Keys to IP

[curious]

On settlement I only got the back door key to the house. There should be a front door key and a garage key. My solicitor says the seller only needs to give me access, not all keys, so he won't do anything. Is he right? Thanks

 

[RumpledElf]

Probably not, but get a locksmith in to change all the locks and give you new keys, or buy new locks anyway just to be on the safe side, regardless of whether or not you get the keys.

My house was a mortgagee sale and the locks were changed by the bank before I got the house. If they hadn't been, I would have done it myself.

 

[Lil Skater]

I thought you needed to hand in ALL keys?

But as RE said, get a locksmith out ASAP.

 

[Rob Williams]

On settlement I only got the back door key to the house. There should be a front door key and a garage key. My solicitor says the seller only needs to give me access, not all keys, so he won't do anything. Is he right? Thanks

Good opportunity to get a locksmith in and rekey all the existing locks to they are keyed alike. Problem solved and only one key to worry about, as a bonus.

 

[skater]

On settlement I only got the back door key to the house. There should be a front door key and a garage key. My solicitor says the seller only needs to give me access, not all keys, so he won't do anything. Is he right? Thanks

I have bought more than a couple of properties and this is the first time I have heard this. Admittedly I have bought some with missing keys, but a quick change of locks soon fixes this.

While I am not a solicitor, I suspect that he is just being a bit lazy in not chasing this up. I could possilbly believe that the owners/tenants have lost a garage key, but not the front door.

Personally I wouldn't stress over it, but the property isn't mine, is it?

 

[Pushka]

On settlement I only got the back door key to the house. There should be a front door key and a garage key. My solicitor says the seller only needs to give me access, not all keys, so he won't do anything. Is he right? Thanks

I think he is being lazy. I would have thought buying a property and settling meant that he doesnt have to merely 'give you access' but he also has to relinquish his rights to access! If he still owns those keys, then theoretically, he still has those rights.