Hello there, I purchased a shared ownership property (75% of) earlier in the year and completed my snagging list. When I contacted the useless housing association I purchased the property through, they told me on three separate occasions that they would ring me back and nobody did.

On the fourth occasion they told me that they could not help me as I owned my house and they only deal with residents who rent from them. They told me I must deal with the builder directly. I have now been chasing the builder four times and after the fourth and final chase, the builder has told me that as they sold the property to the housing association, who then sold it on to me, I must deal with the housing association and not the builder.

I have again, been back to the housing association who have again not come back to me.

I have written them an email which in summary says, "You have again not responded. If you do not respond and provide some form of acknowledgement of my snagging list, I will be forced to take matters further".

In legal terms, how can I take matters further?

I want to threaten getting independent tradesmen in to rectify the issues on account of nobody taking ownership of these issues.

I also pay £300 in rent and £45 per month in service charge. I don't think I can stop paying this and this could cause me further issues along the line.

Can anyone advise me on what I can do next? Every time I ring them, I have to deal with people who don't know what they are talking about and tell me they will ring back and never do.

Any help would be really appreciated as I do not feel it is fair that social housing tenants or owners should be treated in such a disrespectful way.

Is this a new built home???

Why did you complete with a snagging list???

exactly how old id the building? There will be an ombudsman somewhere you can refer this to and the developer wont be able to wriggle out of their obligations. Also did you raise the snagging list with the HA before you purchased and if so do you have a recod of this. Yiou may have them for breach of contract if this was even intimated as being conditional.

Is this a new built home???

Why did you complete with a snagging list???

I was bullied into completing and forced to move into the property before my tenancy had ended on my existing rental property.

It is easy to say, you shouldn't do this or that, but I had already invested thousands in solicitor and legal fees at this point.

After speaking with other shared ownership neighbours, it was quite obvious that this bullying technique was used on all of them.

exactly how old id the building? There will be an ombudsman somewhere you can refer this to and the developer wont be able to wriggle out of their obligations. Also did you raise the snagging list with the HA before you purchased and if so do you have a recod of this. Yiou may have them for breach of contract if this was even intimated as being conditional.

Not sure this would work as I have contacted the builder and they have refused (politely) to deal with me on account of the fact that they sold the properties to the housing association who, in their eyes is their customer. The HA then sold the property onto me, so I must deal with the HA and not the builder.

The Housing Association have been utterly useless so far, and I am continuously having to chase them up as they don't get back to me on time.

I am getting so sick of it, I am considering contacting someone like BBC Watchdog as I think it is awful how people are being treated.

I have no way of finding out what is going on re my snagging issues, nobody ever gets back to me, I have also made a couple of complaints about the general state of the street, and again, nothing has been done, yet I am expected to pay rent and service charge each month.

I forgot to say, the house was completed around Feb/March 18 and I moved in in July 2018.

If this was a new build then I thought they came with a 10 year guarantee? The builder must have known what the HA plans were so to me they are just extracting the proverbial.

so what did you raise as snagging at the time of purchase and who with?

was it doen via your solicitors dealing with the conveyancing? if not where is your paper trail?

the builders are stringing you along, they have an ombudsman you can go to so ignore what they told you before and demand to know what scheme they belong to so you can use your right to have the matter considered.

If I buy a car and it has a known fault that needs a recall the manufacturer cant say it doesnt apply to me because I bought it from a dealer and not from the factory gate. Second hand stuff is still covered under a manufacturer liability regardless of how many hands it has passed through.

Hi

What Does the Shared Ownership Legal Pack state about Snagging Issues?

As already said did you report these Snagging Issues via your Solicitor?

Is the Housing Association a Charity?

If you have a Mortgage for your part of the Property you should make them aware of these issues as well.

What you need to be aware of is you have the right to complain to the Housing Association as a Shared Owner on what you are paying your Rent & Service/Maintenance Charges etc for and for the Housing Association to follow it's Complaints Procedure.

What you need to do if you have not already done so is to write to the Housing Association making sure to Title your letter'Formal Complaint' and give a summary of the issues times/dates/people you corresponded with etc.

You also require the following:

1. Copy of the Complaints Policy (not the leaflet)

2. Copy of the Customer Care Charter/Policy (not the leaflet)

3. Copy of the Shared Ownership Policy (not the leaflet)

4. Clarification of what action in being taken to rectify the Snagging Issues reported on XX/XX/2018

5. Clarification whether the Builder that Built the Properties is NHBC Registered. http://www.nhbc.co.uk/Homeowners/

6. Clarification if the Property has 'Buildmark Choice'. http://www.nhbc.co.uk/Homeowners/ http://www.nhbc.co.uk/Warrantiesandcover/Affordablehousing/

Bear in mind what I have said above as you need to ensure to exhaust the Housing Association Complaints Procedure to the end and if you are still unhappy and have had a Final Response from the Housing Association you can then go to the Housing Ombudsman. Housing Ombudsman Service: https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/

Now what I would also do with the above letter is not just send it to the Housing Association but a copy to the Builders as well ensuring to get proof of posting.

So at the bottom of you letter under your signature is put:

cc: XXX Housing Associattion

cc: XXX Builders

You must ensure to send it to both and to keep a good paper trail.