Partially completed house - position re Building Control

PMBC

Friend recently bought a partially completed house i.e roofed, sealed, windows and doors. He has spoken to the person who was looking after the BC element who told him he "would have to deal with him regarding BC and completion". Is that correct? Can the certifier can be changed in a case such as this, provided he has certified compliance to date? The purchaser thinks that person will 'screw him' on the basis that no one else can complete the documentation/BCMS.
I would have thought that the friend's solicitor should have sorted that out/ insisted on certificate of compliance to date from seller.
Thanks for any help.

Metric Tensor

Your friend's solicitor should indeed have advised him to do that!

I also think it is poor form of the existing certifier to phrase it in the way he has. Of course we are hearing this second hand so it may not have been phrased so "aggressively"!

The short answer is: Yes - it is possible to change certifier but the long answer makes it a little more difficult:

1. It's unlikely a new certifier will take on the role unless they get some comfort from the first guy (in the form of a written confirmation) that the works to date are compliant.

2. Depending on the type of commencement notice lodged for the dwelling in the first place your friend "might" have to liaise with building control to effect this change. Search for the dwelling on https://www.localgov.ie/ to find out what type of commencement notice was lodged and that will inform you more.

Gumbo

Yes the AC can be changed, but, the new AC is taking responder all the works, including what has been done to date. Effectively putting him at the top of the tree now.

The original AC could not have certified it already as the CCC is at completion stage.

PMBC

Thanks Metric Tensor and Gumbo - great replies/info, as usual