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Last ditch attempt for clarity/some concrete answers is going to the council to get categorical answers on the planning permission status.
The work may have been done under permitted development legislation which doesn't require planning permission. The risk is that the work doesn't comply with PD rules. A council would most likely request that a planning application is then made for a lawful development certificate.
When was the work done though? There are time limits on when councils can take enforcement action.
I'd definitely want to see building regs approval though.
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There is building reg approval but (from what I understand) it's not completely clear about what work is included.
At some point in time there's been a conversion to flats (it's a victorian building), renovation of the flats, new windows, and planning permission for a new build (construction due to start soon) in what's currently a back yard area. There are conditions on the planning for the new build that are related to the flat conversions (one of which I am buying) but it's not clear if these have been met. It's now not even clear if it has proper residential usage.
The whole situation is pretty confusing as there are multiple planning applications (some approved, some denied) with various conditions on them.
My overall feeling is that the seller is a property developer with dubious credentials/working practices and retrospectively I'd probably have avoided the place but at this point I'll take it assuming it's not illegal/a total disaster. I'm feeling pretty out of my depth with it all and am just going on what my solicitor is saying. She seems to be putting in a lot of time though and I trust that if she says we need more clarification/evidence of things we probably do.
I'm so bored of buying a flat and the dicks that are selling it to us, they've been fobbing off my solicitor for months and not answering requests for building regs/planning permission documents.
Each time my solicitor digs deeper the seller is painted as shadier and shadier fuckers. Last ditch attempt for clarity/some concrete answers is going to the council to get categorical answers on the planning permission status.
It's looking an awful lot like I'm going to be £1.8k out of pocket (fees/searches/survey) and have wasted the past 6 months not looking for somewhere else. There's a slim chance it will work out fine but I'm not feeling good about it.
Cunts.