Faulkners Surveyors is an independent firm of building surveyors that specialise in the
Party Wall etc. Act 1996 acting for Structure Owners, Adjoining Owners and as the Agreed Property Surveyor throughout London and the Home Counties.
Party Wall (WikiPedia)
A party wall (periodically parti-wall or parting wall surface, likewise recognized as typical wall or as a demising wall) is a separating partition between 2 adjoining buildings that is shared by the passengers of each home or service. Commonly, the building contractor lays the wall along a residential or commercial property line separating two terraced houses, so that one fifty percent of the wall’s density pushes each side. This kind of wall is normally architectural. Event walls can likewise be created by two abutting walls built at different times. The term can be additionally made use of to describe a department between different devices within a multi-unit apartment building. Very usually the wall in this instance is non-structural yet designed to satisfy recognized standards for sound and/or fire defense, i.e. a firewall software.
The Party Wall Act 1996
as it effects the garden
At first sight, it is simple to believe that the 1996 Party Wall Act does not affect garden building, nevertheless it does impact the construction of limit walls even if not part of buildings and can also applies to deep excavations.
The Party Wall Act 1996 entered into force in 1997, so it is now law and offers you rights and obligations whichever the side of the ‘wall’ you are on i.e. whether you are planning/doing deal with an appropriate structure or if your neighbour is.
The Party Wall Act does not apply to border fences.
The Party Wall Act does not affect any requirement for Preparation Approval for any work undertaken. Similarly, having Planning Permission does not negate the requirements under the Party Wall Act.
The Party Wall Act enters impact if somebody is preparing to do deal with a pertinent structure, for the functions of the Act ‘party wall’ does not simply imply the wall between two semi-detached homes, as far as gardeners are concerned it covers:
- A garden wall, where the wall is astride the limit line (or butts up against it) and is utilized to separate the homes but is not part of any building.
- Excavation close to a neighbouring property.
For details of how the Party Wall Act affects building work in basic, have a look at this page.
As with all work impacting neighbours, it is always better to reach a friendly agreement instead of turn to any law. Even where the work needs a notification to be served, it is much better to informally discuss the desired work, consider the neighbours remarks, and modify your strategies (if proper) before serving the notification.
What garden work needs a notice and approval.
The general principle of the Party Wall Act is that all work which may have a result upon the structural strength or assistance function of the party wall or may trigger damage to the neighbouring side of the wall should be informed. Advice should be looked for from a local Building Control Office or professional surveyor/architect if in doubt.
Operate in the garden covered by the Party Wall Act consist of:
- To rebuild/build a party and/or destroy boundary wall.
- To increase the height or density of a party border wall.
- Excavations within 3 metres of a neighbouring structure where the excavation will go listed below the bottom of the structures of the neighbouring structure.
- Excavations within 6 metres of a neighbouring structure where the excavation will go below a line drawn 45 ° downwards from the bottom of the foundations of the neighbouring building.
Boundary walls
A notification should be issued to all affected neighbouring parties if the planned work on a border wall falls under the Party Wall Act. The notification needs to consist of (see sample letters in Part 5 of the Party Wall brochure):.
- The owners of the home undertaking the work.
- The address of the home.
- A full description of the proposed work (this will generally be simply a single sentence outlining the work).
- The proposed start date for the work.
- A clear statement that the notice is being served under The Party Wall etc Act 1996.
- The date the notification is being served.
- If the work involves excavations, a drawing showing the depth, position and so on
If the planned work is a new limit wall up to or astride the border line the procedure of serving a notice under the Party Wall Act is as follows:.
- The person intending to perform the work should serve a composed notification at least one months prior to the intended start of the work to every neighbouring party providing details of the work to be carried out.
- Each neighbouring party should react in composing providing approval or registering dissent – if a neighbouring party not does anything within 14 days of getting the notice, the impact is to put the notification into conflict. However no official arrangement is needed for a wall as much as the limit line, the neighbour just requires not to object in composing.
- No work may commence on a wall astride the border line until all neighbouring celebrations have agreed in writing to the notice (or a revised notice).
See listed below concerning what happens in case of a dispute/objection.
Excavations.
If the prepared work is an excavation within the distance/depth covered by the Party Wall Act, the notification needs to be served at least one month before the planned start day of the work. Neighbouring parties must offer written agreement within 14 days or a dispute is considered to have taken place.
See listed below concerning what happens in the event of a dispute/objection.
What happens if a dispute occurs.
If contract can not be reached between neighbouring celebrations, the procedure is as follows:.
- A Surveyor or Surveyors is/are selected to determine a fair and impartial Award, either:.
- A single ‘Agreed Property surveyor’ (someone acceptable to all parties).
or. - Each party selects their own Property surveyor to represent the specific parties.
The individual who is carrying out the work will usually have to pay all the costs of the Surveyors, the only exception being if the neighbour calls out a Property surveyor needlessly – in the viewpoint of the Property surveyor. However it should be noted that any Surveyor needs to act within their statutory obligations and propose a reasonable and impartial Award.
- A single ‘Agreed Property surveyor’ (someone acceptable to all parties).
- The Agreed Surveyor, or the specific Surveyors jointly, will produce an Award which should be objective and fair to all celebrations.
- When an Award has been made, all parties have 14 days to attract a County Court against the Award.
Once you have contract.
All work should comply with the notice as soon as you have agreement. All the agreements should be kept to ensure that a record of the granted permission is kept; a subsequent buyer of the residential or commercial property may wish to develop that the work was carried out in accordance with the Party Wall Act requirements.
Remember:
- We’ve only given a short overview of the Party Wall Act here as it affects garden work however take a look at the Communities and Local Government site for a more extensive explanatory booklet consisting of example letters for reactions and notices.
- Discussing desired deal with neighbours is free and can avoid misunderstanding which might develop if a notice arrives unexpectedly.
- Your local Building Control Workplace may have the ability to offer totally free suggestions concerning the Party Wall Act and how it applies to particular circumstances.
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