Drains nightmare

[Beetlewing]

We bought a house recently that was a builders project. All paperwork ok, survey done and didn't show any issues etc etc. Been in two weeks and the toilet backs up. I thought it would just need jetting but the drainage company couldn't get the pipe down. They dug our a bit and found a weird bend where one wasn't needed. Upon further digging they discovered the drains weren't connected to the main sewer, and toilet stuff had been going to a soakaway meant for rainwater! At the moment we can't use the toilets, our conveyancing solicitor has said she can pass it over to the litigation team for £750. Is it worth going to a no win no fee lawyer. We are obviously tight for money having just moved house and this is just freaking me out.

Do you have legal cover on your home insurance? If so, get on to them. I would think the house is uninhabitable in its current state.

Get quotes for sorting out the issue and take it from there.

I don't think I would use the same firm of solicitors for litigation btw as the extent of the work done to check documents as part of the conveyancing could be an issue in itself.

Does a survey check the drains ? I presume (same as everyone else) that if you flush it's working ! What on earth where they thinking of ? Did the people live in the house ? Would they have known or did builders do it ? Do you know the name of the builders to chase ?

Wowfudge that's a good point.

notapizzaeater you'd think! We bought it in good faith, through the correct channels etc. Had all the surveys done and searches and never once thought to ask if the drains were connected to the main sewer, silly me.
I'm so peed off! I've emailed the builder (who didn't live here, it was a project to sell on when it was completed to be his pension pot) but not received a reply yet.
It looks like buildings insurance doesn't cover it because it was a fault in installation.

I would speak to the insurance company, I'm not sure connecting a foul drainage pipe to a soakaway is a "fault in installation". More like negligence.

Get some estimates of how much it will cost to put this right (and include the cost of portaloos until then as they're not cheap) and decide what to do.

I would suggest "inviting" the builder who did the work back to put right his mistake (if it was one) before you sue him.

I think this is one of those times when you need to be able to find the money from somewhere to take action against the builder if everything else fails.

Do you know if you are connected to the main sewer at the property or if it has a cesspit/septic tank? I'd get any tank checked out as well. In fact our septic tank has the funny little U bend before it goes in, might there be a problem with the soakaway at the end of the ST so the water isn't able to drain away and that'll be why you're backing up?

Definitely speak to the insurers, don't assume it's a fault in installation or even mention that to them, just tell them what has happened and see what the response is. Work to the drains, moving bathrooms, etc may be covered by building regs and, if so, would need to be inspected and signed off. Apart from anything else, someone has been negligent and needs to be held to account. The builder should have insurance and your insurers would seek to recover their costs from him if he has been negligent.

I would try the insurers and be persistent. Do you know where the drains are and is it a long way for the soil pipe to be connected up? It might not be a big job to remedy the issue.

Usually during the conveyancing stage one of the searches is to check water and drainage. This should have been flagged up.
I would check all your paper work to see if searches with your local water authority were actually carried out, this is usually done as a routine chec.

Vonnie I don't think searches wouldn't be any use in respect of the OP's issue though - they show the house/plot is connected to the mains sewer and has a water supply, but not that someone has gone and incorrectly connected the soil pipe to a soakaway instead of the sewer pipe.