Faulkners Surveyors (Party Wall) was established in 2010 and has actually proliferated over the past decade as a professional firm providing expert and devoted services. Our team are dedicated to providing a quality service for transparent and reasonable expenses.
Our goal is to make the process as simplified and smooth as possible by taking all matters forward progressive and in line with the Act. We aim to keep all parties up to date with the process and offer assurance and comfort in the knowledge that certified specialists in Party Wall Matters have been selected. The guarantee that our property surveyors are members of the Professors of Party Wall Surveyors which the firm is an identified RICS company offers a network of security and benefiting elements of the support and backing of governing bodies.
The director of Faulkners Surveyors (Party Wall) is likewise a chair for the Northern House Counties area of the Professors of Faulkners Surveyors (Party Wall) whom offers regular meets to ensure all local surveyors have access to ongoing support and training. This guarantees that we depend on date with pertinent and recent case Law along with basic practices and working policies.
Faulkners Surveyors (Party Wall) is for that reason not just acknowledged for its specialist group and cost effective services by clients but also by and within the network of Party Wall Surveyors both in your area and nationally.
Party Wall (WikiPedia)
A party wall (occasionally parti-wall or parting wall, also known as common wall or as a demising wall) is a dividing partition between two adjoining buildings that is shared by the occupants of each residence or business. Typically, the builder lays the wall along a property line dividing two terraced houses, so that one half of the wall’s thickness lies on each side. This type of wall is usually structural. Party walls can also be formed by two abutting walls built at different times. The term can be also used to describe a division between separate units within a multi-unit apartment complex. Very often the wall in this case is non-structural but designed to meet established criteria for sound and/or fire protection, i.e. a firewall.
The Party Wall Act 1996
as it effects the garden
At first sight, it is simple to think that the 1996 Party Wall Act does not affect garden construction, nevertheless it does affect the building of limit walls even if not part of buildings and can also applies to deep excavations.
The Party Wall Act 1996 came into force in 1997, so it is now law and gives you rights and duties 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 limit fences.
The Party Wall Act does not impact any requirement for Planning Permission for any work undertaken. Having Preparation Authorization does not negate the requirements under the Party Wall Act.
The Party Wall Act enters into effect if someone is preparing to do work on an appropriate structure, for the purposes of the Act ‘party wall’ does not just mean the wall in between 2 semi-detached properties, as far as gardeners are worried it covers:
- A garden wall, where the wall is astride the boundary line (or butts up against it) and is utilized to separate the homes however is not part of any structure.
- Excavation close to a neighbouring residential or commercial property.
For information of how the Party Wall Act affects building operate in basic, take a look at this page.
As with all work affecting neighbours, it is always better to reach a friendly arrangement rather than resort to any law. Even where the work needs a notice to be served, it is better to informally talk about the designated work, think about the neighbours comments, and modify your strategies (if suitable) before serving the notice.
What garden work needs a notification and consent.
The basic concept of the Party Wall Act is that all work which might have an effect upon the structural strength or assistance function of the party wall or might cause damage to the neighbouring side of the wall should be notified. Suggestions needs to be sought from a local Building Control Workplace or expert surveyor/architect if in doubt.
Work in the garden covered by the Party Wall Act consist of:
- To destroy and/or rebuild/build a party boundary wall.
- To increase the height or density of a party border wall.
- Excavations within 3 metres of a neighbouring building where the excavation will go listed below the bottom of the foundations of the neighbouring building.
- Excavations within 6 metres of a neighbouring structure where the excavation will go below a line drawn 45 ° downwards from the bottom of the structures of the neighbouring structure.
Boundary walls
If the prepared work on a limit wall falls under the Party Wall Act, a notice must be released to all impacted neighbouring celebrations. The notification should consist of (see sample letters in Part 5 of the Party Wall leaflet):.
- The owners of the residential or commercial property undertaking the work.
- The address of the residential or commercial property.
- A complete description of the proposed work (this will usually be simply a single sentence detailing 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 etc
If the prepared work is a new limit wall as much as or astride the limit line the process of serving a notification under the Party Wall Act is as follows:.
- The person meaning to carry out the work should serve a composed notice at least one months prior to the designated start of the work to every neighbouring party providing details of the work to be carried out.
- Each neighbouring party needs to react in writing providing consent or signing up dissent – if a neighbouring party not does anything within 2 week of getting the notice, the effect is to put the notification into dispute. However no official agreement is needed for a wall up to the boundary line, the neighbour just needs not to object in composing.
- No work may start on a wall astride the boundary line up until all neighbouring celebrations have actually concurred in writing to the notice (or a revised notification).
See below regarding what takes place 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 a minimum of one month before the prepared start day of the work. Neighbouring parties need to offer written agreement within 14 days or a dispute is considered to have actually happened.
See below regarding what occurs in case of a dispute/objection.
If a disagreement emerges, what occurs.
If arrangement can not be reached in between neighbouring parties, the process is as follows:.
- A Property surveyor or Surveyors is/are designated to determine a reasonable and unbiased Award, either:.
- A single ‘Concurred Property surveyor’ (someone acceptable to all parties).
or. - Each party designates their own Surveyor to represent the private celebrations.
The person who is performing the work will normally need to pay all the costs of the Surveyors, the only exception being if the neighbour calls out a Property surveyor needlessly – in the opinion of the Surveyor. However it needs to be noted that any Surveyor needs to act within their statutory responsibilities and propose a objective and reasonable Award.
- A single ‘Concurred Property surveyor’ (someone acceptable to all parties).
- The Agreed Surveyor, or the private Surveyors jointly, will produce an Award which should be neutral and fair to all celebrations.
- Once an Award has actually been made, all parties have 2 week to interest a County Court versus the Award.
As soon as you have arrangement.
All work should comply with the notice as soon as you have contract. All the agreements ought to be retained to make sure that a record of the granted permission is kept; a subsequent purchaser of the home might wish to establish that the work was performed in accordance with the Party Wall Act requirements.
Keep in mind:
- We have actually only given a brief summary of the Party Wall Act here as it impacts garden work however have a look at the Communities and City government website for a more thorough explanatory booklet consisting of example letters for notices and actions.
- Discussing designated deal with neighbours is free and can prevent misconception which may develop if a notification shows up all of a sudden.
- Your regional Building Control Office may be able to offer complimentary recommendations regarding the Party Wall Act and how it applies to specific situations.
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