Has the section been filled?

Press, 21 October 1987, Page 63

Has the section been filled?

From time to time the Real Estate Institute hears of cases where land slips have occurred unexpectedly and the real estate agent is sometimes blamed for arranging the sale of what turns out to be a problem building site. The onus Is, of course, on the buyer to satisfy himself as to the soundness of any purchase before he decides to buy. Sometimes, if a property is on a steep slope or near the edge of a cliff, it is obvious that a buyer should be wary unless he can be assured that the land is of a nature not Hable to subside. When filling has been made on comparatively firm land there Is sometimes a risk of slipping and as this can be difficult to detect a prospective buyer should be alert. A real estate agent will answer any question to the best of his ability. He/she is required to do so by the code of ethics under which the Real Estate Institute operates, and there are other provisions In law against provld-

Ing misleading information or failure to make full disclosure to a client Recent filling may be known to the real estate person, but the old ones which reveal themselves unexpectedly may have been carried out so many years ago that nobody can remember them and there are no records Tor reference. Modem developers usually strip the earth to a solid base and then make provision for effective drainage and sound building foundation before filling takes place. Local bodies generally keep a record of fills and engineers' plans are available to prospective buyers at local body offices which show the date and extent of the fill. Real estate agents often find it difficult to ascertain the full facts when a section comes up for sale. Unless recent work has uncovered problems there is only one way to make certain that old fillings do not exist, and that Is by on-the-spot Investigation, such

as by drilling, which can be relatively inexpensive. A posthole borer or coredrill are suitable tools. The “drill” should be sent down to find a firm foundation at regular Intervals across the property. Sometimes a lending institution

which has been asked for a loan may require exploratory work to protect Its own Interests in doubtful cases. However, if the buyer Is uncertain he (she) should make the necessary Inquiries himself and arrange to make his own tests of the property by calling the experts.