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Neighbour claiming roof damages.

3 replies

Mette14 · 15/05/2014 21:12

Advice,suggestions most welcome....

We have owned a terraced house which we let to excellent tenants for 10yrs.The property is now empty and a buyer is due to sign contract.
As we live 200 miles away the property has been managed by a local agent.Neither the agent/tenants have mentioned problems with neighbours.

Suddenly the next door neighbour complained to the agent our roof had caused damp problems in his house,and he had to have a new flat roof,and left a receipt for £1,900 with our agent claiming we caused the damage!

We had a roofer check it out and he could not say either way as the new roof is in place. I cannot understand why he did not let us have the 'problem' looked at before he went ahead.
Could this be a try on as he will know the place is for sale leading us to pay up?
Am really worried that this could prevent the sale now...not sure how to handle the situation. Any thoughts/suggestions would be welcome.

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PeterParkerSays · 15/05/2014 21:30

I would ask your solicitor to send him a letter saying that you will not be contributing to this work as he did not give you notice of the problem before the restorative work was done, and thereby prevented you from getting your own assessment done.

He's shot himself in the foot if your roof did cause it, because by taking off the old roof, he's taken away any evidence of the problem in situ.

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Mette14 · 16/05/2014 21:07

Thank you,and will arrange for a letter to be sent.Hopefully this will not turn into a dispute that could prevent the sale going through.

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Mette14 · 22/05/2014 21:40

Have received a letter in answer to one I sent,saying he is taking the matter to court as he has been informed he has a good case + now claims that water is coming into his kitchen from a rain storm last night,that our roof is the cause,and warning us that the costs are getting higher daily!!

Still no proof has been offered to us,sadly looks as if this dispute will stop our house sale,cannot afford to keep sending solicitors letters,should we just wait till he actually acts out his threat of court action?