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Vendor had a list of engineers that they “don't want used”

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    #32
    Doop
    Registered Users Posts: 1,466 ✭✭✭Doop


    mrslancaster wrote: »
    I heard something similar when a friend was selling about two years ago. There was lots of interest & the local EA agreed a sale above the asking price but it took months to close.
    There was nothing wrong with the house but the surveyor said the house was overpriced so the bank wouldn't give the buyers the loan they needed. The buyers really wanted the house so they got a different surveyor. Everyone happy.
    I never heard that before but maybe it happened the seller & they know the three on the list won't stop the sale.

    You're mixing up the valuation report and the survey report. Separate reports done by separate people.


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    #33
    The11Duff
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭The11Duff


    Giving a list of engineers that they don't want to survey the house, would start ringing alarm bells straight away. Old saying buyer beware


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    #34
    LuckyLloyd
    Registered Users Posts: 36,158 ✭✭✭✭LuckyLloyd


    awec wrote: »
    Tell them you're not changing engineers. Pull out if they don't accept this.

    That’s the long and the short of it, up to them.


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    #35
    SozBbz
    Registered Users Posts: 1,889 ✭✭✭SozBbz


    Sounds to me like a major red flag - no way would I accept being told who could and couldnt give me their professional opinion.

    I know going sale agreed, especially if its the first time often means you get excited and emotionally invested - buying a home is a huge thing, but this is just so weird and not at all in a good way.

    I'd be inclined to think that no EA would be so stupid as to suggest this so it must be coming from the vendor.

    I'd say to them, you either allow my choice of engineer access on the date specified or I'd like my deposit returned ASAP. Don't be silly just because you've gotten attached to the idea of buying this house. There will be other houses. Let the cards fall as they may.


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    #36
    Steer55
    Closed Accounts Posts: 226 ✭✭Steer55


    Very very odd scenario, I would be running a mile.


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    #37
    givyjoe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,287 ✭✭✭givyjoe


    Paddigol wrote: »
    Pretty outrageous. Typical of estate agent behaviour though. Would set alarm bells off for me anyway - what do they not want discovered?

    At the end of the day, it's pre-contract so they can stipulate what they want. But by the same token, just because your engineer produces a list of issues it doesn't mean that the vendor has to act on them. Its for your own peace of mind.

    So, does Vendor know of issue which would likely scupper the sale if discovered/ result in purchase price being reduced, and they want to avoid wasting time by pulling the sale now instead?

    Or, is Estate Agent just acting the billy big bo**ix and trying to call the shots and badly advising his/ her client? You could call their bluff and ask them to take vendors' direct instructions.

    Bypass the Estate Agent by getting your solicitor to write directly to Vendors' solicitor - that should clarify who's calling the shots.

    Seems to be the sellers request, not the Estate Agent. If it was an estate agent with the problem, can only imagine it's because the engineers on that list have failed previous properties.


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    #38
    AndrewJRenko
    Registered Users Posts: 28,497 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Doop wrote: »
    This is like you going to the vendor and saying you want him to get a different EA, it makes no sense!
    That's actually a great response. Tell the EA that you have a list of EAs that you don't want to use and he's on that list, so ask him when the new EA will be in place.


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    #39
    Wildly Boaring
    Registered Users Posts: 3,631 ✭✭✭Wildly Boaring


    We had a survey done by one bidder prior to their bid. He found "cracks possibly caused by shrinkage or settlement"

    EA advice was to ignore and ensure he did no survey on the house for whomever won the bidding.

    Didn't take his advice and did the opposite. Shared that sentence with the bidders.

    But if we took thats EAs advice we could have had a few engineers "banned"

    What I'm saying OP is that it's quite likely the house has issues


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    #40
    mrslancaster
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭mrslancaster


    kceire wrote: »
    The buyers surveyor doesn't value the house.
    The report is for the buyers eyes and doesn't go near the bank.

    thanks, When I heard it first, I thought things had changed a lot from when we bought but I probably misunderstood.:(


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    #41
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,849 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    I can't think of any logical reason for this that isn't also an automatic reason for you to back out.


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    #42
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,970 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    mrslancaster wrote: »
    thanks, When I heard it first, I thought things had changed a lot from when we bought but I probably misunderstood.:(

    That's not strictly true, your solicitor has to sign that the property is mortgage-able and if they know of something which is going to cost 30 grand to fix you could run into issues.

    Tell the EA now that they have raised the objection you have no choice you have to use that engineer come what may. Ask them do they still what to accept your offer.


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    #43
    the_syco
    Registered Users Posts: 37,295 ✭✭✭✭the_syco


    FutureGuy wrote: »
    EA just informed us that the vendors have a list of engineers that they don’t want to carry out the survey.
    Translation; seller has had multiple possible buyers walk away after said engineers found sh|t wrong with the house, and wish for you to try one that hasn't :pac:

    Perhaps talk to the guy that you've used in the past, and offer him 50% of the usual cost to see the report that he did already?


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    #44
    10-10-20
    Registered Users Posts: 6,760 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    the_syco wrote: »
    Translation; seller has had multiple possible buyers walk away after said engineers found sh|t wrong with the house, and wish for you to try one that hasn't :pac:

    This.
    I've been there, still wearing the tattoo.
    Seller was hiding faults in the build. Moved 'personal items' into an affected room and prevented the engineer from entering (for 'privacy' reasons). Turns out we bought a crock with 'features'. Engineer highlighted these concerns in his report, but we still thought better of his analysis and bought. Don't.


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    #45
    trigger26
    Registered Users Posts: 332 ✭✭trigger26


    10-10-20 wrote: »
    This.
    I've been there, still wearing the tattoo.
    Seller was hiding faults in the build. Moved 'personal items' into an affected room and prevented the engineer from entering (for 'privacy' reasons). Turns out we bought a crock with 'features'. Engineer highlighted these concerns in his report, but we still thought better of his analysis and bought. Don't.
    Good advice. At signing stage at the mo on house, there’s an issue with some unclaimed land/border and we suggested holding x amount for 2 years till they get that sorted. After a delay they’ve come back saying they want unlimited time to sort and 1/2 x amount held. Bizarre altogether and got us thinking something up


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    #46
    trigger26
    Registered Users Posts: 332 ✭✭trigger26


    10-10-20 wrote: »
    This.
    I've been there, still wearing the tattoo.
    Seller was hiding faults in the build. Moved 'personal items' into an affected room and prevented the engineer from entering (for 'privacy' reasons). Turns out we bought a crock with 'features'. Engineer highlighted these concerns in his report, but we still thought better of his analysis and bought. Don't.
    Good advice. At signing stage at the mo on buying house, there’s an issue with some unclaimed land/border and we suggested holding x amount for 2 years till they get that sorted. After a delay they’ve come back saying they want unlimited time to sort and 1/2 x amount held. Bizarre altogether and got us thinking something up


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    #47
    Petedakota
    Registered Users Posts: 12 ✭Petedakota


    Jaykers, i would walk away, i know it is hard to do, a lot of time effort etc, but no way would i buy after that. plus the border issue... once you buy it is now your issue.

    Life is too short.


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    #48
    trigger26
    Registered Users Posts: 332 ✭✭trigger26


    That's what we've done now, they've rejected a time frame on border issue through solicitor so that's it now. It is hard to walk away but this is a huge purchase, I suspect they see bright evenings and think they can get better price or there is a known issue with border/land registration part. Not our problem to fix.


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    #49
    TuringBot47
    Registered Users Posts: 991 ✭✭✭TuringBot47


    It's also quite possible that when previous surveyors found issues with the house that the sellers have since tried to cheaply patch or hide the issue.
    Especially if it was on the market for a year? Thought I read that here?

    So a new surveyor might not see whatever it was, eg. damp, cracks etc.
    They could be cosmetically hidden now, but an engineer who surveyed the house before would know what to look for and see if they actually fixed the issue properly.

    Definite red flag.
    It may or may not be that bad, maybe the sellers have a price in their head for what to accept, and certain survey results would give the bidder ammunition to reduce the price.


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    #50
    limnam
    Registered Users Posts: 9,152 ✭✭✭limnam


    based on the bizareness of their behavior i'd just walk away. Buying a house is difficult enough without a difficult vendor/ea

    The only reason they'd have a "list" imo is it's a list that's found problems previously.

    Or it's the EA's list and claiming it's the vendor. Either way it's odd and i wouldn't go near it


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    #51
    ZX7R
    Registered Users Posts: 3,426 ✭✭✭ZX7R


    EA could have an agreement with a certain engineer is commission.
    Sounds strange as it's on the buyer to get a report done.


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    #52
    stiofan85
    Registered Users Posts: 505 ✭✭✭stiofan85


    Usually the simplest explanation is the right one. This is odd behaviour and indicates something is not right. They either let your engineer in or walk away. If they are trying to hide something, it's probably significant and you could easily end up with a huge cost.


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    #53
    Krombopulos Michael
    Registered Users Posts: 1,088 ✭✭✭Krombopulos Michael


    When I was buying a house in the last few years, went sale agreed on the house dealing directly with seller, there was no EA.

    He kept trying to give me a survey report he had done showing all was great.

    Got my own very reputable (and expensive) engineer out who spent about 4 hours at the house and property and provided a 48 page report. Found major issues with septic and water run off (effectively human waste coming from septic drainage area into neighbours land as not built right) and estimated 12k in repairs.

    We asked seller to either fix or drop the price on the house. He disputed our survey and refused both so we walked away. Year later we found an amazing house, same engineer did report on it and apart from minor things, was good to go.

    If the vendor is refusing your choice of engineer, I'd walk away.


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    #54
    check_six
    Registered Users Posts: 2,245 ✭✭✭check_six


    *adjusts tinfoil hat*

    It's a double bluff OP! They can't give you a list of engineers you *should* use as it would look suspicious, so they give you the same list saying that you *shouldn't* use them. Knowing how contrary people are (in Ireland anyway) it is almost a certainty that you will pick an engineer from the banned list.

    The ones on the list are in on the con and will give a glowing report to the house which almost certainly contains a gateway to hell in the basement (or adjusting for locality, the kitchen extension).

    I would recommend skipping the engineer and heading straight to the local exorcist to save time later! (Remember, it's almost impossible to get demon possession goo off the walls without major redecorating).


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    #55
    FutureGuy
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 15,228 Mod ✭✭✭✭FutureGuy


    ZX7R wrote: »
    EA could have an agreement with a certain engineer is commission.
    Sounds strange as it's on the buyer to get a report done.

    The EA says there are three on the list.

    He won't tell me the other two. :rolleyes:


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    #56
    limnam
    Registered Users Posts: 9,152 ✭✭✭limnam


    FutureGuy wrote: »
    The EA says there are three on the list.

    He won't tell me the other two. :rolleyes:

    It's just daft.

    Move on I'd say


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    #57
    ZX7R
    Registered Users Posts: 3,426 ✭✭✭ZX7R


    FutureGuy wrote: »
    The EA says there are three on the list.

    He won't tell me the other two. :rolleyes:

    Red flag for me , keep looking you will find the right house


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    #58
    Dav010
    Registered Users Posts: 14,084 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    It’s strange for sure. The survey is for your benefit, not the owner’s. I don’t see what difference it makes to the owner, if you try to negotiate price based on the findings of any survey, the vendor can just tell you to take it or leave it.


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    #59
    The Buster
    Registered Users Posts: 218 ✭✭The Buster


    I had similar issue a few years ago. I called estate agent and he said under no circumstances was the engineer getting access to the house. I told him then I was not going ahead with purchase

    Ended up letting my engineer in. Nothing major on report and bought the house

    I kinda got to k ow the estate agent since and over a beer one night i asked what the problem was. He had fallen out with that engineer a few months before that and just didn't want him getting work. He said he was more thorough then others and delayed a few sales resulting in bit more work in closing sales


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    #60
    FutureGuy
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 15,228 Mod ✭✭✭✭FutureGuy


    We are now allowed to have our engineer complete the survey.

    However, this whole situation has us spooked. I have still instructed the solicitor to ask the vendors why this happened.


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    #61
    Metric Tensor
    Registered Users Posts: 3,724 ✭✭✭Metric Tensor


    Make sure you tell your engineer about this. If he is as good as you say he's going to be very thorough anyway but no harm tipping him off that they are potentially trying to hide something from him (or her). Will make him doubly triply extra super thorough!!


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