fire safety certificate?

A

AppleSun

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hi,
Can anyone tell me whether it is usual for a buyers solicitor to insist on recieveing a fire safety certificate for an apartment?

Edited to say:

recieved signed contracts and deposit from buyer however their solicitor had added on a number of conditons( abit cheeky i think). we answered 3 of them , however the 4th one was for a safety certificate and how the block deals with surface water and fire safety compliance etc.

the developers architect has come back and said there is one for the block but that this is highly unusual request and that they are not supplying one and are not legally obliged to do so.

so now i risk losing my purchaser and my new house all becuase of the purchasers damn solicitor.
 
Depending on when the apartment was constructed, it is highly likely that there is a Fire Safety Certificate, its a legal requirement and it is an important part of title. So far from being unreasonable, your "purchasers' damn solicitor" is probably just doing his job properly.

mf
 
it was built a year and ahalf ago. and teh dvelopers have not had to supply any to any other buyers. the architect and fire safety officer (as i said already) said it is not a legal requirement to supply a buyer with it. (the apartment complex has them)

as far as i can read on the net, the builders must have this in place prior to construction and have it signed off by the relevant authority which they have got.

my solicitor is very experienced and says this is very unusual. (i hope i'm calling it the right thing, he did mention a safety compliance certificate.)
 
What's the big deal here? All your solicitor needs to do is supply a copy of the A4 sized document, whether the request is unusual or not I don't see why your solicitor should have issue with this. It's common practice to furnish a copy of the planning permission, the commencement notice AND the fire safety certificate.
 
do you guys actually work in the industry??

it's not usual...

the issue is the developers will not provide my solicitor with the certificate in the first place. the letter of indemnity already states that it is fire compliant.

so i therefore can not pass this on to the buyer.
 
Apple,

i work in the industry - sorry, but it is standard stuff to look for a copy.

It forms part of the planning documents for the apartment
 
Could it be that it is not the fire safety certificate that is being sought but the "Safety File"?

Which would mean that we've all been replying quite correctly but the "real" query is not the query to which the reply is sought?

mf
 
I also work in the industry, as a fire consultant, and you yourself should insist on a copy of the fire safety certificate. When you bought the apartment you should have been given a copy, very surprised your solicitor did'nt get one when you bought the apartment. Certainly the purchasers are quite correct asking for a copy of the FSC. Do not place any reliance on the 'letter of indemnity'.
 
Why not get a copy of the Grant of Fire Certificate from your local Authority? Most Local Authorities now have recent planning documents (last 5 years min) available online and so you can even print off a pdf copy on the spot.
 
mo3art said:
Why not get a copy of the Grant of Fire Certificate from your local Authority? Most Local Authorities now have recent planning documents (last 5 years min) available online and so you can even print off a pdf copy on the spot.
Click to expand...

I did check online. they have a letter from the Cheif fire officer confirming it is compliant but it is not the fire certificate and they don't show one online.

I didn't get one when i moved into the place though maybe that might be due to my old solicitor being crap.

I am a bit confused why my new soliciotr (who is very experienced) and the estate agent say they've never heard of this as it's not a usual request.

I may have misunderstood him however. he did mention a fire cert and something about surface water drainage..
 
not all solicitors ask for a copy of the fsc, but they should as you would be surprised as to what it contains sometimes. Personally, if i was buying an apartment i would aslways insist on site of the FSCA report, drawings and grant. You'd be amazed just how often a developer ignores the FSC requirements. My advise is insist that your solicitor gets the developers fsc and pass it onto the purchaser. The developer must have the certificate and has to give you a copy.
 
hmm well thats the thing. both the developers, their Architects and fire office say they are not legally onliged to supply it and so will not give me a copy.

From the chief fire officer's letter on the CC site, it is compliant so I may just have to take a day off work and go in and see if i can get a copy of it.

thanks guys..
 
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