My house was built by Bovis Homes Limited in 1994 and I moved in in June that year. As would normally be expected, there were several minor defects to be fixed around the time of completion, one of which was that I noticed that several of the roof finials were crooked or fixed the wrong way round. I asked for this to be rectified.

One of These Finials Could Kill

Until last year, there had not been any problems with the house, as one would expect for a new property, but in July last year, one of the roof finials crashed to the ground, breaking in half and damaging several roof tiles on the way down.

Since that first event, a total of four of the original seven finials have fallen from the roof, causing further damage to the property and further distress and worry for my wife and me.

The Point of Impact
on the Path by Our Front Door

I am now firmly in the belief that the roofing contractor used by Bovis Homes was negligent in the way he fixed the finials to the property, and a quick glance around the other houses on the estate is a testimony to his incompetence. Most finials are crooked, many are fitted the wrong way round and many have fallen off.

One finial falling off would be odd, two a coincidence, but more than half from our own house alone must stand as evidence of negligence.

I have pursued this through the NHBC whose warranty does not cover this. I have also checked my home insurance which also doesn't cover this (we have been home on two occasions when finials have fallen when there were no winds or storms). In any case, I do not want to lose my no-claims discount when the problem is not of my own making.

Bovis flatly refuse to rectify the problem.

Mr K Real, the build director, prompted by this web site, wrote on 9 March "We are unwilling to accept liablity for the reported defects to a house which is more than two years old." All I can say is potential buyers beware! Get real Mr Real!

My supposition is that all of these finials are badly fitted and that there is the danger that someone may be killed or injured if another falls, aside from the further damage to my property through impact or ice damage in the now exposed stubs of the finials. I don't feel that I should have to pay for the incompetence and negligence of the roofing contractor used on site.

Of Five Houses Built Around the Same Time:

Maybe we should issue our postman with a hard hat! P.S. Our kitchen floor is cracking now!