If a party wall notice has been sent to you, it means that your neighbour needs to make improvements to their property that could affect yours. Before administrating wall work, your neighbour (building owner), is permitted to give you (adjacent owner) written notice of the intended wall work that they must carry out.
You should receive this notification at least two months before the start of the job so you have time to prepare a response. You should respond in 14 days to the building owner with any of the options mentioned below –
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Provide Consent
By giving your approval to the Party Wall Notice, you are permitting your neighbour to move forward without taking any responsibility for any damage that may occur to your property because of the alteration process.
Hence, you must have written documentation from a party wall surveyor stating the condition of the property before work begins for your neighbour to be held fully responsible for any damage resulting from the building works.
For this, you can contact Icon Surveyors. They provide party wall services in east London, North London, Central London, and Surrey. Whether you are carrying out construction works that are subject to the Party Wall Act or you have been served a Party Wall Notice, working with RICS-accredited Surveyors will make everything a lot clearer and simpler to grasp.
Refuse Consent Appoint Agreed Surveyor
Refusing consent is your second option, which will initiate a dispute resolution process. If you don’t respond to the party wall notice within 14 days, then it can be also considered a disagreement automatically.
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You must designate a party wall surveyor if you and your neighbour are unable to agree on the wall-related tasks. A party wall award, which is a legal document that specifies what work must be done, when it must be done, and who is responsible for paying for each half, may be created by the in-agreement surveyor.
The award specified property and works, reviews appearance over plans, ensures that work won’t affect your property, and specifies what will happen if your property is damaged. Before construction begins, the surveyor will visit your property to record its condition and provide a report of the condition, ensuring that any damages are professionally repaired.
Refuse Consent and Appoint Your Surveyor
There is also the option to disagree with the notice and choose your surveyor while your neighbour appoints their surveyor. It should be remembered that the building owner is also responsible for your surveyor’s fees. Your surveyor can complete the schedule, ensure that plans won’t affect your property, determine how and when the work will be carried out, and create any necessary revisions to the scheduled work.
An unbiased third surveyor will decide on the document if these two surveyors are unable to reach an agreement on an appropriate wall award. Each of you and your neighbour has 14 days to appeal the surveyor’s decision to the County Court if you disagree with it.
Party Wall Surveyors often give you the correct advice. If you find yourself struggling with a Party Wall Notice, hire a surveyor of your own and resolve the dispute smoothly.
