Purchasing a house with solar

[Andy1733]

Ive just been to view another property for my portfolio. When I got there the first thing I noticed was solar panels on the roof. I've never purchased a property with solar installed and have learned from this forum that it can be fitted on a lease.

I've contacted the estate agent and asked if the panels are leased or owned by the seller. They said because the house is a repo they have tried to gain the information I asked for but couldn't find the information.
Can anyone advise how I could find this information. Would it be something the seller solicitor should know. Is there a register I could search. Would I need to contact the local DNO or sumat else?

I do know the house had sold prior and the Couple had pulled out. Not sure of this is solar panel related or not

 

[binky]

Ive just been to view another property for my portfolio. When I got there the first thing I noticed was solar panels on the roof. I've never purchased a property with solar installed and have learned from this forum that it can be fitted on a lease.

I've contacted the estate agent and asked if the panels are leased or owned by the seller. They said because the house is a repo they have tried to gain the information I asked for but couldn't find the information.
Can anyone advise how I could find this information. Would it be something the seller solicitor should know. Is there a register I could search. Would I need to contact the local DNO or sumat else?

I do know the house had sold prior and the Couple had pulled out. Not sure of this is solar panel related or not

Contact MCS register, they should be able to advise you who owns the system.

 

[Andy1733]

Contact MCS register, they should be able to advise you who owns the system.

Thanks Binky. I've just been on the mcs installation database and I would need to be registeredcs installer to access it online database. There is a tel number I will contact them tomorrow and see if they are willing to help

Cheers8

 

[Geoff1946]

What an interesting thought. Presumably any roof space leasing contract would be with the previous owner.

I bought a house which had a TV rental company owned aerial. My solicitor asked me if I wanted him to contact the TV company demanding its removal. As I was hoping to use it I asked what were the consequences of just leaving it. He said that in principle the TV company could come and ask me for a rental payment for their aerial. Obviously my reaction was just leave it, and it served me for several years.
Not quite the same as your situation but there are certain parallels.

 

[Murdoch]

Surely this enquiry should be raised by the purchasers solicitor …

 

[Andy1733]

Surely this enquiry should be raised by the purchasers solicitor …

I've not got that far yet Murdoch. If they are leased I will just walk away. I don't want to start the solicitor as obv costs will occur if it's a case of a simple phone call.

 

[binky]

Thanks Binky. I've just been on the mcs installation database and I would need to be registeredcs installer to access it online database. There is a tel number I will contact them tomorrow and see if they are willing to help

Cheers8

Should be contact details on their website. Even if it was 'rent a roof' a lot of those companies have folded.

 

[binky]

I've not got that far yet Murdoch. If they are leased I will just walk away. I don't want to start the solicitor as obv costs will occur if it's a case of a simple phone call.

I wouldn't worry about it, the tennant will still get cheap leccy, so makes it more rentable.

 

[Andy1733]

I wouldn't worry about it, the tennant will still get cheap leccy, so makes it more rentable.

Problem is most mortgage company won't lend on it so it could be a problem down the line when it comes to sale time or if I want to release funds.

 

[Andy1733]

Should be contact details on their website. Even if it was 'rent a roof' a lot of those companies have folded.

From what I've been reading it looks like most of the company's sold the leases to financial company's so the majority of the 25 year lease has been continued.

 

[Murdoch]

Some first world problems people moan about whilst countless others can’t afford to make ends meet

 

[Andy1733]

Some first world problems people moan about whilst countless others can’t afford to make ends meet

Not even sure where this is going

 

[apprentice87]

Not even sure where this is going

I would not be interested in the least who owns the panels. If you have bought the house, you have bought the land [if freehold] and all that goes with it. If someone else claims they own the panels, their contract is not with you, so forget about it.

If the roof is leased out to a solar firm, then this would be recorded as a charge in the charges section of the land cert. So go to HM Land registry [NOT one of the firms that CLAIM to be the land registry] pay your £3 and download a copy of the title register. If there is a lease, it is in there..

So far as i can remembe, if you buy a freehold properly, you buy it free from any "encumbrances" of which you had no notice at the time of purchase, which is why you are supposed to go physically go and check that there are no sitting tenants or obvious rights or way through the garden, as if there are, you are now bound by them [including the tenant]

So, someone with an interest, enters a charge in the charges register, so a lease will be there as i say..

john..

 

[Andy1733]

Thanks john

 

[binky]

Not even sure where this is going

That's not unusual

 

[binky]

Problem is most mortgage company won't lend on it so it could be a problem down the line when it comes to sale time or if I want to release funds.

As the new owner, I think you can tell any company to remove the panels.

Initially mortgage companies did not like rent a roof, but I believe they have come to terms with that. What the current situation is I don't know, it's not a subject that I've encountered for a long time.

 

[Andy1733]

As the new owner, I think you can tell any company to remove the panels.

Initially mortgage companies did not like rent a roof, but I believe they have come to terms with that. What the current situation is I don't know, it's not a subject that I've encountered for a long time.

As I understand it though I'm far from an expert is if it's a written contract and in the deeds of the property even a new tennant has to take on the contract as part of the conveyance

 

[Andy1733]

Latest update
I called the mcs and they can confirm installation details of
Registered in 2012 by a company called blue Skye's heating solutions LTD
They went bust on 2013.

I've contacted and received the title deeds from HMRC which says there's a charge on the property in 2019 by the bank of Scotland though no details are listed and a equatable charge in 2021 created by LC assets regarding a county court money claim in 2021.
I've since contacted the DNO to enquire if they have details of fit paymentsand if they can confirm if this is a company or the property owner. I'm awaiting callback

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I am no expert..

But I do know that rent-a-roof schemes were a big selling point to get some prospective customers to sign up for solar contracts,
that under normal circumstances they could not actually afford!!!

I also remember hearing and seeing various radio/TV/newspaper/internet articles, (early 2010's to 2015ish),
about various types of homeowners... (both sellers & buyers).. who felt they had been stitched up by their rent-roof-solar-installer..!!

Bottom line is you have got to be 110% sure you know who owns the rights to the panels and the roof where they are installed!

Once you have clarified this then you can make a sensible decision.

 

[apprentice87]

As the new owner, I think you can tell any company to remove the panels.

Initially mortgage companies did not like rent a roof, but I believe they have come to terms with that. What the current situation is I don't know, it's not a subject that I've encountered for a long time.

Not if they have leased the roof you cannot.. You would have to buy the lease back off them.. Be like if you had a leasehold house. The landlord [as in owner of the ground] cannot simply terminate the lease..

john..