FENSA Certificate

[Tim Watts]

FENSA is just self certification for BR - so a BR sign off replaces completely.

Same as Part P etc.

[AnthonyL]

I'm exactly in this situation, buying a house where "the builder" doesn't believe in certification!

New glass door and no markings at all!

Which carries the risk of not being passed

And so many exclusion clauses that in practice it become worthless eg the one I saw precludes any work being carried out on the premises that will cause the invitation of a building inspector - so no new bathroom then.

My solicitor of a relatively small local firm points out that in the past 5 or so years they've placed around ?300k in indemnity insurance of one sort or another and neither the firm nor any of the colleagues in any other firm have ever encountered a claim.

Still - my vendor has offered to pay for such indemnity and as it goes with the property it saves me a bit of a headache further down the line but otherwise I am advised to consider it meaningless.

[John Rumm]

You would be daft, its a sellers market at the moment.

You could print your own I suppose - they would be worth just as much ;-)

[John Rumm]

Who cares anyway, there is an window of opportunity for enforcement of building regs, and once past, there is nothing they can do unless imminent damage to life or someone else's property are likely.

I am sure its a nice little earner for both the insurers and the solicitors in the form of commissions.

[John Rumm]

Someone order one, doctor in photoshop and slap it online, then any place can have one ;-)

[Dave Liquorice]

B-) Why bother with the £12 and ordering. I have one (some where) I don't remember any sort of "security" markings, just plain black text on white card of about 150 gsm.

The "security" is in someone checking with FENSA that the certificate number, address, window count, etc on the certificate agrees with that on record with FENSA.

[Huge]

None.

The whole thing is a stupid pointless waste of time.

[Tim Watts]

Almost.

The actual implication is an argument with a house buyer's solicitor while you tell them to take it or leave it.

It featured when I handled a probate case and FENSA were able to produce the goods.

But in the grand scheme of things it was pointless as the buyer ripped them all out as part of a redevelopment anyway!

[Andrew Gabriel]

Yes, April 2002. (I got mine done in Feb 2002, to avoid it all.) There may have been a 3 month grace period for orders already placed, but it has never been taken very seriously - lack of certificates doesn't seem to mean anything. Solicitors always ask, but 'no' as an answer seemed perfectly OK for several friends who have been in this position.

[Andy Burns]

Have you got a certificate to prove that?

[Mathew Newton]

That's because there never has been a claim made - no local authority has * ever* served an injunction (the action required after 12 months and hence w hy insurance cover requires the work to be this old). The legislation sits completely untested.

Mathew

[Andrew Gabriel]

Don't need one.

(Actually, I have the guarantee which would serve, but it's not necessary. Also, the glazing spacers do all say Feb/02 on them, except one which shattered a couple of years ago.)