Thank You for you helpHi. That sounds awful. Looking up the conditions, it seems the onus is on the 'client' to ensure competent contractors. This is from the local authority website...
'Post Works - The Council will not be responsible for any loss or damage that the applicant may suffer as a result of defects in the works whether structural or otherwise. Applicants should be aware that any inspections of the works by staff employed by the Council or by any of the Councils agents is purely for the information of the Council to establish by visual and cursory examination that the approved works have been completed and the Council does not accept any statutory or common law duty of care to the applicant to ensure that the works have been properly constructed or free of defects. It is therefore in the applicant’s own interest to employ a suitably qualified person to oversee the works and to ensure that the works are properly constructed and free of defects.'
I think your complaint is with the contractor regardless of his views on the inspection. Good luck.
Appreciate your help thank youThis has nothing to do with the Council, they are only concerned that the property qualifies for the grant based on the correct measurements re suitable for wheelchair and the access and supports in the bathroom, the Council don't actually inspect the workmanship. I have gone through this process and it never occurred to me to put any weight on the Council's approval as to the quality of the work. Did your builder come recommended? You are going to have to pursue the builder, that is the only hope.
Thank you I never thought looking at some of the cowboy builder programmes on TV that it would happen to our familyHe will also have to decide if it's worth going after the builder. If he's a cowboy it is probably a futile exercise.
Dreadful that builders can get away with doing this kind of thing to elderly vulnerable people.
Thank you tried Solicitor but the builder just came back using the Council sign off to excuse any liability on his partLooking at what is being said - and you need to confirm it - let us assume that the folk providing the grant are not certifying the quality of the work.
Then if what you say is true, your cause of action seems to be along the lines of both negligence and or breach of contract using materials not fit for purpose etc.
First:
- What exactly you contracted for - is it in writing? It doesn't have to be but you need to establish the facts;
- You need to establish exactly what has happened
- then establish who is to blame and who contributed to it
- who has insurance
- is the builder a limited company / sole trader /
If you do this I would consult FLAC or a Solicitor because on what you have said you seem to have a cause of action
The councils should have a blacklist of builders who do shoddy work (and fail to remedy such) for grant money.Dreadful that builders can get away with doing this kind of thing to elderly vulnerable people.
I always thought that the applicant or the builder had to supply appropriate tax clearance certs to the council in order for the grant to be drawn down. This would suggest that the builder may not be a cowboy but may be chancing his arm to see what he can get away with
Secondly, I also always thought that the only approvals the council gave was from an Occ Health expert as to whether or not the works were fit for purpose for the person, not as to whether or not the build met required standards.
You do have to supply the tax clearance certs but sure some registered builders are woeful too so that doesn't guarantee they know what they are doing.
Yes the council's main interest on inspection is that the works meet the criteria laid down for measurements re turning circle of wheelchair etc and bathroom requirements. It was a council inspector that inspected our job but I don't know what qualifications he would have had if any, all that was checked were measurements.
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