Pictured above: Stephen Foden, Founder and Director of
Fodens Solicitors
A local firm of property law experts has issued a warning to
homeowners and buyers in the county to ensure that any surveyors
they appoint to carry out house surveys prior to purchase are
sufficiently registered.
Much Wenlock-based Fodens Solicitors is urging people across the
county to check that their surveyors have signed up to the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) new registration scheme
before it becomes mandatory on 1st May.
"There are a number of great surveyors in and around Shropshire
who have signed up to the new RICS scheme in plenty of time, and
they can all supply evidence of their registration" explained
Stephen Foden, Founder and Director of Fodens Solicitors. "But
there will always be some who either can't or haven't registered
which can only be bad news for homeowners."
The RICS Valuer Registration Scheme is designed to raise
valuation standards, improve the quality of surveys, to monitor the
overall output, and to provide protection to the public. "In fact"
explained Stephen, "any surveyor who wishes to undertake valuations
for banks and building societies, or else private valuations for
purchase or probate, must be registered."
"If they're not, at best the survey can be rejected and the
homeowner or purchaser will have to pay for another to be done, and
at worst, poor quality surveys could be relied upon to worrying
effect. The best way to be safe, is to check that your surveyor is
registered and to use a reputable firm" Stephen advised.
Formed in 1999, Fodens Solicitors provides advice in all areas
of law where "property matters", including residential and
commercial property sales and purchase, building construction
disputes and advice, debt recovery, shareholder disputes, and
contested probate claims.