Prospective home buyers should insist on a beetle certificate that covers all types of wood destroying organisms.
Jardine says the practice of uninformed agents or attorneys accepting any form of ‘beetle free’ documentation, many times from individuals who present a ‘P number’ (registration number) issued by the Department of Agriculture, on the pretext that it qualifies these individuals to do beetle inspections is disturbing.
A worrying aspect of many types of certification is that they are not required to mention conditions like dry rot or other wood destroying insects and termites - including the common furniture beetle.
This may leave the new owner with little or no claim for damage to wooden structures, carpets or furniture once the sale has gone through.
Colin Jardine, vice-president of the South African Pest Control Association (SAPCA), advises homeowners to make use of a SAPCA-registered inspector to carry out full comprehensive inspections.
Jardine says the practice of uninformed agents or attorneys accepting any form of ‘beetle free’ documentation, many times from individuals who present a ‘P number’ (registration number) issued by the Department of Agriculture, on the pretext that it qualifies these individuals to do beetle inspections is disturbing.
He warns that this may be regarded as fraudulent and illegal as these P numbers are only valid for structural pest control, weed control and fumigation – not for issuing beetle free certificates for homes.
Only SAPCA’s woodborer inspectors have received specific and specialised training to issue such certificates.
Jardine hopes this will put an end to condensed or limited reports by self-styled woodborer inspectors who tend to cover only two types of beetle, the Hylotrupos bajalusand Oxypleuris nodieri,with no attention to dry rot or other wood-destroying insects and termites. Damage to floors and carpets will cause unpleasant disputes among the new owner, the seller and the agent.
SAPCA board member Dave Alcock explains that even under the new Consumer Protection Act a buyer may not be able to claim for damages if the seller is a private owner or where the deed of sale contains a ‘voetstoots’ clause, although the buyer may have a case where theseller is a property developer.
Even so the legal costs involved will often be more than the fumigation and repairs and may thereforenot be worth pursuing.
SAPCA has the following advice:
- Read the deed of sale carefully.
- Insist on a beetle free certificate to ensure that the home is free of wood destroying insects.
- Use a SAPCA-registered inspector to ensure that the beetle free certificate covers all wood destroying insects and reports all woodborer damage.
- Ensure the beetle-certificate is not just a ‘P number’ (registration number) issued by the Department of Agriculture, which is only valid for structural pest control, weed control and fumigation.
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