Survey Comeback

[coldstream-1971]

Hi any help from legal brains needed
Last july 2016 we moved brought a house which supposedly had been subject to a full structural survey which missed countless faults in the house it's only recently we've discovered these major faults.Due to this and other reasons both my wife and i have been diagnosed with depression and are both not able to work .
Seeing it is over a year since the survey was done do we still have any comeback against the surveyors or are we over the time limit (if there is such a thing) ?
Thanks in advance

[bednobs]

hi, im afriad i dont know the answer, but can you give an idea of what the faults were that were missed? How much did you pay for the survey? do yu now what it was called?

[bednobs]

sorry for the terrible spelling You. Know.

[jourdain2]

Builder might know. Try an FAO or repeat the question in Home & Garden. Barmaid is on holiday.

[vetuste_ennemi]

//...which supposedly had been subject to a full structural survey//

This suggests that you yourself didn't pay for a full survey, Coldstream. Is that right?...

[Buenchico]

You can take court action against someone (who has failed to provide the quality of service you should reasonably expected to have received) for up to 6 years after they've provided that service OR (if later) for up to 6 years after it first became apparent that they'd failed to provide a proper service. So, in your case, the clock only started ticking when you first found out that the surveyor had missed faults which he ought to have found.

In the first instance though, a complaint to the RICS might be the best way forwards:
https://www.rics.org/uk/regulation1/complaints1/make-a-complaint/

[Peter Pedant]

well you are within time
6 y I think on the statute of limitations currently in force

and it you paid for a service you can legitimately expect that the service is carried out with care

https://www.proneg.co.uk/surveyors-negligence.html

[coldstream-1971]

No every one i didn't pay for the survey my sister did so she earns considerably more than me mind you for all its worth it might as well been printed on loo paper she paid approx £650 for the survey:(

[bednobs]

i am not sure you can get a full structural survey for that cost, it seems cheap. What does the survey actually say/what's it called?

[zebo]

I seem to recall when we were buying, 7 years ago, there were three levels of survey, a basic survey for a mortgage, a more complex one that most people get which at that price sounds like it's the one and a full structural survey which is usually quite pricey.

[Buenchico]

The three different types of survey are explained here, together with their typical costs:
http://www.structuralsurvey.org/house-survey-costs-compared/

[Peter Pedant]

well you can definitely sue
here is one reported on the internet recently ( in law terms)

http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2014/648.html

appeal case - you can read it yourself and see the difficulties

the later expert has the house-as-is
and has to work backwards to what it was like when bought

but you know some litigants win .....