EVERY Saturday, The Consumer Crew are here to solve your problems.
Mel Hunter will take on readers’ consumer issues, Amanda Cable will give you the best advice for buying your dream home, Maddy Tooke rounds up the best coupons to save you money and Judge Rinder will tackle your legal woes.
Jane Hamilton, property expert
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TRADITIONALLY December is viewed as the quietest month for home sales, with many estate agents shutting up shop for two weeks.
But new research from Rightmove reveals the portal’s busiest day is December 30. Last Christmas, page views increased by 231 per cent between
Christmas Day and January 2, as people started to think about moving in the New Year.
So, we’ve teamed up with online agent Housesimple to cracker your Christmas sale . . .
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Dress for the occasion – Clear the decorations for the agent’s photos but dial up the cosy factor with cushions, scented candles and fairy lights. Tidy away big winter coats or boots.
Don’t neglect your garden – Clear leaves and weeds, store away patio furniture, and fix outside lighting to improve your home’s kerb appeal.
Sprinkle some festive magic – Showcase your Christmas tree from the inside and outside. If you have a family home, put up a ‘Santa stop here’ sign.
Be the ultimate Xmas host – Put on the heating or light the fire so potential buyers feel warmed. Hot drinks and a warm mince pie can also be a nice welcoming touch.
Get personal – Share the reasons why you love your house – talk about local bars and restaurants, schools, nurseries and transport links.
Get your paperwork in order – Use the holidays to set up a file with all your important documents from your solicitor, mortgage company and home.
Buy of the week
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SUNDERLAND/NEWCASTLE? won the race to be first constituency to declare on election night.
Now you can declare your love for this beautifully presented three-bed pad in the city which is on the market for £150,000.
Keep updated
AMAZON Alexa can now keep people updated on the sale of their home in a tie-up with estate agency Purplebricks.
The virtual assistant can answer questions including giving viewing numbers and how the property is performing against others locally.
The service was set up after 60 per cent of sellers said they wanted to receive updates via an app or other device.
Vic Darvey, Purplebricks CEO said: “Most areas of our lives are already digitised yet when it comes to property, many things rely on outdated technology.
“Through our app and a voice command to Alexa, homeowners have a transparent and convenient process, and can receive an update in seconds.”
Deal of the week
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CLASSIC blue is the “in” hue for 2020, according to US colour company Pantone.
This luxury Tarnby cocktail chair by Castleton Home is just £97.99 at wayfair.co.uk, compared to £139 for similar versions at Dunelm
SAVE: £41.01
Judge Rinder
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Q) MY husband walked out on me and our three children five years ago. He’s never paid any child maintenance.
He told the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) he isn’t working and the CMS says he isn’t drawing any benefits or paying tax, so he has no money to pay me.
I have given the CMS evidence that he is working and obviously being paid cash-in-hand. Is there any way a court would issue an order for him to pay maintenance? Louise, Brighton
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A) There absolutely IS – but you are going to have to be pretty tough.
The CMS has improved a great deal over the years but its staff are underpaid, overworked and inundated with cases like yours.
It is far easier for the CMS to go after dead-beat spouses like yours when that spouse is in receipt of a regular income or benefits.
Your ex-husband has clearly lied to the CMS, so I would continue to pursue this.
Provide them with all the information you have that he is working and concealing his income. The CMS has legal remedies available if you can prove he lied.
You can also obtain an order from the family court compelling him to pay up. Get in touch with the Citizens Advice Bureau, which can point you in the way of free legal advice.
Legal aid used to be available automatically in cases like this. Sadly that is no longer the case.
Treated differently
Q) I WORK in a nursery that is used as a polling station. On the day of the election, the nursery was closed. The parents got no refund and staff were not paid. Is this legal? Lisa, Newcastle
No. Unless there is a precise term covering this in your contract, your employer cannot withhold your wages.
I do not understand the basis upon which management think their decision is lawful. Write to the head of the nursery at once, asking why this person thinks they are entitled to deduct staff pay.
Be assertive. State-school teachers who cannot work because their schools have been requisitioned for the election are still paid.
I see no reason at all why you should be treated differently.
Q) PURCHASED a property for cash in 2016 and recently decided to apply for equity release using the property.
Everything was OK until I was asked to supply a builder’s guarantee. I found I was never provided with one and on searching with the solicitors that handled the sale, it was established the builder was no longer in business.
The solicitors admitted this was an oversight by them. Various options were looked at to provide retrospective documentation but these were deemed unacceptable by the companies offering equity release.
This situation has been going on for more than 18 months. I have a property that is unsaleable and cannot be used to release capital through equity release.
There seems to be an option available to give an alternative document at a cost of around £2,200 plus vat.
I have been advised that I should go ahead and purchase whatever document is required, then retrospectively charge the solicitor, or sue the solicitors and insist they process this. What is my best course of action here? Keith, Derby
A) It seems to me the advice you have received is likely to be correct. Your solicitor should have advised you to obtain a builder’s guarantee if your home was fairly recently built (as it must have been).
A builder’s guarantee is required to prove to prospective purchasers and banks that newly built homes have been finished to a safe and professional standard.
Write to your solicitors pointing out that their negligence (in failing to ask for the builder’s guarantee or advising you to obtain one) makes them liable for the full price of the policy you are now required to purchase.
The solicitors may claim this was all the fault of the original builders.
But you obtained legal advice to ensure the relevant paperwork was in order at the time you purchased the property.
These solicitors failed to do this.
Contact
- Judge Rinder regrets he cannot answer questions personally. Answers intended as general guidance. They do not constitute legal advice and are not a substitute for obtaining independent legal advice.
- Got a question for Judge Rinder? Email judgerinder@thesun.co.uk
Mel Hunter, Reader’s champion
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Q) ORDERED an Xbox bundle online from Smyths which was on offer at £189.99 with a free game included. I checked it was in stock and ordered with free delivery. I received confirmation and an invoice by email.
The next day the game arrived on its own. I was assured that I would receive the Xbox.
After six days, I asked where the Xbox was and was told it was out of stock, that the order had been cancelled and that I could return the game for a refund, which I did.
I checked and found that the Xbox is still being sold, for £249.99 but without the free game. So Smyths has Xboxes in stock. I requested it complete my order but the firm has refused.
PATRICIA AYLING, Wokingham, Berks
A) Smyths was asking you to fork out around £100 more – for the device and game – than the offer you’d taken advantage of.
I got on to the store and asked why it was not honouring the price you’d ordered at. The company didn’t give a reason, but did send you a gift card for £101 which you used to buy the Xbox at the higher price, bringing it back down to the level you should have originally paid.
Q) MY husband tried to book a hotel in Singapore via agoda.com. When he put in his card details, a message said “cannot proceed” and the screen went blank.
He tried again and the same thing happened. He then tried a third time with my details. After booking elsewhere, we realised Agoda had taken the money for all three attempts.
Obviously, I would not book three rooms in the same name for the same dates, but Agoda says it is not able to refund the money.
CHRISTINE HECKETT, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
A) You were looking for some winter sun and instead got burnt by your online experience. I waded in and managed to get the refund sorted out.
Agoda wouldn’t explain what had gone wrong here, but its spokesman was apologetic, saying: “We are always disappointed to hear when a customer hasn’t had the best experience booking with Agoda, and are very sorry for the inconvenience caused to Mr and Mrs Heckett.”
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