Civil c*nting Servants

Murphman · October 31, 2006

A client of mine bought a 40% share in her property through a key worker scheme. Three years on she wishes to buy the rest. She paid £200 for a 'valuation', the housing association insisted on it, not a survey, a 'valuation'. It took 4 minutes.

It came back at £185000 which is comfortably £10000 over value, it's a bog standard 3 bedroom ex council house, everybody nows what they sell for, it's a feckin sink estate and people don't queue up to buy there. I advised her to get three valuations from local agents, they all came in with between £175000 to £18000. She went back to the 'housing assistant' who told her, and I quote.

'All Estate agents will down value your house because they want to sell it. What they tell you to sell the house for won't be what it's worth. Our valuer is a professional man and he knows what he's doing'.

WHAT THE F*CK??

At my behest she went back and asked the valuer to reconsider supplying written valuations and sales memorandae from three recent sales (standard practice supplying comparable evidence).

She refused point blank to even approach him and request he take another look, Apparently the procedure now is they instruct another valuer who this time will cost £400 split between my client and the housing association (i.e. Muggins the tax payer) and be warned IF he comes back with a higher figure than £185000 THAT'S what she'll have to pay for the house.

Oh and the valuation isn't worth the paper it's written so far as the lender are concerned, so she'll have to pay again when we submit a mortgage application

Well that's f*cking fair then..

Edited October 31, 2006 by Murphman

Andy Mac · October 31, 2006

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