PARTY WALL ACT 1996

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The PARTY WALL ACT is a statutory consent and doesn't just cover works to a Party Wall (a wall separating two properties or built astride a boundary), it applies to various building works on or close to a boundary. It sets down the rights & duties of owners undertaking such works and provides protection to the adjoining owners. Notices (Official document that notifies your neighbour(s) of the work that you are planning to do) need to be served on the owners of adjoining (neighbouring) properties about any proposed works that are notifiable under the Party Wall Act. It is advisable to speak to your neighbours first before you decide to carry out any work to your property. We can prepare the appropriate Notices for you, that will need to be served to the neighbours. It is better for you if Surveyors like us prepare the Notice(s) for you to make certain the legal Notice is prepared properly for serving.

However if a dispute arises between a person doing work and a neighbour a Party Wall Surveyor (or two Surveyors) must make a Party Wall Award (The Award is a legal document) to resolve the dispute. The Surveyor's duty is to examine the proposed works and ensure that they are properly designed and are executed in a manner which is not likely to cause damage to adjoining buildings or property. A detailed record of the condition of the adjoining property is normally made so that if damage is caused it can be identified and made good.

The advantages of hiring a Party Wall Surveyor will ensure to prevent or reduce unnecessary delays to building works, reduce or prevent long drawn out legal disputes, reduce/prevent the risk of damages, reduce/prevent the risk of personal injury to persons or pets, record the condition of the neighbour's property before commencement of works, reduce/prevent the risk of arguments, reduce/prevent damage allegations, reduce/prevent the risk of a full court injunction stopping all work to your property, provide expert advice that can save you time and money.

Retrospective Party Wall Awards can also be prepared by us in situations where party wall works were partially completed or even where they have been completed entirely. This is often required in a situation where a claim for damages has been made by an adjoining (neighbour) owner. We can act as the Agreed Surveyor for both you (The Building Owner) and your Adjoining Owner(s) (neighbours). Or we can act as the Building Owner Surveyor for only the Building Owner where the Adjoining Owner(s) decide to appoint their own choice of Surveyor(s).

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PARTY WALL NOTICES + SCHEDULE OF CONDITION + PARTY WALL AWARD

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We can prepare Party Wall Notices for you to serve to your adjoining neighbours. This is a Legal Requirement in accordance with the PARTY WALL ACT 1996. We charge very competitive fees for our services.

We carry out Condition Surveys of the adjoining (neighbours) properties in order to produce a SOC (Schedule of Condition) Reports. This is always best to have carried out before commencement of any works to ensure there is a SOC report with photographic evidence of the condition of the property before work commences. This will ensure that if there was a future claim made for damages during or after the construction works phase, the SOC can be referred to, in order to establish whether the claim was genuine and justifiable. Also any claim made by the adjoining neighbour that may be genuine can be proven too, to avoid any long drawn out disputes between neighbours.

The SOC therefore protects the interests of both parties. This is the minimum that should be done before commencing works. Should you require further documentation then we can arrange to prepare a Party Wall Award for each neighbouring property if required.

Please contact us to discuss our fee for the above services on  020 3883 2597  -  07791 035254.

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