Selling House, Building Control Not Signed Off - Help!

[Brandon123]

Hi,
Hoping that someone can help with this. Sorry, it's quite a long one.
We did a side extension to our house in 2014, plans were approved. We called in Local Council Building Control from the outset. The inspector came along to the site, gave advice on first excavation, inspected it, approved it. Then he became really busy with another project and passed our site to another controller within his team. This new guy subsequently came along, inspected the foundations of our steels, asked us to dig deeper, we did, he inspected, approved it. He came back again to inspect the pitched roof, asked us to make a change, we did, he approved. He even said ( this is verbatim ) " You're great, you do everything I ask, carry on." So, we carried on installing the steels and bi-fold door. Towards the end of the build we actually went back to the council and asked if building control needed to return, and were told he'd come back if he needed to. He didn't.
Now, two years on we're selling our house, and in order to do everything properly we went back again to building control, to this same inspector, and asked for our building regs certificate. He's now saying that we didn't call him to come back and approve the installation of the steels!
He asked for our electrical certificate and a photo of the fixing of the steels to the wall, which we emailed to him two days later. Now, three weeks on, he's suddenly saying that we need photographs, specifically of the pad foundations and connection details. Thankfully, we have pictures, and I think they show everything he's asking for. I sent him all the photos a week ago, but have heard nothing back.
My question is - what power does he have to throw a spanner in the works of our sale? We've done everything absolutely properly, but could he make us show him the foundations and/ or connections, even though we've got images? The building is perfectly safe and has been built to structural engineer's spec. It hasn't got a single crack in it, and has survived the worst storms!
If he'd said at the time he needed to see xyz we would've shown him, but he didn't. He just disappeared. Also concerned that this issue will show up on our buyer's searches?
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks very much.

 

[noseall]

This new guy subsequently came along, inspected the foundations of our steels, asked us to dig deeper, we did, he inspected, approved it.............He's now saying that we didn't call him to come back and approve the installation of the steels!
.

One was a foundation inspection and the other was a steel beam inspection. Both are notable inspections. Why didn't your builder or project manager know this?

I've started dragging bco's to our jobs to approve steel lintels, in respect to those that are specified HD or XHD. It is difficult to prove these once the masonry is built and the sticker and lintel upstand is covered over.

Never assume with BC.

 

[tony1851]

As above, you have to push, push, push these idiots. Too often, inspectors change/move on and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
You've paid Building Control for this 'service', so get back on the phone and demand some action.

 

[Himaginn]

This new guy subsequently came along, inspected the foundations of our steels, asked us to dig deeper, we did, he inspected, approved it.............He's now saying that we didn't call him to come back and approve the installation of the steels!
.

One was a foundation inspection and the other was a steel beam inspection. Both are notable inspections. Why didn't your builder or project manager know this?

I've started dragging bco's to our jobs to approve steel lintels, in respect to those that are specified HD or XHD. It is difficult to prove these once the masonry is built and the sticker and lintel upstand is covered over.

Never assume with BC.

Shouldn't BC give a stage list of when they want to inspect?
I thought that then it's up to the builder or the client to invite BCO, to inspect, and not to continue until the inspection has been completed.

I'm only a DIYer, but that was the process in my experience. Once the application was submitted, the response from BC was a list of stages at which they wanted to inspect, ( I conformed the next required inspection after each inspection) along with telephone numbers, job number, etc.
I kept a record of those inspections, along with the comments of the BCO.
Also after the final inspection I requested a completion certificate.

 

[Brandon123]

Thanks for your replies. Yes, exactly Himaginn that's what I thought. The first BC was very communicative - he told us exactly when he needed to come back so we called him at the relevant times. The new one is totally different - even now I'm still waiting on his reaction to the photos I sent him over a week ago. And agree, tony1851, we've paid for this so-called service! My worry, though, is that the photos aren't enough and he'll insist on seeing the steels. Can he do this, even as the building is now two years old? Or can we go to a private building control company, show them the photos and ask them to possibly sign off? Would that make the council's lack of sign-off irrelevant?

 

[geraldthehamster]

If costs or inconvenience are likely to be involved, then I'd just pay for a (useless) indemnity policy to satisfy any buyer's legal executive. At two years old the building is outside the time limit for enforcement action in any case.

Cheers
Richard

 

[Brandon123]

Thanks Richard. I'll look into an indemnity policy, although I thought that the Local Authority couldn't be involved in the build at all ( ie have never inspected it ) for such a policy to be valid?

 

[geraldthehamster]

You might be right, I've never bought one.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

At two years old the building is outside the time limit for enforcement action in any case.

Not for structural issues or anything else that could present a danger to life, for which there is no time limit.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Not for structural issues or anything else that could present a danger to life, for which there is no time limit.

You're just looking for an excuse to Deploy The Gif

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

 

[Chud]

If costs or inconvenience are likely to be involved, then I'd just pay for a (useless) indemnity policy to satisfy any buyer's legal executive. At two years old the building is outside the time limit for enforcement action in any case.

Cheers
Richard

That's probably off the table as the council know the work has happened and they haven't signed it off - if the council know you cannot get an indemnity.

 

[roboughton]

Do it Do it Do it!!!!!!

 

[tony1851]

At two years old the building is outside the time limit for enforcement action in any case.

Not for structural issues or anything else that could present a danger to life, for which there is no time limit.

Sure, the council could apply for an injunction, but the onus would be on them to prove that it is structurally unsound
and they're not going to risk the costs of loosing.

 

[Brandon123]

The structure isn't unsafe or unsound, definitely not. Not a danger to life in any way! I might try a private building control company, just to get another opinion. T