MISPLACED TRUST ? : We’ve re-housed several times through the decades, and whenever dealing with Barfoot & Thompson, have been impressed with their people and their professionalism. But not so on this occasion, purchasing a property with them early December 2020, when the Auckland Real Estate market was at its most hysterical .Repeatedly gazumped at frenzied auctions, the ‘extended settlement’ time from our sale had run out, and we needed a homeSo a re-visit to a property which had been ‘passed in’ at auction 3 months beforehand, & was now being marketed ‘by negotiation’. Impressed by an engaging agent ( Lars Kuo ) and a reputable Company (Barfoot & Thompson/Glenfield) we decided that, despite the house having several evident short-comings, to submit an offer … which was accepted.HOWEVER, three weeks after occupancy, we had the first heavy rain in many weeks, and experienced water cascading into the lounge via a leaking landscape window, and bucketing through electrical light fittings in the soffit at both back and front doors .. transpires that the (internal) guttering system is a rotting hulk ‘the worst I’ve seen in 47 years’ to quote Harvey Taylor (Taylor Fascia & Spouting)’We now know that Internal Guttering shares the same stigma as Plaster Cladding .. a red flag to those au fait with housing/houses, but amazingly neither vendor nor agency knew of this !!!!!The vendors had signed a disclaimer with Barfoots declaring the property water-tight ‘no known issues’ which has proven to be fabrication, (they’d been advised by long-suffering tenants)We presented damning video footage of the flooding to Barfoot & Thompson, citing we’d been sold a house ‘unfit for purpose’ and the response from Dan Manford, Branch Manager, Barfoot & Thompson Glenfield.‘Whilst we acknowledge that this is a difficult situation, and apologise for any inconvenience caused, ultimately Barfoot & Thompson did not and could not have known about this issue before facilitating the sale and therefore cannot be responsible’We have been cast adrift .. saddled with a pending bill in excess of $10k to replace the tragic guttering, and contractors so busy remedying these guttering abominations, that they can’t help us until November 2021 .. we entrusted ourselves to an agent who seemed credible, and an agency of excellent repute .. to say that ‘Barfoot & Thompson did not and could not have known about this issue’ .. just doesn’t cut the mustard .. an office with those decades of experience, SHOULD have known about this red-flag issue, and advised accordingly.Peculiar .. had we bought a regular ‘product’ & it proved unfit for purpose, under the Consumer Guarantees Act, a refund/replacement would be forthcoming .. but here’s a $1M purchase, and Real Estate Agencies have immunity .. what’s that all about ?
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