I have a semi hypothetical question....

I am looking at a business for sale, including the leasehold. The business appears to be a shed thats had a bit of a bodgy fitout, it serves food and seats about 20. I notice that the plumbing, as in the drainage is sort of bodgied into the neighbouring businesses drainage system/sewer. The business shares a toilet also with the neighbouring buisnesses, but in this case, the business for sale also allows its customer to use this toilet.

Thats 8 staff from one business, 11 staff from the other business, plus the useage of up to 30 seated customers. That a lot of flushes per day......

The electrical installation that runs the air conditioning, the three fridges and a few other bits looks bodgy as hell.

I have tried speaking to the landlord about documentation that the building is fit to occupy, or run a food service outlet from...but he is useless.


Frankly, I think this place needs some serious building inspection, and I am deterred from it until I am sure that its 'legit'

I really want to find out more about this place. I asked a solicitor about where I should go to find the certificates, but he said only the landlord could provide access to those.


Where do I go? Which authority is responsible for ensuring the public is dining in a safe certifird building?
Who is responsible for alterations to plumbing and electrical work? How do I make sure this place is worth purchasing and that it wont bite me in the arse later on...

Help much appreciated

pm sent

Talk to a building certifier as that is what their job is - to certify that relevant building codes have been met.

http://yellowpages.com.au/search/postCateg...mp;adPs=4570883

Good luck.

My Girlfriend works a building certifiers, see how you go. If you want some questions asked you could pm me and i will print it out and get her to take it to work to someone. (She is still new, may not know all the answers).

If there is plumbing done there should be a waterproofing cert along with the occupancy permit.

sounds bad, dont fuck with it.

Wouldnt the seller have to have some of the cert's?? (or are they the landlord?)

I.e wouldnt they hold OH&S certs to run a food outlet/food prep? Or have they been operating under the radar??

And legally selling a business like this, wouldnt they have to provide the relivant certs??

Seems a bit fishy, and if thats what your solicitors told you it seems even fishier.

I'd of thought there would be a pretty high standard of inspection for a business doing food prep.

Thats the thing, I've seen the Health inspectors go in there and give em the all clear. Basically, Im trying to make sure this guy IS dodgy, and that the business IS operating without all the proper requirements in place to give my self a big handful of bargaining power.... so I can basically railroad him into selling for well......SFA .

And you know, for the good fo the general public

Maybe the inspectors walked out with a bit fatter wallet

Maybe try and find an independant inspector and have them do the inspection thoroughly, or maybe go see the ombudsman about the current cert.

If you can see that it's dodgy then surely a qualified inspector should know better??

Either way they should be providing you with all the recent certificates as is the business is for sale.

Well by the book businessmen/women would anyway.

while the current owner has the bussiness running with approval from inspectors when you purchase you will be subject to making the place fit for use before you can open your doors.
have been through this before it was a nightmare

Go to the Lands Title office in town.they should have it on file. if not a licensed conveyancer should be able to help you out.

...what would I know anyways...

its ok...

your into vw's so not much apparently

Why don't you have a naw on my left nut while you're there dude...
Maybe I'll get over 30's technology one day, and move into the 60's to catch up to you

nice come back...

i notice that you still haven't dropped off the '58 at my place

Yeah- keep waiting. Engine is out, getting more compression, new cam, new heads and efi.