Party Wall Act 1996

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Hi

I've just had some drawings done for a single storey extension. I live in a semi detached house and I am proposing to rebuild the boundary wall and it form part of the new garage.

The current boundary wall is about 120 years old and needs rebuilding as it is in a very bad state.

I will have the drawings lodged with the council for all the regulations to be sorted but how do I let my neighbours know my intentions?

At the very best of times, the neighbour is a total a$$ so I am expecting him to cause problems. What is my best way forward - being the quickest and simplest method?

Can I just serve him with a letter telling him of the plans and confirming that if any damage is caused to their property/land etc that I will have it repaired?

Many thanks
 
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No. I'm afraid you need to follow the procedures set out in the party wall act- they're there to protect you as much as your neighbour.

Case history has established that if you don't follow the procedures described in the act, and your neighbour sues you for damage to their wall, the courts will likely find in their favour. The onus will be on you to prove that you didn't cause the damage! This can only be done with a condition survey and a party wall award.

Sorry.
 
No. I'm afraid you need to follow the procedures set out in the party wall act- they're there to protect you as much as your neighbour, in addition to providing a grossly-inflated income for PWA surveyors in return for a load of cut-and-paste waffle which is grandly termed 'a party-wall award',
 
Do I only have to go down the surveyor route if my neighbour objects to the new extension?

Basically, if by a miracle he is agreeable to the extension, do I just put my intentions in writing and state that any damages etc I will pay to have rectified etc?

Many thanks
 
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Do I only have to go down the surveyor route if my neighbour objects to the new extension?

Basically, if by a miracle he is agreeable to the extension, do I just put my intentions in writing and state that any damages etc I will pay to have rectified etc?

Many thanks
Yes. Give him all the info and get him to agree. If necessary offer him a sweetener - even if he is a knobhead. Just grit your teeth when you do it. Otherwise it's a grands worth of paperwork. If he does agree, do a condition survey yourself before you start. Just take photos of any cracks and defects and note them down in a simple report format. Give him a copy and tell him it's for his benefit - but really it's for yours.
 
You do not need a Party Wall Surveyor to administer to the Act - especially if the neighbour is happy about the proposals. Arm yourself with a large flask of coffee and a calendar and you can do it yourself.

If your neighbour really is an a*&$hole then I wouldn't advise an ad hoc approach.
 

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