Water leak found in Final Inspection before settlement date

I bought one property in Melbourne Dec in Auction and settlement date is next week. I just found a water leak in final inspection before settlement date. Real estate agent said that this doesn't cause serious damage and no action is required from the vendor.

Can I ask opinion from people who had similar experience? Thank you very much in advance!

 

Please be more specific about the water leak.

What is leaking, where, for how long and what is the damage if any?

 

As long as you believe it's a new leak, ignore the REA!
Tell your solicitor to tell the other solicitor that you will not settle unless the leak and all associated damage is fixed. Trust me, it will be fixed pretty quickly or you'll be able to get money off the contract price.

 

Thanks for your quick responding Joynz. The water leak area is close to the door to the backyard. I don't know how long the leaking issue has been. 200ml water remains in the floor of the living room. No obvious damage found on the floor. I am not sure if there are other damages unless we get professional to check the roof and gutter.

 

Thanks a lot for your suggestion. Will do as you said. spludgey

 

So a small (2 cups) puddle of water near the door?

Was it after heavy rain?

Might be as simple as driving rain and a worn door seal. But worth investigating.

 

Yes, about 1 cup of water near the back door to the yard. It seems to be a new leak. The water mark is pretty fresh. Besides. There is another area has some water mark which is already dried up.

 

The REA is foolish in making such comments as he/she is not qualified to have any idea.

 

Speak to your solicitor who can advise your legal position.
Marg

 

Real Estate Agent has verbally confirmed that she didn't see any leaking issue in the past. My solicitor contacted vendor's solicitor with regard to this issue. The responding from them is " Vendor has stated the property is in the same condition as the day of sale"

My solicitor seems to be too soft to negotiate this with the vendor's solicitor. Settlement date is tomorrow. I've organized a roof man to inspect the roof and give me a quote.

If you provide some ideas to convince vendor's solicitor , that would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

Dog?

 

Thanks a lot ! Marg. My solicitor doesn't seem to be sophisticated to start this kind of negotiation with vendor's solicitor. My solicitor told me that we need to take what the vendor said to tell it's the same condition or not.

 

Laws vary from state to state, so advice given on this site may not apply to your state. Your solicitor will know the laws of your state. "Sophistication" really does not come into it.

You always have the option to seek a second legal opinion, but with settlement due tomorrow time will be a factor.
Marg

 

Soft solicitors can be a real pain, so instruct them in writing not to settle unless this is taken care of.

Also tell the REA that you've instructed your solicitor not to settle.

If you do this, these issues will be fixed.