You’ve purchased a pre-construction home. Congratulations! While you may be looking forward to many aspects of your new living space (or investment property), you may not be as thrilled about the responsibilities that go along with owning a new home.
Like managing your new home warranty. There are dates to remember, forms to fill out, repairs to schedule, inspections to attend, settlements to negotiate. Warranty protection is a wonderful thing indeed, but the reality is that it comes with a bit of “homework.”
If all of this seems too much for you to handle, there’s a potential solution: ask someone you trust to manage the warranty on your behalf. In Tarion terms, this is referred to as “appointing a designate,” and it may just be the thing to give you that extra peace of mind you’re looking for.
Why appoint a designate for your warranty?
There are many reasons why you may want to appoint a designate to manage your warranty. You may own multiple properties and not have the time; have a job that takes you away for extended periods; be retired and spend winters abroad; or have a health condition or disability that makes it difficult for you to carry out warranty-related responsibilities. Whatever your reason may be, you don’t have to tell us.
What kinds of things can a designate do?
Your designate will deal with Tarion and your builder on all matters related to your warranty. This includes:
• Registering for MyHome and submitting warranty forms;
• Receiving warranty-related correspondence from Tarion and your builder;
• Discussing warranty-related information or documentation with your builder and Tarion;
• Requesting conciliation or other forms of assistance from Tarion;
• Attending conciliation inspections conducted by Tarion; and,
• Signing written settlements with Tarion and your builder.
How do I appoint a designate?
The process for appointing a designate is easy. Contact Tarion’s customer service team to request the Appointment of Designate for Communications Regarding Statutory Warranties form. The form will ask you to provide details about your home, information about your designate, and your signature.
Once Tarion receives your completed form, we will save it in your file and communicate the information to your builder. From this point onward, we’ll deal with your designate for all warranty matters related to your home.
But am I signing away my warranty rights?
A final and very important thing to remember is that you remain in full control of your warranty regardless of your designate. If there is a difference of opinion between you and your designate, Tarion will always follow your instructions.
And, if at any time you wish to take over managing your warranty from your designate, simply let us know.