Caesar and Howie Partner Slams New Sales Law
Friday, March 6th, 2009
Caesar and Howie managing partner David Borrowman is so concerned at the adverse effect of the new property sales law that he wrote to every MSP in the country. The new law, in force since 1st December means sellers must obtain a Home Report before marketing their house or face a swingeing £500 fine.
Mr Borrowman comments. “This legislation is badly thought out, provides no benefit I can see to anyone, and effectively acts like a great big tax on selling your house. For example on a flat worth around £105, 000 a seller could have to pay nearly £600 before even putting the property on the market then maybe another £180 or so to update the report when a sale is actually achieved – with much higher fees for higher value properties. To lump this extra cost on to sellers in a slow property market is simply daft in my view. ”
Mr Borrowman’s letter sparked some press, radio and TV interest, with BBC staff descending on Caesar and Howie’s offices to obtain an interview for the Scotland Today news programme.
“I’ve seen the comments the Minister for Housing and Communities made in response to my letter but I’m afraid I am totally unimpressed. Sellers hate these reports, hate having to pay for them and worse than all of that I don’t think purchasers are going to trust them either. We have done a deal with a large surveying firm to ensure that Home Reports obtained through Caesar and Howie are probably the cheapest on the market but still I think this is all an unnecessary expense.
I don’t see why Home Reports could not be voluntary – if a seller wanted to get one that’s fine, but to force them to get one at a cost of hundreds of pounds with a further fine of £500 if you don’t get one is quite ridiculous in my view. But the Minister for Housing and Communities minister doesn’t agree – he thinks it is good that sellers have to pay all this money and right for them to be fined if they can’t or won’t pay for a report. I sometimes wonder if the Scottish Government cares much about ordinary Scottish folk”
