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My mother in law is in the early stages of dementia so we have bought her a flat in an assisted housing complex much nearer to where we live. My wife, who has power of attorney, is in the process of selling my mother in law's old house. we have a buyer who has offered the actual written price, as in we asked for offers over and they have offered the price we asked for offers over for, hope that makes sense. Anyway we have accepted that offer and now her solicitors have sent us a questionaire asking about various aspects of the building.
There is a plastic porch attached to the rear of the property that my mother in law had built when she moved in 2002. The solicitors have called it a conservatory and are asking if planning permission was obtained. We cannot find anything to say that planning permission was involved and as I said it is a plastic porch not a conservatory. There is no permanent wall built at the base of the porch and it is just screwed to the outside wall of the building and to the floor and then edges sealed. I could, quite easily take a sledge to it and knock it down without affecting the structure of the building in any way.
The kitchen area is a small square area off the main living room. Any dividing wall that was there has been knocked down (presumably) and a covered RSJ (again presumably) runs from the bathroom dividing wall to the outside wall. This was how the house was when my mother in law bought it back in 2002. They have asked my wife if this is a supporting wall. I have said it isn't BUT I am not qualified in any way to say whether it is or isn't a supporting wall and we can find no written evidence one way or the other.
They have also said that the area is a known subsidence area, news to us to be honest, but they have asked if there is any subsidence in the house. Again we have said no but we are not qualified to answer that question.
The last question they have asked is about the prefab garage that is on the premises. Again, this was in situ when my mother in law bought the house in 2002. They want to know if planning was obtained when it was built. Again we can find no written evidence of planning permission ever being obtained.
As I have said my mother in law is in the early stages of dementia and whilst, at the moment, she is quite able to carry on a near normal life she has no idea what these questions mean nor can she answer them. My wife has been asked to answer these questions and then sign a contract of "Whole or Registerd Transfers" for the land registry people.
My questions are:- Should I be concerned that the these questions have been asked?
Shouldn't the prospective buyer be engaging her own surveyor at their expense if they have any concerns about the structure of the property?
Should we sign the contract at this point in time or should we take advice? Who do we ask about all this stuff apart from here?
Apologies for the long post but these things are worrying me a little bit as this is the first time we have sold a property and the bottom line is that it is not our property nor our money after the sale so I want to make absolutely sure that my mother in law is not taken for a ride.
There is a plastic porch attached to the rear of the property that my mother in law had built when she moved in 2002. The solicitors have called it a conservatory and are asking if planning permission was obtained. We cannot find anything to say that planning permission was involved and as I said it is a plastic porch not a conservatory. There is no permanent wall built at the base of the porch and it is just screwed to the outside wall of the building and to the floor and then edges sealed. I could, quite easily take a sledge to it and knock it down without affecting the structure of the building in any way.
The kitchen area is a small square area off the main living room. Any dividing wall that was there has been knocked down (presumably) and a covered RSJ (again presumably) runs from the bathroom dividing wall to the outside wall. This was how the house was when my mother in law bought it back in 2002. They have asked my wife if this is a supporting wall. I have said it isn't BUT I am not qualified in any way to say whether it is or isn't a supporting wall and we can find no written evidence one way or the other.
They have also said that the area is a known subsidence area, news to us to be honest, but they have asked if there is any subsidence in the house. Again we have said no but we are not qualified to answer that question.
The last question they have asked is about the prefab garage that is on the premises. Again, this was in situ when my mother in law bought the house in 2002. They want to know if planning was obtained when it was built. Again we can find no written evidence of planning permission ever being obtained.
As I have said my mother in law is in the early stages of dementia and whilst, at the moment, she is quite able to carry on a near normal life she has no idea what these questions mean nor can she answer them. My wife has been asked to answer these questions and then sign a contract of "Whole or Registerd Transfers" for the land registry people.
My questions are:- Should I be concerned that the these questions have been asked?
Shouldn't the prospective buyer be engaging her own surveyor at their expense if they have any concerns about the structure of the property?
Should we sign the contract at this point in time or should we take advice? Who do we ask about all this stuff apart from here?
Apologies for the long post but these things are worrying me a little bit as this is the first time we have sold a property and the bottom line is that it is not our property nor our money after the sale so I want to make absolutely sure that my mother in law is not taken for a ride.