Hollywood Stuntman Sues Surveyors Over £150,000 Home Defects
Stunt performer who worked with Brad Pitt claims pre-purchase inspection missed critical issues including sewage leaks and a crumbling roof.
A Hollywood stuntman, who previously worked as a body double for Brad Pitt in a Formula 1 movie, is suing surveyors for £150,000, alleging that critical defects in his new £495,000 Lincolnshire home were missed during a pre-purchase inspection.
Robert Bowen, a stunt performer with credits in major productions like Disney's "The Little Mermaid" and the TV series "House of the Dragon," claims he and his partner, Lucy Vaughan, discovered significant problems shortly after moving into the property in 2023. These issues included overflowing sewage, flooding, and a crumbling roof, turning what they believed was a dream country home into a "nightmare."
The couple discovered a foul odor outside their home and found that the septic tank was defective, leading to sewage leaks. They estimate the cost to replace the tank alone at £25,000, with additional thousands required for other identified problems such as faulty windows, broken solar panels, and a leaking roof.
Bowen and Vaughan have filed a lawsuit against Beehoo Surveying Limited, asserting that the company failed to identify these serious defects during an extensive Level 3 survey, the most comprehensive type of property inspection, conducted before their purchase. According to court documents, the couple relied on this report to make their purchasing decision and would not have bought the property had they known its true condition.
In their legal filing, Bowen and Vaughan's lawyers stated that the company represented itself as experienced, skilled, and competent surveyors. They argue that the defects, including issues with the chimney, driveway flooding, porch pitch, and a downpipe, existed at the time of the inspection and were reasonably identifiable by a competent surveyor.
Beehoo Surveying Limited denies responsibility for many of the alleged problems. In its defense, the company admits it should have identified and reported some issues but disputes that the failure to flag certain defects caused the couple financial losses. The surveyors' legal team argues that many of the alleged problems were either concealed, not visible during a reasonably practicable inspection, or related to inaccessible parts of the property. They suggest that the seller may have covered up dampness and other defects, or that the couple's solicitors failed to investigate matters such as flood risk, the woodburning stove, and solar panels, which could have revealed the septic tank issues.
The company also claims that Bowen and Vaughan have not adequately maintained the property since the survey and disputes the couple's valuation of the compensation sought, deeming it excessive.
The couple had been seeking an idyllic family home when they purchased the detached property in Fishtoft Drove, Frithville, situated on 4.7 acres of Lincolnshire countryside. The total estimated cost for rectifying the defects is £143,570, with an additional £3,000 requested for temporary accommodation during repairs. IMAGE4 IMAGE2 
