Party Wall Advice
Provided by Rugby’s experienced party wall surveyors
For home owners, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 can be a particularly tricky subject.
On the one hand, the act can prove to be an extremely useful tool for resolving disputes that may occur as a result of building works or excavations located on or near a party wall or boundary. On the other hand the act involves a vast number of obligations and requirements that need to be carefully managed in order to prevent neighbourly disharmony and project delays.
The Right Surveyors at Basingstoke are lucky enough to have the services of one of the most experienced party wall surveyors in the area. Having dealt with party wall notices and awards for over 27 years, Ewan Craig is here to help you.
Introducing Ewan Craig MRICS...
Whether a residential extension has caused a dispute or a new commercial development has affected a number of different neighbours, Ewan will use his 25+ years of party wall surveying experience to provide competent and cost effective advice to his clients in Basingstoke.
Two essential skills that Ewan has developed throughout his years as a party wall surveyor are mediation and diplomacy – both of which are crucial for potentially heated encounters.
Read on for more information about the four areas of the Party Wall Etc. Act 1996 we can help you with.
Party Wall Services
An idea of the party wall services we provide in Basingstoke:
For building owners:
- Identifying ‘adjoining owners’
- Serving party wall notices
- Producing a schedule of condition
- Party Wall Awards.
For adjoining owners:
- No obligations advice
- Damage limitation
- Ongoing monitoring
- Party Wall Awards
The core components of our Party Wall service...
Party Wall Notices
A key legal obligation of the Party Wall Act is that if the ‘Building Owner’ wishes to start maintenance or construction works which qualify under the act, they must serve notice on the ‘Adjoining Owner’.
The purpose of the notice document is to provide the adjoining owner with an outline of the proposed works. Providing they are happy with the proposed, an agreement will made in writing and the works can start. It is typically at this stage that Party Wall Surveyors would get involved to ensure the many strict requirements needed are included. A correctly written and delivered notice is crucial if disputes were to arise.
Party Wall Awards
Party Wall Awards become necessary when the adjoining owner either disputes the notice or does not respond to it at all. This results in a dispute which the award will then be used to settle.
If this situation were to occur then Ewan could be instructed as the surveyor for either the building owner, the adjoining owner or jointly by both. As a Chartered Surveyor he is bound by strict ethical codes and therefore, will always ensure that he is unbiased and completely fair.
The instructed surveyor(s) will decide on the best way to proceed, including this in the Party Wall Award.
Photographic Schedule of Condition
One of the primary concerns of adjoining owners during the party wall process, is that the work carried out by their neighbour may cause damage to their property. It is a common fear that any excavation works may affect a nearby wall or that building work may result in impact damage.
Any accusation of damage, whatever the apparent cause, can present those involved with very costly legal bills and as the parties are neighbours things can quickly get complicated.
In a bid to prevent this scenario from occurring, a chartered surveyor can be instructed to provide a ‘schedule of condition’. This consists of Party Wall Surveyors taking a written and photographic account of your property prior to any works beginning. The schedule will prove to be useful should damage occur and will arm you with indisputable proof from a chartered surveyor.
