Recently, we’ve been in discussions with a buyer from a separate case who has been forced to pay £5,000 in fees to a removals agency, after discovering Japanese knotweed on their new build property.
Before moving in they had asked their conveyancing solicitor to enquire about the presence of knotweed who had neglected to make the relevant investigation. We are currently helping them seek compensation for the solicitor’s negligence.
There are strict regulations controlling building on land with Japanese knotweed, developers who choose to ignore these may find themselves liable at a later date. Letting the plant spread whilst construction takes place is an offence and can be punishable with fines or imprisonment.