INSPECTION
CONDUCT
The
valuer should obtain legitimate access to the property to enable a
physical inspection in accordance with industry standards and
assignment requirements. This is usually by permission of the owner
if the property is owner occupied or vacant. If the property is
subject to a tenancy then the physical inspection is at the
convenience of the tenant as he/she has the right of quiet enjoyment.
It is usually left to the owner or property manager to arrange a
suitable inspection time with the. tenant. On no account should the
valuer inspect on his own volition as this may jeopardize the status
of the tenancy.
The
physical identification of the property is usually by way of address
but should be checked against known features from the plan or map.
For example, if it is a corner site. Very occasionally the address is
incorrect.
Measurements,
notes, and verifications of the physical aspects of the land,
buildings, plant and equipment, and/or improvements are in accordance
with the local authority's and government's requirements,
regulations, and the relevant industry standards.
PLANS
A
plan is an accurate and formal document usually prepared by a
surveyor or survey draftsman. If plans are available of the house
they should be incorporated in the report and thus making it easier
to measure the building or the site.
See
sketch - urban
EXTENT
OF INSPECTION
DISCOVERING
DRYROT
The
court case Ker v Allan & Sons (1949) (UK) 11 The Valuer 199 was
concerned with the necessity or not of the valuer discovering dry rot
in a house. It was held that the possibility of dry rot was a thing
that should always be in the mind of the valuer and that he/she
should look for any evidence that might, to his/her skilled mind
suggest dry rot. However, in such circumstances and in the absence of
suspicious circumstances it was not necessary for him/her to lift
carpets or linoleum and to go underneath floor and make a detailed
examination of every hidden corner of the building.
In
Grove v Jackman (1950) Estate Gazette, 4 March 1950 the valuer
reported that the property was "soundly constructed on good
modern principles of building". Floors and joists were
subsequently found to be in an advanced state of dry rot, the damp
proof course was of poor quality, the air brick ventilators were
useless and there were other structural defects. Lord Goddard held
that he was satisfied that there were indications in the house that
should have warned a careful and competent valuer of the possible
presence of dry rot. That being so, he should have arranged or
advised the plaintiff to arrange, for floorboards to be lifted and a
more thorough examination made.
PHYSICAL
CONDITION
It
was found in Phillips v Ward [1956] 1 All ER 874:
That
a reasonable and competent surveyor after making a careful
examination of the residence... would have discovered, as was the
fact, that the roof had reached the end of its life and required
complete reconstruction, using the old timbers and tiles where they
were still able to fulfil their original function; that the condition
of the wall plate and exposed joists in the cellar was such that a
complete renewal of most of the joists was a virtual certainty; that
the main timbers of the house were infected with death watch beetle
and required examination and treatment and renewal or repair where
necessary. (877)
Both
the Official Referee and Court of Appeal held that the failure to
notice these defects and report them to the plaintiff in assessing
the value of the property constituted negligence on the part of the
defendants.
A
photograph should be taken of at least the front of the premises.
This is often at the direction of the client and mortgage lenders.
Some lenders require 5 different photos of the property. A colour
photo should be taken as it conveys much more information that a
black and white photo.
RECORD
AND FILE OBSERVATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH
INSPECTION
The
proper taking, keeping and storage of field notes is most important
particularly if litigation should occur over the valuation. The
courts and opposing counsel are only concerned with your field notes.
Each valuer has his/her own particular field note system but a
typical system records the identifiers, physical description and an
inventory of inclusions on one side and the building sketch on the
reverse side.
Calculations
and a list of sales are also often recorded on the reverse side.
It
is often necessary to use codes and abbreviations to fit a reasonable
description of the property on an A4 page. There are no valuation
standards for abbreviations, but it is recommended that those used by
real estate agents in real estate advertisements be used.
The
attributes of the property are ascertained by way of physical
inspection of the property but many can also be checked by other
sources. This may include a previous valuation carried out by the
valuer. A useful verification, if the property is on the market or
has just been sold, are advertisements and sale brochures published
by the agent.
An
advantage of the sales brochure is that it emphasises those features
that the agent and owner consider to be important and therefore, most
likely by the market.
Field
notes, transcripts, photographs, and other evidence (eg sale
brochures or house plans) gathered through the inspection process are
securely filed and retained by the valuer in accordance with his/her
company's requirements and industry standards. Professional indemnity
insurers and lending bodies may also have their own requirements on
record keeping.
See
inspection urban questions
3