The increasing population has made the party walls a common concern. People who have experienced such issues are well-versed in this term. It is a term used to denote a shared boundary with different ownership.
However, only a few of you must be aware of this term.
The party walls always tend to have numerous disputes and arguments. It also leads people to look for specialist services such as Icon Surveyors. Icon Surveyors are building surveyors operating from Central London to other parts of London. They provide multifaceted practices and offer Boundary surveys, valuation and party wall surveys.
In such a tricky situation, it is palpable for a person to have various questions.
In this kind of situation, your mind is full of questions such as –
- What is the party wall act?
- When is this act applicable?
- How to make an application in this context?
- Why do people need a party wall surveyor?
- What comes under Party Wall Agreement?
- What to do when an adjoining owner starts building without informing you?
- What to do when you start building work without serving notice?
- Do the adjoining owners have the right to access your property during their building work?
Let us brief you about a few crucial things that will answer these questions.
The Party Wall Act 1996 legitimises activities concerning the party wall. You may end up handling consequences of trespassing, or in a nuisance, you start building work without notifying your adjoining owners.
Now let’s talk about other critical points of the act.
When is this act applicable?
The Party Wall Act 1996 generally covers these three kinds of work –
- Making alterations to shared structures or party wall
- Doing building work along the dividing line between two properties
- Excavating within a specific distance of the party wall on the adjoining property
For instance, building work of installing roof supports by cutting into the walls of a roof-top house for building an extension, loft conversion too close to the dividing line or digging near adjoining structures to place bedrock for a conservatory.
Why do people need a party wall surveyor?
A building owner needs professional assistance at various stages when planning building work on a property falling under Party Wall legislation. A Party wall surveyor is one of the professionals
you need. Firstly, these professionals will help you by ensuring your party wall notice you are writing is perfect and served according to the legal process.
After that, they will draw up a schedule of conditions considering the area of your neighbour’s property likely to affect your building work. The sole purpose here is to ensure that no party is wrongly accused of damage or held responsible if any damage occurs during the building.
Lastly, the surveyor is the negotiator between you and the adjoining owners when negotiating the party wall agreement. The entire process will cover the details of the proposed building work, including access arrangement, working hours and any safeguard required to protect people or property. These professionals are here to handle your Party wall issues to make sure your building process sails smoothly.
