BC Certificate and surveyors report possibly contradictory?

[Jdwood38]

Good evening everyone,

We are in the process of buying a property and I'm a bit stuck with understanding something that has come out of the process. I'm pretty sure it'll be resolved by the solicitor but just interested in others opinions on the matter, particularly with some of the very helpful input I've had from here in the past!

Some time ago, the double garage was converted into an annexe with a bedroom above and both garages becoming a self contained unit. The sellers have converted one half back into a garage and the other half into a utility room, with the bedroom remaining upstairs.

In the half which is going back to a garage, all the plasterboard has been removed from the walls (ceiling remains) and a new wall built to provide the 'external' wall to the utility - all fine so far.

We knew that there was a building control application open for this work and the sellers said that it would be completed. Again, all fine. Our solicitor asked for the certificate and one has been provided that was signed off at the end of last month.

We had a survey completed early last week and one of the things highlighted was in the garage, the edges of the ceiling were open from where the plasterboard was removed from the walls and would be a fire separation hazard (I'm not sure if separation between a garage and bedroom should be 30/60/90minute protection? Not that it makes any difference with such big gaps).

So the question is; how can a BC certificate be signed off as work being completed with such a glaring (is it?) defect that is then picked up by a surveyor a mere 6 days later?

Thanks in advance.

 

[frutbunn]

The fire resistance period is 30 minutes. When was the plasterboard removed from the walls? Before or after b control inspected the work?

 

[Jdwood38]

Thanks for the reply.

So it wasn't on the walls when we viewed in summer and the BC application online has been open for quite some time! The completion certificate was dated 26 October and the survey was just 6 days later. So I'd take a very good stab at it being exactly like this on the date of the completion certificate.

 

[frutbunn]

Is that the date of the inspection or date it was issued?

 

[Jdwood38]

That's a good question! One I don't know the answer to I'm afraid - apart from the certificate being dated 26 October. The initial application was started c.2018 I think.

Are you thinking that it could have been inspected (for completion) pre-removal of the plasterboard and pre-viewing?

 

[frutbunn]

That's a good question! One I don't know the answer to I'm afraid - apart from the certificate being dated 26 October. The initial application was started c.2018 I think.

Are you thinking that it could have been inspected (for completion) pre-removal of the plasterboard and pre-viewing?

That's what I'm thinking as its something I personally always insist on viewing. If there's no access to the garage they don't get the cert till there is!

 

[Jdwood38]

I guess it's possible! Is it a feasible time scale for: final inspection (and agreement to sign off) > plasterboard removed leaving void open > our viewing in late August > completion certificate issued in late October > issue confirmed by surveyor in early November?

To be honest, it was something I highlighted when we made an offer; that we would need to convert it back to a usable garage (as it was that incomplete) and the sellers said it was their intention to finish it. So I am of the thinking that the certificate has been issued with lack of a complete fire barrier. Just trying to work out how that can happen! But of course open to challenge on that thinking from the more experienced!

 

[wessex101]

Grenfell Tower was inspected and signed off by the local authority Building Control. That pretty much tells you how much your completion certificate is worth.

 

[frutbunn]

To be honest, it was something I highlighted when we made an offer; that we would need to convert it back to a usable garage (as it was that incomplete) and the sellers said it was their intention to finish it. So I am of the thinking that the certificate has been issued with lack of a complete fire barrier. Just trying to work out how that can happen! But of course open to challenge on that thinking from the more experienced!

If it has been missed I'm surprised, I would always insist on seeing this and if missing I would not issue a cert until it was done and reinspected.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

Try lobbing the ball back aggressively into the sellers court. Tell them the survey has shown that they made changes to a fire compartment which breached building regs and they have to sort it. At the very least it will answer the question about when BC did the inspection.

 

[johnny2007]

Are you going to lose this property for a couple of sheets of plasterboard that can be added in an hour?
Or are you looking for a way out of the purchase?

 

[Nakajo]

If it has been missed I'm surprised.

Surprised? Really? Errors and omissions of this sort are tragically common.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

Are you going to lose this property for a couple of sheets of plasterboard that can be added in an hour?
Or are you looking for a way out of the purchase?

Or worried about buying a property where either building control didnt inspect properly or where the seller did work on the QT that broke the regs?

 

[johnny2007]

Or worried about buying a property where either building control didnt inspect properly or where the seller did work on the QT that broke the regs?

BC very rarely check everything.
If you read any completion certificate it says something along the lines of "as far as we can inspect..."
So if you remove pieces of plasterboard after getting the certificate, nobody will challenge you.
What I don't understand is why they removed the plasterboard from the walls.
Aren't you allowed to have plasterboard in a garage?

 

[Jdwood38]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the input on this. All is now sorted and the explanation was really quite simple in the end! When the building control officer visited, there was still a small gap in the ceiling resulting in the effectively incomplete fire compartment. The BC officer said that if they patch it properly and send a photo once complete then they would sign it off - which I think I've read before can be fairly common.

And absolutely definitely not looking for a way to back out of the sale as now completed!