COC on house to be sold

[skatingsparks]

I am buying a house and I accept the electrics are not up to standard.

I'm a licensed electrician and I offered to do the COC for the sale. During the testing I find there is no incoming earth from municipality along with the usual problems with a 50+ years old installation.

I said to the home owner the installation is non compliant but more urgently (for me) there is no incoming earth. They got there own electrician to have a look and quoted R37000 rewire which they don't have and wouldn't do anyway.

I said I don't mind the non compliant electrics - I'm going to rewire and renovate anyway so I offered to put in a temp board and COC that once teh main incoming earth is sorted.

I advised the home owner to get he municipality out and fix that (as its before the main switch).

Long story short, 6 month later I finally get the municipality to come out and sure enough - no earth so they get the guys out and connect the armouring of the SWA cable to earth at the pole as it should be. I have a Nice TN-S earthing system but the wiring is non compliant.

I offered to disconnect existing wiring and put a temp board in now with just and earth leakage, breaker and a socket (for free) and I just sign that off for the purpose of transfer. Once we finish renovation I'll obviously do a full COC for the new installation.

The home owner has moved out and left a family friend in there for security and they won't let me disconnect the existing.

I was going to do a COC literally just covering the characteristics of the supply - number of points - zero.

So basically fill in section 1 and 2 of the COC, indicate no points in section 3 (cross the lot out), fill in applicable in section 4, put my details in section 5 and detail in comment relevant section ("by signing the bottom of page 1 of 4 the home owner accept the installation is switched off and danger notice issued etc etc")

Would that be acceptable to banks? Has anyone had this before? Was it accepted? I figure if teh client signs teh bottom of page 1 or 4 I'm covered.

Suggestion please.

How can I cover myself and get these %$%^holes out.

[Dave A]

There is a very strong likelihood the COC will be accepted. Verification (where it happens) tends to focus on the validity of the credentials of the issuing entity and the correctness of the address of the installation.

[skatingsparks]

Took the COC to the ECA (cover my back).

If they won't let me switch off and disconnect then what am I to do. I signed of the mains position and the supply to the board and put the details in section 3 and gave it to the bank. I advised them to switch off everything after the supply. Wrote in a mail to the lawyers, the bank and the home owner. I'm covered I think.