Party wall problems? Here are a few tips: In most cases, if the adjoining does not respond within 14 days then a deemed dispute is said to have occurred and the person carrying out the work must appoint a surveyor to act on the adjoining owners behalf. If adjoining owners provide written consent to the works as set out within the notices, then there is no dispute to resolve and no further need for party wall surveyors or, indeed, the Party Wall Act. Assuming work proceeds as detailed within the notice and no damage is caused, then no further involvement is necessary. Resolving Disputes: If adjoining owners dissent to the works (or if no response is received and a deemed dissent has arisen) then a dispute has occurred which must be resolved under the requirements of Section 10 of The Act. It is worth reiterating that the Act is one of enablement, it is not there to prevent works from taking place and it offers a route to end disputes at every stage. Where written agreement is not given, the solution the Act provides is for both parties to appoint an ‘agreed surveyor’ who will act impartially or for each owner to appoint a surveyor who in turn appoint a third surveyor. The surveyors then work together to agree the terms under which work may proceed. The surveyor(s) will review the plans, notices and structural details of the works and, after considering the impact of the works, will draw up an agreement which sets out the terms under which work can be carried out (the Award).
Some works are considered too minor to require the process of notification. Anderton Gables can advise you on which notices are required, which properties need to be notified, and can serve the notices on your behalf. Your neighbour or ‘Adjoining Owner’ can either agree to the works as proposed in the notice, or disagree. If they decide to disagree, or do not respond Party Wall Surveyor(s) will become involved and draw up a Party Wall Award which states how the work should be done and the responsibilities of the various parties involved. The adjoining owner can insist on appointing their own surveyor in addition to your surveyor; however, all party wall surveyors must act impartially, in the interest of protecting all stakeholders and enabling the works to be undertaken. Unfortunately the cost of all party wall surveyors fees usually will be payable by the building owner proposing the work.
Unfortunately some fee orientated surveyors have learnt to work the system and pitch their fee as high as they can without causing the adjoining owner to challenge it for fear of delaying the works and incurring a further fee. Although the Party Wall Agreement covers many aspects of the work including access, contractor’s insurance and resolving damage one of the clauses which is most contentious relates to working hours. The Award will state the permissible working hours and they may appear quite restrictive at first glance; normally 8.30am to 5pm with no allowance for week-ends or bank holidays. Bear in mind that this clause only relates to the works which are the subject of the award and not the associated works which can carry on outside of these hours.
At Home Heroes we provide a professional service, we are very competitively priced and you can be sure you award will be handled by qualified and experienced Party Wall Surveyors. We are a small company with a dedicated and qualified team of building surveyors on Party Wall Matters. We can deal with all types of project no matter how complicated and are able to offer a service that is both efficient and meticulous. Read extra details on https://www.partywall.pro/.