FACING FACTS: THE COSTLY CONSTRUCTION TYPE OF A PROPERTY  Buyers contacted TPO regarding their property which they purchased in 2011 and were now encountering difficulties trying to sell. The buyers had bought a PRC property. PRC properties were built using pre-reinforced concrete materials which were subsequently considered defective. Because of this, such properties became ‘unmortgageable’ unless repairs were carried out by an appropriate scheme (a PRC scheme). The buyers purchased the property with mortgage funding; the nature of the construction was discovered during the conveyancing, but the purchase completed because the mortgage lender was satisfied that the property had been repaired by an approved scheme. Having encountered problems trying to sell the property and discovering that the scheme who carried out the repairs was not approved and so no certification existed, the buyers complained. Read the Ombudsman’s full investigation and find out if the agent was liable for the accuracy of the information provided. www.tpos.co.uk/news-media-and-press- releases/case-studies/item/facing-facts- the-costly-construction-type-of-a-property THREE’S A CROWD – ESPECIALLY WITHOUT SUFFICIENT REFERENCING A landlord contacted TPO concerning both the suitability of the tenant that the agent introduced and the occupation of the property by other individuals not named on the Tenancy Agreement. The landlord understood that the property was to be let to a sole, professional tenant. She acknowledged that she was told by the agent that there was a shortfall in the tenant’s ability to meet the rental payments, but that this would be met by the tenant’s girlfriend, although she would not live at the property. Upon the tenancy commencing, the landlord found that the property was occupied by three individuals. The tenant told the landlord that the agent had been aware that the three of them were to live at the property together. The landlord and her family experienced harassment from the occupants of the property, ultimately resulting in the conviction of one of the occupants. Possession proceedings, which resulted in the eviction of the tenant and other occupants, were prolonged by discrepancies in the Tenancy Agreement. The landlord was left with rental arrears, legal costs and repairs to the property, which she had been unable to recover. The landlord was seeking compensation from the agent of her losses of around £15,000. Find out more about this case and the Ombudsman’s decision in full here:- www.tpos.co.uk/news-media-and-press- releases/case-studies/item/three-s- a-crowd-especially-without-sufficient- referencing 