Yacht survey

[Csail]

Had a bloke look at buying my boat so he got a survey, he didn't buy it so i thought i would buy the survey rights. The surveyor replied with this-


Dear Mr xxxxxxx,

Our position is still, as I explained, that the survey report is no longer ours once the client has paid us for it. Whatever agreement you and Mr xxxxxx come to is completely between you two alone. Failing this you can re-commission us to go and look at the boat again at a reduced fee as (obviously) we do have most of the information we require already.

I hope this answers your query,

Regards,

xxxxxxxx

So if they have just surveyed it why on earth do they need to come to look at it again, surely they could just print of another copy and charge me some admin fee? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[bendyone]

Yes they could but they are in business to make money for themselves, so they will charge what they can get away with. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[charles_reed]

They are legally correct, they acted on behalf of the person who instructed them. The suggestion that they're in it for the money only is both uncharitable and perverse. No doubt the person who wrote it refuses all payment for his/her work and does purely for Agape.

If I were you I might have enquired what the reduced fee was - it might have been very similar to the "admin" fee you mention.

 

[temptress]

As I understand it the ‘original’ survey is the exclusive property of the party that paid for it. The surveyor cannot give you a copy unless he’s instructed to so by the party that instructed him in the first place. Even then he will almost certainly charge you an admin fee.

Could you not come to some arrangement with the failed buyer? Surely the survey cost him money and he may want to recover some of this. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Csail]

I could if i knew the customers number but the surveyor and brokerage can't disclose it.

 

[theforeman]

well ask the broker to pass a message to the buyer that you will pay something for a copy of the survey.

 

[Spyro]

Presumably you want to know what was wrong and why he didn't buy. I would have thought it would also be in the brokers best interest to find out. I'd be pushing the broker for some info.

 

[absit_omen]

[ QUOTE ]
I could if i knew the customers number but the surveyor and brokerage can't disclose it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I can tell you how the brokerage can disclose it.

Terminate your contract and they will send you a list of interested parties and their postcodes.

Should you sell to one of these parties within one year you must pay full brokerage commission.

Cute eh!

 

[PeterGibbs]

Look at it this way: what's the survey worth to you? If nothing, which is the gist of your post, then nothing's what you're most likely to get.

If you have a sensible sum in mind for what it's really worth, for peace of mind or whatever, why not offer that to the surveyor for a condensed version of the work already done. If he refuses your offer, why would you then pay someone else even more to do a new survey. Not logical is it?

PWG

 

[maxi77]

[ QUOTE ]
I could if i knew the customers number but the surveyor and brokerage can't disclose it.

[/ QUOTE ]

You could get the broker to forward letter to the non purchaser,

 

[ditchcrawler]

Whether this is right I do not know but a broker told me that he did not have to disclose any known faults that were not obvious unless the buyer specifically asked.Would it be possible for a friend to show interest in the boat & ask the broker if any sales of the boat had fallen through & what were the reasons.Just a thought.

 

[Richard10002]

If the buyer had given some reasons for not buying, then the broker should have no problem declaring those reasons to the owner.

I am assuming that the buyer got his survey, called up, and said he was withdrawing. Had any negotiation been proffered, the broker would/should have got a copy of the survey, and made the seller aware of all the issues, as well as giving the seller a copy of the survey to support the negotiation.

Personally, if I were the seller, and I had merely been told that the buyer didnt want to proceed, with no reason given, I would be a bit disappointed with my broker, and would ask the surveyor how much they wanted for a survey in my name.

 

[pip50]

Why do you want the survey?
If is for peace of mind thats fine but as you did not contract the survey has has no duty of care to you and if he missed somthing hard luck- your insurance company might accept it but if a fault is found at a later date, they or you can not then go back and claim on his Indemnity Insurance and guess who then takes the risk - not the insurance company.
Its the old old story you get what you pay for. Its surpising how people - yes me included! try to save money - have a look around your yard and see boats worth many thousands have their washboards secured with a cheap padlock form a pound store!!
Oh the joys of boating - have another conversation with the surveyor and suggest that he 'asigns' it to you - yes for a fee but you are then protected in law.