Neighbour foundations - dug and not to agreement - help

[Trajan]

Hi,

Our neighbours on our adjoining 1930 semi are doing a rear extension - it basically mirrors the one we did 3 years ago.

I was in the process of agreeing terms for the party wall work and it was stated (by me) the foundation trench to be hoarded / the trench to filled quickly etc - now - what we have when I come home today is a open trench, all our foundations exposed and no weather cover no shoring / hoarding - what do I do?

Will it be ok? Or could our wall heave?

Picture albeit dark… showing our wall and their trench,

 

[johnny2007]

As long as they pour the concrete in the next couple of days, it should be ok.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

As above. Take some better pics if you can (with some light). Plus any PWA stuff should have been completed before work started not half way through

 

[^woody^]

As long as they pour the concrete in the next couple of days, it should be ok.

So, straighten, square and bottom out the trench Saturday morning, get the inspector out Saturday afternoon, hope it passes, and then pour concrete on Sunday morning.

 

[^woody^]

Don't worry, if the extension moves you are in exactly the same position whether you have a PW agreement or any agreement in place or not or whether the agreement was adhered to - ie you make your claim against the neighbour and try and prove that he was negligent.

 

[Trajan]

Our foundation was deep filled as there was a conservatory adjacent before it was demolished

I can see (but not photograph in the dark) that our concrete foundation is totally exposed on the outside face (they have dug up to it) as we dug to the boundary line.

We were discussing the PwA as it was served a couple of weeks ago, I asked for basically what we were told we had to do when we built ours - - hoarding / shoring up / quick fill and don’t let the trend get wet , but they’ve just ploughed on and I’ve come home from work to this. (Huge pile of earth on the drive was a giveaway - as well as the wife telling me there is a digger in the back…

The builder told me he would hoard it / brace it and hasn’t

I’m just worried the whole extension will heave sideways into the void or something,,,

Can the new foundation be simply poured next to ours?

 

[old duffer]

Don't worry, if the extension moves you are in exactly the same position whether you have a PW agreement or any agreement in place or not or whether the agreement was adhered to - ie you make your claim against the neighbour and try and prove that he was negligent.

and whom wins on that? only the solicitor...stupid suggestion....the poster has an agreement the the neighbour... the neighbour has an agreement with the builder....but no agreement exists between the poster and the builder...

 

[^woody^]

and whom wins on that? only the solicitor...stupid suggestion....the poster has an agreement the the neighbour... the neighbour has an agreement with the builder....but no agreement exists between the poster and the builder...

It was not a suggestion but a mere fact.

The builder owes the neighbour no duty in this context.

 

[Diver Fred]

Whose is the low side?

 

[johnny2007]

So, straighten, square and bottom out the trench Saturday morning, get the inspector out Saturday afternoon, hope it passes, and then pour concrete on Sunday morning.

Ok, maybe a few more days.
It won't collapse unless there's an earthquake.

 

[Trajan]

Ok , more update -

It’s slightly deeper than our house (we are on a hill and we are on the higher side - they have gone slightly deeper maybe 100/150mm deeper than our foundation base (counting bricks to the base of their foundation compared to photos I had of our trench.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

It would be unusual for a trench to be filled the same day it's dug, they need time to set out the levels, book it in etc.

The weather's pretty stable at the moment - definitely not over-dry and no torrential downpours. Yours should be extremely strong due to being full trench fill, so it's highly unlikely a chunk of it is going to fall into the trench. It will be stronger than ever before once they concrete it.

What do you think they should or could do differently? Be reasonable. If nothing happens in a few days then start worrying.

I suspect the builder's attitude was "yeah whatever" to your demands, to avoid an argument. In reality you don't have the right to control when and how they do their project on their land.

 

[^woody^]

In reality you don't have the right to control when and how they do their project on their land.

The Party Wall Act enters the chat.

 

[noseall]

Ok , more update -

It’s slightly deeper than our house (we are on a hill and we are on the higher side - they have gone slightly deeper maybe 100/150mm deeper than our foundation base (counting bricks to the base of their foundation compared to photos I had of our trench.

That ground looks awful. None of what I'm seeing looks like virgin earth. I would not sneeze anywhere near that building on the left of the trench.

 

[martygturner]

Gravity only goes in one direction and unless you add some serious mass to the floor of your extension why on earth would the foundation move..

As for party wall...what party wall agreement...there is absolutely no need for one...its not a party wall...as his foundations are not deeper than yours. all that is needed is a section 6 notice...which is just I am going to do this...you have no say whatsoever.