Advice on water charges.

PJMG

Recently completed a build of a new home and am currently awaiting the release of the final part of my mortgage.As part of the new build and as part of the planning guidelines we bore our own well thus not needing a mains water supply.Engineer has told me that in order for him to sign off on the house the release of the final payment of mortgage I need a letter from the local council to state that there is no access to a water mains even though it runs right outside our house.Council are looking for €3500 as a contribution fee even though the well was part of the planning guidelines they drew up!Anyone have any experience of this and what we're the outcomes.Mod's feel free to move this if it is not in the desired loation.Thanks PJMG

KingPuck

Just to clarify, the council stated in your conditions that you had to bore a well yet they still want 3500 for water or is this your overall contributions bill? What county are you in?

In my case they want €4k for water even though I bored my own well. They maintain that as it passes the site we have to pay for it. If you could bag the lime in the water you would be minted.

Does anyone know are they entitled to charge for something that you are not being used? Could the same be said for choosing a private refuse collector rather than the service provided by the council? They will argue that time and money was spent laying the water main. They also would have spent time and money on setting up the refuse scheme.

galwaytt

PJMG wrote: »

....I need a letter from the local council to state that there is no access to a water mains even though it runs right outside our house.

Having access to the mains has nothing to do with it's physical presence or location, or proximity to your house. 'No access' to it can be as simple that - you cannot (i.e. are not allowed), to access(i.e. connect) to it. This could be for any number of reasons (which are irrelevant to the Bank btw..), but it could be as simple as the pipe is at capacity already, and they cannot deliver to you.

So, if the CoCo made a well a condition of your PP, then ask them for the letter you're looking for, saying you have no access to mains water. It's that simple.

Separately, and after getting the letter above !! I would always, always, bargain on the contribution. Ask them for a list of the services they are providing, first, and go from there. If that pipe is on the list, but you 'can't access it'.........then that's some money off right there. So forth and so forth, if you get my drift..........