Ombudsman investigation assists property purchaser
CATEGORYA property owner complained that they were not told of a liability for additional expenses to connect to a water supply.
A property owner complained that they were not made aware, prior to purchasing a piece of land, that the property was a ‘beneficiary lot’, and that they would be liable for additional expenses to connect to a water supply. A beneficiary lot is a piece of land which does not yet have a water or wastewater supply connection, even though there is a mains supply adjacent to the property. The owner is required to pay to have a connection installed.
The investigation confirmed that the water provider had, in fact, provided information regarding the requirement to pay the additional costs to the property owner and their Settlement Agent. As a result of the investigation, however, the water provider reviewed and amended its correspondence to make the information more prominent.