NHBC cover - neglected to send Acceptance Form

[user1499168267]

Dear All,

I've just joined this forum. hoping to get an advice on the following matter:

Back in 2008 I bought a newly built flat.
Now I have concerns regarding cracks on the wall of the building where my flat is.
Since it was a new build at the time of the sale I expected to be covered for 10 years under NHBC. I've dug up the documents involved in the sale and to my dismay it looks like I must have missed sending a so called Acceptance Form to NHBC all those years ago. I have a doc with NHBC Policy Number. which kind of gives me hope... but I've got the impression that in order to be covered I need to have that Insurance Certificate issued by NHBC on receiving the Acceptance Form and I can't find either of them among my docs.
( and I don't remember sending back to NHBC any docs whatsoever... :( )

Am I in a really bad position now and there is no way NHBC can help me?

Thank you in advance for any response.

Does your document say Buildmark Cover Note? Or does it say Buildmark Insurance Certificate? Shouldn't your solicitor have sent off the acceptance form on your behalf?

RandomlyGenerated, thank you for replying.

My doc. says Buildmark Cover sheet.
It's definitely not a certificate.

And, yes, it would make sense for a solicitor to send the acceptance form, but I can find no traces of that in the bundle of the docs received from my solicitor after the completion of the sale...

I suppose ,the easiest thing would be to just call NHBC, but I would really like to know where I stand from other sources before I do that.

Have you got the full deeds or are they lodged with the solicitor or mortgage company? If the latter, might it be in there?

RandomlyGenerated,

I seem to be such a total dunce - I am not even sure about the deeds...
But having looked through what I have, I think, I don't have the full deeds.

Would it be a good idea to contact my mortgage lender?
Shall I tell them about my concerns with the building? Or will they just make me buy some expensive survey service or something like that...?

I would contact your solicitor / conveyancer first - we bought recently and our conveyancer said they keep purchase info for 16 years, so if this is standard your conveyancer should have the info. There is also now an o line NHBC portal that they can log into, so may be able to check if the insurance certificate was issued.

RandomlyGenerated,

Thanks a lot for your advice - it's very much appreciated.

And looking at our NHBC insurance certificate, it was definitely done by the solicitor (we are second owners).

Good luck - hope you find it's all been done and it's just you don't have a copy of the certificate.

And hopefully the cracks are just settlement and nothing more ominous!

Your solicitor should have done this for you user. Contact the solicitor who acted for you if you aren't sure.

You can e-mail them and they do come back to you (I did have to chase though!)