Cowboy builders next door

[Suzieq123]

next door have have had a rear single extension, we are a semi detached house, no party wall act followed.
The builders were really banging against party wall, photos shaking, looked out of upstairs window to see builder say "this is serious, very serious" he was then lifting bricks in clumps of walls of new build. We immediately phoned neighbours who said all fine, inspectors told them to remove bricks.
I phoned their inspector who didn't even know build had started. 7 padstones then appeared in their garden, we suspect they have removed the support column. We now have cracks appearing both up and downstairs.
Building inspector won't help, house insurance legal advised us nothing doing.
We are really worried and don't know where to go next to check the safety of our house.
Yesterday builder on phone telling someone his builders have @@@@@@ up the drains!

 

[JP_]

Take photos, videos. Report to home insurance company. Inform council in writing, especially about removal of padstones, damage to drainage and cracks appearing in your house.
Not sure what else you can do to be honest. Sounds a nightmare.

How big are the cracks? If you have big cracks, you already have damage to your property. Tell your neighbour this, and ask them to check their builder's insurance details, and tell them your insurance company may need to make a claim. If the builder is not insured, I guess the neighbour will have to pay up through their insurance?

 

[Notch7]

Hi Suzi, there are some pros on here, you might be better posting in the planning and building regs forum,

then you may get advice from an architect, building inspector or structural engineer.

There's not much detail to go on, can you take a few pics

 

[Suzieq123]

Thank you, we have photos of padstones in their garden and a video of the builder removing loose bricks, he videos our wall and is pushing the beam he has put up to attach the roof beams to. They take this beam off and move it higher. The neighbour denies any structural work and insists the inspector told them to remove bricks, (we have a text saying this and confirmation off inspector stating he had no contact).
The cracks are surface at moment but the adjoining upstairs wall is starting to look likecrazy paving across it.
The photo shows padstones by shed and 1 by fence, also crack in our support column.

 

[frutbunn]

The "padstones" look more like trenchblocks.

 

[Suzieq123]

Thank you, what would 'trenchblocks' be used for? The house was built in the 70's, they appeared heavy when they were lifting them.

 

[Nakajo]

See about Urgent Injunction Applications. They tend to focus the mind.

 

[frutbunn]

Thank you, what would 'trenchblocks' be used for? The house was built in the 70's, they appeared heavy when they were lifting them.

Trench blocks are used below external ground level as an alternative to constructing a cavity wall below ground and having to fill the cavity with lean mix concrete. In any case they look way to big to be used as padstones for most applications you are likely to encounter in a dwelling.

 

[^woody^]

There's two options

1. Mr County Court Clerk and an injunction
2. Mr Baseball Bat and friendly persuasion