Building control company gone bust !! No one answering the phone what do we do?

[Laiste]

So we're only one inspection out of nine away from completion on a big building project we're doing ourselves (2 story extensions on 2 sides of house) husband is the builder. All inspections so far have passed with zero problem.

Today i've had a generic email from them saying they're not in business any more 😳 No advice and no one answering the phone line.

I'm ringing my local council building control number for advice and they're not answering either (Fri aft i guess)

I'm panicing. Can anyone tell me if the building control company will pass on their reports done so far to the local authority even though they're not trading anymore??! We can't dig up the foundations and drains and take the roof off to show all the bits and pieces to inspect again. We haven't got any copies of the reports it was all kept on our file with the company.

Please help if you have any knowledge of this 🙏 TIA

I would try not to panic, it’s likely you’ll be able to access the previous reports that have been done.
Worst case scenario building control can be obtained retroactively via various methods, sight, photos and small inspection holes. Obviously minor amounts of remedial work could be needed but it’s minor in comparison to not having building control approval.

I’m surprised your husband isn’t aware of the that if he’s the builder.

Is this PWC Building Services? Same here. You need to email your LA Building Inspection Dept - look on website for contact or FAQ page attached to the liquidation email - and get the case transferred to them.

YES! It is!

I've left a message on the LA building Dept. Saying short version of what's going on.

What have you done so far? Have you only heard today?

Re: husband. He's a builder/foreman on building sites. The only domestic project he's worked on with building control is this one. We're so near the end as well!!

Just the damn kitchen fireboard.

They'll keep the files wont they. And be able to send them to LA?

Have rung DH and he's not panicing. He says calm down they wont have burnt them. Made me laugh.

<breathe>

The LA have emailed me back attaching a form I have to fill in to get the case transferred to them. I suggest emailing yours, they might reply quicker that way with something similar. Good luck!

Thank you. I'll do that right now

Agree with pp's suggestions.

Also, you can look on the Companies House website and search for the business name. Hopefully there will be the details of the liquidator/administrator on there. They will be in charge of all paperwork. If it's only just happened it probably won't be filed yet, but as soon as it is, then contact them.

Thank you.
The automated message on their phone line and the jist of the email say that when the liquidating company have .... begun liquidating!? .... (can't remember the right phrase) they'll send a message to all outstanding accounts.

I'm calmer now 😂

I went into a bit of a tail spin earlier!

I've sent off that email to my LA (west northants - in case anyone else local to me is struggling with this same co. shutting down).

As soon as you find out who the liquidator is, contact them anyway. It's what we do at work when one of our customers goes under (fortunately not all that often), and it makes the liquidator aware of your existence early on in the process.

A liquidator's job is to collect all money due to the business, sell all its assets (vehicles, desks, computers, whatever) and if there is any money left over, they use that to pay its debts.

In your case, you need documents from them rather than money, and all those documents will be being stored somewhere, so they may be able to release the paperwork you need reasonably quickly.

Thank you invisiblecat, and to everyone who's helping. I knew i'd get some help on MN

I will do that.

We had something similar with a building regs company the council took over. However we had to pay for the building regs company to send the documents to the council and lost all the money we had paid them to date. I was pretty annoyed but it got sorted.
Good luck.

Looks like they were already on probation before they were liquidated.
https://www.cicair.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Sanction-Notification-PWC.pdf
I know because I am the neighbour of a house that was being extended and supposedly being inspected by them. They were extremely 'light touch' and rarely visited, which of course meant the builders could cut all sorts of corners.
The Cicair notification if you read it is extremely damning, accusing them not only of incompetence but dishonesty, as are the Google reviews where people are threatening class action against them- all long before they went into receivership.

@RobW1 thank you for that info.

I confess due to a family crisis i haven't had the time or headspace to follow this up properly.

I have had an email from the liquidation company to say something along the lines of the local council taking over.

I really really must get on this !

@RobW1 thank you for that info.

I confess due to a family crisis i haven't had the time or headspace to follow this up properly.

I have had an email from the liquidation company to say something along the lines of the local council taking over.

I really really must get on this !