Party Wall Matters
Under the Party Wall etc Act 1996, owners of land or property are legally required to notify the owner of any adjacent land or property where construction will be closer than 3m or 6m to the party wall or boundary, depending upon the work involved.
Unfortunately this does not always happen and sometimes this leads to disputes. Such disputes can be very expensive and protracted with neighbours falling out with each other because they wanted to save money by not entering into a Party Wall agreement.
So for example, if an owner is building an extension to his house he is likely to need to enter into a Party Wall Award so that should any damage occur to his neighbour's property the matter can be dealt with and resolved relatively quickly and easily. Similarly, the owner's position will be safeguarded should the adjacent owner claim that damage occurred during the construction works, whereas it may have occurred before.
Or if there are works going on to your neighbouring property which involves cutting into the party wall (such as removing a chimney breast) or on a commercial property, it is very likely that a Party Wall Award will need to be entered into.
Many people are not aware of this requirement and that by not adhering to it they could be breaking the law.
The best part, for adjacent owners, is that this will not cost them a penny as the building owner is responsible for all associated costs.
Manage4U can act on your behalf to ensure that your property is protected. We also act on behalf of both owners which tends to reduce the costs payable.
Contact us today for more information.
