I am being acused of losing a vendors sale of their property

I was doing some roof work lately on a residential property when I was approached by an engineer who was working on a residential building close by to were I was working. He asked me would I be able to inspect the roof coverings on the building he was surveying and take photographs of problematic areas etc.

I took on the task and on further inspection the roof was structurally unsafe and its coverings were shot. The job was completed and I gave the engineer my analysis in writing with the photographs I had taken as evidence.

The engineer was in full agreement with my findings and I was paid in full on the strength of this. Following on the engineer advised his client who had paid a deposit on the property to revoke his offer which he did.

About two weeks ago I received a telephone call from the vendors solicitor telling me his clients had instructed him to commence legal proceedings against me for losing them a sale.

I called the engineers who had also received the same threatening innuendo from the vendors solicitor. They have been accused of pointing out flooding issues in their report that are in the area but the vendors solicitors say this should not have been mentioned as it was too far away from the property. They are also very unhappy with the engineer who described the properties workmanship as shoddy and not structurally sa

Do I have anything to work about or is this all a storm in a tea cup?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

You have nothing at all to worry about.

I don't know what the vendor or their solicitor is at. You expressed a professional opinion and took photographs. It's very unlikely that they will go any further. They might just be trying to make sure that you don't advise the next potential buyer.

Brendan

Personally I'd ignore this. There is an unhappy ex-vendor here that's lashing out and you seem to be the easy target.

PatrickJ said:

About two weeks ago I received a telephone call from the vendors solicitor telling me his clients had instructed him to commence legal proceedings against me for losing them a sale.

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Sounds like a rogue solicitor to me. The fact you got a call and not a letter is telling. Well done for doing a proper report. Totally improper behaviour as you and the engineer did a professional unbiased report for the potential purchasers.

Thanks for all responses which have taken a load off of my mind. I got the call from the solicitors private mobile and although it did put the wind up my sails I thought it odd that I had not been formally wrote too.

The engineer said he will be ignoring and reiterated the sentiments on here.

PatrickJ said:

Thanks for all responses which have taken a load off of my mind. I got the call from the solicitors private mobile and although it did put the wind up my sails I thought it odd that I had not been formally wrote too.

The engineer said he will be ignoring and reiterated the sentiments on here.

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Sound more like the vendor posing as the solicitor.

ircoha said:

Sound more like the vendor posing as the solicitor.

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+1

Which is a criminal offence.


For what its worth, the OP has no duty of care whatsoever to the vendor in this case, and needn't worry on any level.

Full marks to the engineer for doing a thorough and professional job including taking the initiative to retain OP's equally good services.

Interestingly enough, if the defects had not been spotted and the purchase was completed the purchaser would have fallen foul of the caveat emptor principle and had no comeback against the vendor of the defective property.