BUILDING RE CERTIFICATE

[daisygal168]

In October 2005 I had double glazing fitted on my property. I used a local company in the hope that they would not mess me about.

I am still waiting to receive my buildings reg certificate and every time I ring up the owner spins a story about being too busy and how he will get onto it straight away.

I also dont have a receipt for the work.

Does anyone know what I can do? They are not registered with any official trade bodies and im sick of phoning the owner and getting no where.

Is this illegal and will I have problems selling my house without this document?
thanks

 

[Softus]

Don't phone - write.

Say that unless they produce the certificate, you will hold them liable for any loss of value realised when selling the house.

Ask politely for the certificate within 7 days, or you will contact the publisher of wherever you saw/see their advert, and advise that this company does not issue certificates.

Also, contact the LABC and ask for their advice in obtaining a certificate.

 

[Richard C]

If they are not FENSA registered they can’t give you a certificate & they should have advised you that you needed to get the work inspected & certified by Building Control &, preferably, done this & paid for it on your behalf. It’s not illegal but you will almost certainly have problems when you try & sell as the new buyer’s mortgage company won’t advance the money until a conformance certificate is produced. However, providing the company hasn’t made a complete pigs ear of the job & the windows comply with current standards, getting one from BC should not be a problem it will just cost you more money!

Make it clear to the company that you are not going to go quietly but are going to get as difficult as possible if they don’t respond satisfactorily to your written request within a reasonable specified time period; & send it recorded delivery. Contact your LABC for their advice as Softus suggests & if they don’t respond, I would also contact the your local trading standards office as well as they can often get a result by leaning on the company. The fact you don’t have a receipt doesn’t help either, do you have a written quote or anything to prove they actually did the work? Please don’t tell me it was a ‘cash’ job!

 

[Softus]

I would also contact the your local trading standards office as well as they can often get a result by leaning on the company.

Good advice Richard, but I don't concur with this part (above). It's a popular myth that Trading Standards lean on individual companies as a result of individual complaints. However, they grow teeth only when the volume of complaints is excessive, otherwise they do nothing but listen and advise.

Or do you have experience of TS acting on a single complaint?

 

[daisygal168]

Thanks for the advice, I do have a written quote and paid by bankers draft.
They did tell me they would organise the building certificate for me and the windows look professional enough so hopefully there wont be a problem getting the certificate.

 

[Richard C]

I would also contact the your local trading standards office as well as they can often get a result by leaning on the company.

Good advice Richard, but I don't concur with this part (above). It's a popular myth that Trading Standards lean on individual companies as a result of individual complaints. However, they grow teeth only when the volume of complaints is excessive, otherwise they do nothing but listen and advise.

Or do you have experience of TS acting on a single complaint?

Hi Softus.
Yes I do; last year I had a problem getting a certificate for a new oil tank installation from an OFTEC registered, one man band. I’d had a similar & never ending ‘too busy’ story as daisygal &, in my case, the multi-barrel complaint to OFTEC, trading standards & the local advertising publisher very quickly got the desired result; being registered, the guy was dependant on his certification for a living, although at one point I was beginning to think he wasn’t! It was OFTTEC who did most of the leaning but Trading Standards also got involved & passed the complaint to their regional head office (in Ipswich I think); they advised they were treating it very seriously as the guy was advertising as a registered installer; but maybe he already had other bad marks against his name!

 

[Softus]

Hi Richard

Interesting result - glad it got sorted out!