When your customer buys a property, they expect that any buildings, extensions or other improvements have been built with the required council permits and approvals.
Sometimes, hidden issues only come to light after settlement. If your customer discovers that previous building work was completed without the necessary approvals, a First Title policy may be able to help.
Here is a Claims Story from First Title, based on a real claim, however the customer names and other details have been changed and the image is generated by AI to protect our customer’s privacy.
What happened?
- Tina and Joshua Lawson settled on a property without visiting the site.
- They enquired with the council regarding the approvals they needed to commence a small business from the property.
- It was later discovered that some structures on the property had not received the necessary permits and a Building Notice was issued by the council.
- Under the Building Notice, Tina and Joshua were to obtain the relevant permit or demolish the unapproved structures.
What did First Title do?
- First Title obtained the full conveyancing file and requested the property information from the council.
- First Title instructed a building consultant to attend the property and inspect the unapproved structures.
- After an investigation, First Title accepted the claim as the policy provided cover in relation to illegal building work.
What was the resolution?
- First Title paid $160,000 which is the insured amount for illegal building works claims under the policy.
Settlement: $160,000 | Claim type: Illegal building works
The team
To understand more about Title Insurance, please contact one of our team members:
Chris Dawson – National Sales Director, Consumer – 0419 210 860 | Email: Chris.Dawson@firsttitle.com.au
Gary Lee – Business Development Manager – 0498 006 265 | Email: Gary.Lee@firsttitle.com.au
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