Faulkners Surveyors (Party Wall) was established in 2010 and has grown rapidly over the past decade as an expert company offering expert and dedicated services. Our team are dedicated to offering a quality service for transparent and sensible costs.
Our aim is to make the process as smooth and simplistic as possible by taking all matters forward progressive and in line with the Act. We intend to keep all celebrations up to date with the procedure and offer guarantee and comfort in the understanding that qualified specialists in Party Wall Matters have been selected. The assurance that our surveyors are members of the Professors of Party Wall Surveyors which the firm is an acknowledged RICS firm supplies a network of security and benefiting elements of the assistance and support of governing bodies.
The director of Faulkners Surveyors (Party Wall) is likewise a chair for the Northern Home Counties location of the Professors of Faulkners Surveyors (Party Wall) whom provides routine fulfills to ensure all regional surveyors have access to continuous assistance and training. This makes sure that we depend on date with recent and pertinent case Law as well as general practices and working policies.
Faulkners Surveyors (Party Wall) is therefore not just acknowledged for its professional group and cost effective services by consumers but also by and within the network of Party Wall Surveyors both in your area and nationally.
Party Wall (WikiPedia)
A party wall (periodically parti-wall or parting wall surface, additionally called common wall surface or as a demising wall) is a separating dividers between two adjoining structures that is shared by the passengers of each house or service. Normally, the building contractor lays the wall along a residential or commercial property line splitting 2 terraced residences, to make sure that one half of the wall surface’s density lies on each side. This sort of wall surface is typically structural. Party wall surfaces can additionally be developed by two abutting walls constructed at various times. The term can be also used to explain a division in between different systems within a multi-unit apartment building. Very commonly the wall surface in this situation is non-structural however designed to meet well-known criteria for sound and/or fire protection, i.e. a firewall.
The Party Wall Act 1996
as it impacts the garden
At first sight, it is easy to believe that the 1996 Party Wall Act does not affect garden building, nevertheless it does affect the building of border walls even if not part of structures and can also applies to deep excavations.
The Party Wall Act 1996 came 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 work on an appropriate structure or if your neighbour is.
The Party Wall Act does not apply to boundary fences.
The Party Wall Act does not affect any requirement for Planning Authorization for any work undertaken. Having Preparation Authorization does not negate the requirements under the Party Wall Act.
The Party Wall Act comes into result if someone is planning to do work on a pertinent structure, for the functions of the Act ‘party wall’ does not simply indicate the wall between two semi-detached homes, as far as garden enthusiasts are concerned it covers:
- A garden wall, where the wall is astride the limit line (or butts up against it) and is used to separate the properties but is not part of any building.
- Excavation near to a neighbouring residential or commercial property.
For information of how the Party Wall Act impacts building operate in general, have a look at this page.
As with all work affecting neighbours, it is constantly better to reach a friendly contract rather than resort to any law. Even where the work requires a notice to be served, it is better to informally go over the desired work, consider the neighbours remarks, and change your strategies (if appropriate) before serving the notice.
What garden work requires a notice and authorization.
The basic concept of the Party Wall Act is that all work which might have a result upon the structural strength or support function of the party wall or may cause damage to the neighbouring side of the wall must be notified. Advice should be looked for from a local Structure Control Workplace or expert surveyor/architect if in doubt.
Operate in the garden covered by the Party Wall Act include:
- To rebuild/build a party and/or demolish limit wall.
- To increase the height or density of a party limit wall.
- Excavations within 3 metres of a neighbouring structure where the excavation will go listed below the bottom of the structures of the neighbouring building.
- Excavations within 6 metres of a neighbouring structure where the excavation will go listed below a line drawn 45 ° downwards from the bottom of the structures of the neighbouring structure.
Boundary walls
A notice should be provided to all affected neighbouring parties if the prepared work on a border wall falls under the Party Wall Act. The notice should include (see sample letters in Part 5 of the Party Wall leaflet):.
- The owners of the property carrying out the work.
- The address of the property.
- A full description of the proposed work (this will generally be just a single sentence outlining the work).
- The proposed start date for the work.
- A clear declaration that the notification is being served under The Party Wall etc Act 1996.
- The date the notification is being served.
- If the work involves excavations, a drawing revealing the depth, position and so on
If the planned work is a new limit wall up to or astride the boundary line the procedure of serving a notice under the Party Wall Act is as follows:.
- The individual meaning to carry out the work should serve a composed notice a minimum of one months before the intended start of the work to every neighbouring party offering details of the work to be carried out.
- Each neighbouring party must react in composing offering approval or signing up dissent – if a neighbouring party not does anything within 14 days of receiving the notification, the result is to put the notification into dispute. No formal arrangement is needed for a wall up to the border line, the neighbour just requires not to object in writing.
- No work might commence on a wall astride the limit line up until all neighbouring celebrations have agreed in writing to the notice (or a modified notice).
See below concerning what takes place in the event of a dispute/objection.
Excavations.
If the planned work is an excavation within the distance/depth covered by the Party Wall Act, the notification requires to be served a minimum of one month prior to the planned start day of the work. Neighbouring celebrations must offer written arrangement within 14 days or a disagreement is considered to have occurred.
See listed below regarding what takes place in the event of a dispute/objection.
If a conflict emerges, what occurs.
If contract can not be reached in between neighbouring parties, the process is as follows:.
- A Surveyor or Surveyors is/are appointed to determine a objective and fair Award, either:.
- A single ‘Concurred Property surveyor’ (somebody appropriate to all celebrations).
or. - Each party selects their own Property surveyor to represent the specific celebrations.
The individual who is performing the work will typically have to pay all the costs of the Surveyors, the only exception being if the neighbour calls out a Surveyor unnecessarily – in the viewpoint of the Surveyor. Nevertheless it must be kept in mind that any Surveyor must act within their statutory duties and propose a fair and objective Award.
- A single ‘Concurred Property surveyor’ (somebody appropriate to all celebrations).
- The Agreed Property surveyor, or the individual Surveyors jointly, will produce an Award which needs to be fair and objective to all parties.
- As soon as an Award has actually been made, all celebrations have 2 week to appeal to a County Court versus the Award.
Once you have arrangement.
All work must comply with the notice when you have agreement. All the contracts must be maintained to make sure that a record of the granted permission is kept; a subsequent buyer of the home might want to establish that the work was performed in accordance with the Party Wall Act requirements.
Keep in mind:
- We’ve just provided a brief summary of the Party Wall Act here as it affects garden work but take a look at the Neighborhoods and Local Government site for a more thorough explanatory pamphlet including example letters for reactions and notices.
- Talking about intended deal with neighbours is complimentary and can prevent misunderstanding which may arise if a notification shows up unexpectedly.
- Your local Building Control Workplace may have the ability to provide totally free recommendations relating to the Party Wall Act and how it applies to specific circumstances.
Related Articles
Around the Web