Who owns a roof ridge?Roof ridge

[Pam Howard]

Hello! This question may already have been asked, but I have a somewhat difficult neighbour and need an answer as quickly as possible.

There's a roof ridge separating our houses and the end stones are coming loose. I've found a builder who will repair them at a reasonable price and have approached my neighbour by email (he's a landlord, so difficult to reach face-to-face) asking him to pay his portion of the cost (exactly half of the total price) or to seek another quotation for comparison...but to let me know, as soon as possible, his intentions so that I can advise the builder before I lose the quote. He appears to be ignoring my email - which I've sent twice and to both his known email addresses.

I don't know who actually owns the ridge. Would it be on our deeds, and is it defined by ownership of the boundary fence? Or is it ALWAYS jointly owned?

I'd be grateful for advice as soon as possible, please.

 

[Bosswhite]

You havent said where the end stones are, are they above your property or on the neighbours property, whichever way is self explanatory I would have thought.

 

[Pam Howard]

Hi Bosswhite! The ridge starts at the front of the 2 properties (which are part of a terrace) and travels across the roof to the rear, separating but connecting the two properties.
The attached photo shows the front - and the loose end stone (there's a short piece of guttering directly below the end stone).
It is exactly between the roofs of the two houses.

 

[Bosswhite]

it looks to me as the ridge is there to stop rain going onto the right hand property roof, so IMO I would have thought it was the property on the left resonsibility,
one could try that it is a party wall, the main problem is that the slabs are loose and dangerous this may spur the next door neighbour to share the cost they could be partly responsible for any accident as the ridge is there to protect their property

 

[bobasd]

i presume you own your house?

thats a parapet. its usualy shared on a party wall.
looks like the next house is lower, stepped down from your house level?
were both houses built at the same time?
why dont you move back and take snaps of the parapet from further back. both at the front and the rear of the house - show your neighbours side of the parapet and yours.
parapets can be tricky an the damage you can seenow might not be half of it?

google pics of Hip Irons - you will need one or two to support any downward movement of that last stone whaen its been lifted out, cleaned and droped back into mortar bed.

whats the yellowish streak droppin from your gutter end?

 

[Pam Howard]

Hi again, Bosswhite!
Thanks for your response!
In fact the house on the left is mine, but your suggestion that the ridge is there to protect my neighbour's property from rainfall is something I hadn't thought of. Either way, my neighbour has finally responded and says he will get someone to "take a quick look", so I'm now forced to wait until I hear again from him. I hope the quotation I've already received doesn't expire in the meantime!

 

[Pam Howard]

Hi Bobasd!
Thanks for your input!
Yes, both houses were built at the same time (it's a terrace of 5 and mine is in the middle). there is a ridge on both sides of my roof so I assume, if I'm responsible for this one, then my neighbour on the other side (where there's a similar problem) is responsible for that one.
I presume the roofer who has quoted for the work knows all about hip irons. He said something about lifting the end tile, cleaning the bed and then re-cementing AND pinning the tile, so I guess that's what he meant.
The 'yellowish streak' that you mentioned can be found on all the houses in the terrace and is, in fact, a strip of cement from the roof, where you see it, to the ground. I've no idea why it's there but assume it covers waste pipework from the (windowless) bathroom, which is in the centre of each house, between the front and back bedrooms (they're two-bed houses).
I did send photos to my neighbour (who has now responded - see my reply to Bosswhite), so must now wait for his next contact.
Thanks again!

 

[blup]

Explain the position to the tradesman who gave you the quote and ask for it to kept open for 28 days.

Blup

 

[Pam Howard]

I just did...and it is!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Please start calling it a a parapet it is not a ridge. And the quote is hardly likely to go up next month is it!

 

[Pam Howard]

Thank you, FreddyMercurysTwin(!), for that rather bossy response.
Not being a builder, nor indeed in the trade, I seem to have a lot to learn. Luckily the other three gentlemen knew what I was talking about, as indeed does the roofer who will be doing the work!

 

[^woody^]

That's a parapet and as there is a step in terrace, it would normally be wholly owned by the person at the higher property, and the property boundary on the outside edge of the "party" wall.