Declaring insurance claim for subsidence during house sale

[magpieC]

I've just accepted an offer on my house which has had an insurance claim for subsidence. I've been sent a Property Information Form by my solicitors which asks for lots of info about the house but I can't see where I should declare this.

It seems to be a standard Law Society form (TA6 maybe?). Is anyone familiar with it and if so is there something I'm missing? Do I not mention it at this stage but expect further information gathering later in the process where it will come up?

Presumably the people who need to know are the buyers' mortgage company - does it come up at the survey stage? I think you're right - it comes up further down the line. When we sold a house in the same circumstances we managed to transfer the existing building insurance policy to the buyers, and the mortgage company were happy with that.

What a nice honest seller you are.

Our sellers did not disclose that they had made a subsidence insurance claim until after we had a survey which showed up the repairs and were advised by our surveyor to ask questions about subsidence. Even then they wouldn't give us most of the paperwork from their claim .

So yes, it's likely to come up later, once they've had their survey (assuming their surveyor spots it).

In theory if their surveyor doesn't spot it and they don't ask any questions about subsidence, you never have to tell them.

I don't know whether the survey would pick it up - it was initially thought to have been caused by a neighbour's eucalyptus which was then removed, and then reopened a few years later when they put it down to leaky drains which they have repaired.

The form asks for any guarantees/warranties but I don't think I have either of these - only a certificate of structural adequacy.

I'm not sure I qualify as nice and honest as I'm hoping that it doesn't come up and so I don't have to declare it :) (but thanks anyway :) )

there is an additional information form that people sometimes send and it is on there. I have always asked for it to be sent as I know the subsidence question is on there - I can't believe solicitors don't send it as standard (some do).

I agree with MrsM. When we found out there was a subsidence problem and the vendors hadn't told us about it, we automatically assumed the worst and panicked. (Especially when they then were slow to answer our questions).

When we eventually got the details, it turned out to be minor (like yours sounds), but by then we were wondering what else they were hiding. Almost scuppered the sale.

Best to be open - if not now, then as soon as they raise any sort of query at all about it.

Thanks for all your comments - I have told my estate agents, have all the paperwork ready and am more than happy to be completely open about the work (as yes I think it was fairly minor as it had identifiable causes and was all repaired under insurance). I was really just wondering where it would come up in the process (and wasn't going to be broken hearted if it doesn't IYSWIM).

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my buyer isn't going to be put off by it!