Loft Conversion Building Warrant

[Pudgie]

Desperately looking for some advice and where better than the Hat?

 

 

I bought a 2 bedroom, top floor flat with one of them being a converted loft 7 years ago. It's time to sell up and move on and as we put in a bathroom upstairs we sought retrospective planning permission for it as we thought you were allowed (turns out you canna unless it's a house). Cooncil manne came roon and everything was hunky dory with the bog, just needed some vents and that was it. However, he then went on to say the loft conversion would never have been given approval and we'll need a 5 grand fire suppression mist system and fire doors in case the micro blows up when folk are in their beds. There's a Completion Certificate, applied for by the person that owned my flat at the approximate time of the conversion but the council seem to be saying that they can't find what it relates to.

 

I suppose the question is do we need to prove what the completion certificate relates to, or do the council need to prove that it doesn't relate to the loft conversion?

[Tommy]

I'm pretty sure that Frankie will have had this problem at some time.

[Pudgie]

I'm pretty sure that Frankie will have had this problem at some time.

 

I'm gutted there's not a thread on it already!

[Tommy]

 

I'm gutted there's not a thread on it already!

Just say the work was done when you moved in.

 

That'll scare the fuckers.

[Foster14]

When I bought my house it had two completion certificates. Both stated what the works were not in huge detail but enough to ascertain the work it related to

 

In addition, your solicitor should have done their due diligence and ran any alterations and related plans/completion certificates wtc by a surveyor. So I'd check back to any correspondence you had with them.

[Redforever86]

Just sell it with out the loft conversion being approved. The council won't make he new owners rip it out and it won't make much difference to the new buyers when you have to accept an offer under valuation anyway.

 

In the mean time threaten the council with some emails and demand to know what the completion certificate was for. Consistently insist you were told it was for the loft conversation. A simple search of the planning website should reveal if any other planning permission was applied for which would cover a lot of possibilities (there isn't that much alteration you can do to a flat).

 

Possibly contact the previous owner if possible to see if he can provide evidence or back you up.

[daytripping]

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[Redstar]

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Insightful as ever DT...Pudgie my guess would be you'll be asking way over the odds...like you did with those electric drums...so will struggle to sell...add to that the illegal building work and the current Aberdeen property market malaise...you're not moving anytime soon chief.

[Reed or deed]

Just fill the entire loft with expanding foam.

No one will ever know.

[The Boofon]

Desperately looking for some advice and where better than the Hat?

 

 

I bought a 2 bedroom, top floor flat with one of them being a converted loft 7 years ago. It's time to sell up and move on and as we put in a bathroom upstairs we sought retrospective planning permission for it as we thought you were allowed (turns out you canna unless it's a house). Cooncil manne came roon and everything was hunky dory with the bog, just needed some vents and that was it. However, he then went on to say the loft conversion would never have been given approval and we'll need a 5 grand fire suppression mist system and fire doors in case the micro blows up when folk are in their beds. There's a Completion Certificate, applied for by the person that owned my flat at the approximate time of the conversion but the council seem to be saying that they can't find what it relates to.

 

I suppose the question is do we need to prove what the completion certificate relates to, or do the council need to prove that it doesn't relate to the loft conversion?

Why the fuck would you contact the council?

 

Gype. Unless it's a listed building including interiors you don't need to tell them.

 

However you have and as they've knocked that back it just has to sell as a 1 bedroom instead.

 

Is this the loft conversion that you did when you asked about Celotex insulation a couple of years ago?

[Redstar]

Aye Pudgie min...stick to baking cakes chief...this Houses under the hammer stuff looks to be well beyond you...

[dave_min]

Burn the place down.

[spamspamspam]

there's laws in place that mean that if the conversion is over a certain age then no permission is needed and it doesnt have to pass the rules the council bloke is quoting.

 

I was close to having issues with a flat, the bedroom came off the kitchen. Managed to bypass them as the set up for the flat was over 10 years old.

[Pudgie]

Why the fuck would you contact the council?

 

Gype. Unless it's a listed building including interiors you don't need to tell them.

 

However you have and as they've knocked that back it just has to sell as a 1 bedroom instead.

 

Is this the loft conversion that you did when you asked about Celotex insulation a couple of years ago?

 

Solicitors instruction. It was a simple bathroom installation that should have been as straightforward as a visit, and checking boxes.

 

Aye Pudgie min...stick to baking cakes chief...this Houses under the hammer stuff looks to be well beyond you...

 

 

Still managed to get full ask for those drums IIRC.

 

there's laws in place that mean that if the conversion is over a certain age then no permission is needed and it doesnt have to pass the rules the council bloke is quoting.

 

I was close to having issues with a flat, the bedroom came off the kitchen. Managed to bypass them as the set up for the flat was over 10 years old.

It's over 25 years old and everything I've read says that there's a certain time that stuff is just accepted as arite and 10 years seems to be the most common I've heard.

 

Had a rake through all our papers again last night and it looks like tenement was converted to flats in 89 and the plans show a converted attic floor. I'll email them to the council again on Monday and get them to explain how the completion certificate doesn't relate to the current layout. They say they delete all planning materials after 25 years. Without them being able to prove it's not for the loft we should be arite?

[spamspamspam]

 

Solicitors instruction. It was a simple bathroom installation that should have been as straightforward as a visit, and checking boxes.

 

 

 

Still managed to get full ask for those drums IIRC.

 

It's over 25 years old and everything I've read says that there's a certain time that stuff is just accepted as arite and 10 years seems to be the most common I've heard.

 

Had a rake through all our papers again last night and it looks like tenement was converted to flats in 89 and the plans show a converted attic floor. I'll email them to the council again on Monday and get them to explain how the completion certificate doesn't relate to the current layout. They say they delete all planning materials after 25 years. Without them being able to prove it's not for the loft we should be arite?

 

Just tell them it was carried out 20+ years ago... Your deeds should have it down as either a 1 bed flat with loft or a 2 bed flat with no mention of a loft. If its the latter then the council should have no problem with it as long as you can prove its an old change.