A major firm of snagging inspectors told me today that he:
"had a client yesterday saying she regretted using the builder's specified solicitor and that they gave her incentives to use their solicitor, which would be withdrawn, if she didn't."It is unbelievable that this is still going on.
It is against 2.5 of the
Consumer Code for Home Builders "You must not restrict the home buyers' choice of legal representative" and the
Consumer Protection Regulations 2008. Some house builders are breaking the law!
The Office of Fair Trading
information leaflet for buyers says
"an agent (this includes house builders!)
cannot force you to meet or use a particular financial advisor, legal representative, or building surveyor" The snagging inspector also said he had been refused the opportunity to examine properties before legal completion, three times so far this month.
This just shows house builders up for what they are!
Anyone who instructs a
snagging inspector who is then refused access should refuse to legally complete until after the property has been inspected, especially at this time of year.
He also inspected one house that
"just was not ready for occupation" and another with just a
"surveyors certificate - who didn't realise the implications of having no warranty" House builders clearly cannot be trusted to abide by their own code of conduct, the Consumer Protection Regulations or even completing a new home fully on the day of legally completion.
It is about time the regulating authorities such as the Office of Fair Trading, started to prosecute house builders in the same way as banks are being fined for their actions and held to account.
The government needs to set up an independent regulator for the house building industry "Ofbuild" as clearly the lax self-regulation within the industry isn't working.
This could be paid for by the house builders from a windfall tax on the excessive profits being made by them from the state subsidised 'Help to Buy' scheme.
