone hit the nail on the head where they mentioned that if transfer hasn't taken place yet money can be withheld from the purchase price until sorted. Only problem is the purchase price goes to the bank in this case? Another question - did your OTP specifically state that an electrical compliance certificate was needed? Must do, otherwise the transfer would have gone through by now? If so, just threaten the other bank that material clauses have not been fulfilled and you will walk away unless they agree to offset the cost of the repairs required from your purchase price.

I really need to ask my lawyer friend about this.....

 

[Grimspoon]

Well the drama continues to unfold. My lawyer has now sent a nice love letter to them. We wait and see.

With regard to the electrical compliance, yes it has to be done which has now brought a new drama. Due to the owner being so damn slack, we were instructed by the agent to get our own electrician to come do the compliance which I have done.

He sent through the quote today which is a whopppper! The agent nor the owner have seen the quote yet but all of a sudden she wants another electrician to come give a quote. So now the agent gets her electrician to come today, he takes 30 minutes, doesn't check nearly half the things the other electrician did. He didn't even climb in the roof. So I see another huge fight on its way.

 

[Carol35]

I asked the attorneys about the electrical cert this morning and she told me it IS compulsory. The transferring attorneys need it at the deeds office for transfer/registration to take place (lolz, very confusing but something like that) and its the responsibility of the sellers to make sure its done.

 

[Carol35]

Well the drama continues to unfold. My lawyer has now sent a nice love letter to them. We wait and see.

With regard to the electrical compliance, yes it has to be done which has now brought a new drama. Due to the owner being so damn slack, we were instructed by the agent to get our own electrician to come do the compliance which I have done.

He sent through the quote today which is a whopppper! The agent nor the owner have seen the quote yet but all of a sudden she wants another electrician to come give a quote. So now the agent gets her electrician to come today, he takes 30 minutes, doesn't check nearly half the things the other electrician did. He didn't even climb in the roof. So I see another huge fight on its way.

What a nightmare!!!!

I going to mail the agent first thing to find out if the seller has had it done for our place.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Well the drama continues to unfold. My lawyer has now sent a nice love letter to them. We wait and see.

With regard to the electrical compliance, yes it has to be done which has now brought a new drama. Due to the owner being so damn slack, we were instructed by the agent to get our own electrician to come do the compliance which I have done.

He sent through the quote today which is a whopppper! The agent nor the owner have seen the quote yet but all of a sudden she wants another electrician to come give a quote. So now the agent gets her electrician to come today, he takes 30 minutes, doesn't check nearly half the things the other electrician did. He didn't even climb in the roof. So I see another huge fight on its way.

I can send you a copy of the things an electrician is supposed to check for a compliance certificate if you want... I have a valid one for the eThekwini metro, should be similar for you up in your neck of the woods.

 

[Grimspoon]

What a nightmare!!!!

I going to mail the agent first thing to find out if the seller has had it done for our place.

Yeah, it is a nightmare. But I am now on the war path. The owner has had 7 months to do this, I get told to get my guy to come do it, now all of a sudden she sends some useless guy who walks around and switches the lights on and off.

I can send you a copy of the things an electrician is supposed to check for a compliance certificate if you want... I have a valid one for the eThekwini metro, should be similar for you up in your neck of the woods.

That would be great thanks Toxic. Will PM you my addy.

 

[ToxicBunny]

After having a look at mine, there are quite a few tests the guy has to do to make sure the installation is "safe" etc etc...

And it seems that the "form" is a national one, so it should be the same all over the country.

 

[Grimspoon]

After having a look at mine, there are quite a few tests the guy has to do to make sure the installation is "safe" etc etc...

And it seems that the "form" is a national one, so it should be the same all over the country.

I can assure you this chap did no tests other than flick the switches on and off. My electrician was here for about 2 hours with 3 guys. They checked every single thing. If the agent thinks she can get her electrician mate in to give a pathetic quote she has got another thing coming. I bet anything his quote is going to be a fraction of what my guy quoted.

 

[ToxicBunny]

You are within your rights to present the report your guy provided to make the house "compliant" and demand it be fixed...

 

[Carol35]

I can assure you this chap did no tests other than flick the switches on and off. My electrician was here for about 2 hours with 3 guys. They checked every single thing. If the agent thinks she can get her electrician mate in to give a pathetic quote she has got another thing coming. I bet anything his quote is going to be a fraction of what my guy quoted.

But what exactly are they going to quote you on?? Any problems that they find? or for the actual check that everything is in order?

 

[ToxicBunny]

The point of the check, is to find issues with the installation, and then quote on fixing them...

 

[Grimspoon]

But what exactly are they going to quote you on?? Any problems that they find? or for the actual check that everything is in order?

Well I have a full comprehensive list plus photos from my electrician, so what ever this guys omits from his quote I am going to question.

 

[Splinter]

I can assure you this chap did no tests other than flick the switches on and off. My electrician was here for about 2 hours with 3 guys. They checked every single thing. If the agent thinks she can get her electrician mate in to give a pathetic quote she has got another thing coming. I bet anything his quote is going to be a fraction of what my guy quoted.

There is actually an electricians board or something. I made the mistake of getting in a different electrician to fix what the first one didn't do properly on my house before contacting this board. And, in your case, you should NOT have listened to the agent about getting your own electrician in without getting some sort of agreement in place (agent won't care about the drama you now face as long as there is a certificate and the transfer goes through - and therefore the commission). Or at least advising the other party first. But, in your case you can also now tell this "new" electrician you are going to submit his report to the board (as well as your observations about what he did) and ask him if he is willing to testify to the work he did. Seriously - the board actually gets them in to testify as to what they did.

 

[xrapidx]

When my place was done AFTER transfer - the quote for electrical repairs was around R7,000. They also stuffed up the garden watering controller - and disconnected the bloody pump.

Buying my first house was a serious learning experience. At least next time I'll know.

 

[Fuma]

I would cancel this deal if I were you @Grimspoon. It might dream house, close to work and schools, but it's not worth the long term stresses that you'll have for fixing and paying more debt.

CANCEL THE DEAL.