Party wall issues? Here are several advices: What is covered by the Act? There are certain items of work that you can only be done after notifying the adjoining owners and either receiving written agreement of the neighbour or with a Party Wall Award prepared by a surveyor/s. Notifiable works include (but are not limited to): cutting into a wall to take the bearing of a beam, for example for a loft conversion, inserting a damp proof course, even if only to your own side of a party wall, raising a party wall and, if necessary, cutting off any objects preventing this from happening, demolishing and rebuilding a party wall, underpinning a party wall or part of a party wall, weathering the junction of adjoining walls or buildings by cutting a flashing into an adjoining building, excavating foundations within three metres of a neighbour’s structure and lower than its foundations, excavating foundations within six metres of a neighbour’s structure and below a line drawn down at 45° from the bottom of its foundations.
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.
As the party planning the works, you will have complete control over whom the surveyor you appoint and what they charge. You will either agree a fixed fee or an hourly rate. The same cannot be said of your neighbour’s surveyor (if you cannot agree on an Agreed Surveyor) as he is chosen by your neighbour and is not required to state his fee until just before the award is published. If you or your surveyor consider the fee demanded to be unreasonable, it should be referred to the ‘Third Surveyor’ for review although this will incur a further fee and take another couple of weeks. The Third Surveyor is selected by the two appointed surveyors at the start of the process to resolve disputes.
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. See more details on Party Wall Surveyor Kent.