2 days ago
How I dodged a £100,00 fire-risk bill
I ndra Mukharji had a narrow escape. He and his wife almost bought a flat that could have left them with a £100,000 bill to fix fire risks. Their case reveals how holes in legislation passed since the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people eight years ago, continue to delay — and even scupper — sales of flats in buildings that appear safe.
Last year the couple were on the point of buying a flat in Canary Wharf, east London, for £1.285 million. Finding a lawyer to handle the purchase was not easy. The law on who pays to fix fire risks is so complex that some solicitors are refusing to act for those buying or selling flats — or are failing to spot which homes are affected.
