Enforcement

Question What should happen after the structural engineer has completed their plan for the remedial work? I have agreed to the work via the party wall surveyor (I am the adjoining owner) but it's all gone quiet for two months! These roof repairs really need doing, but I'm not sure whether the neighbour will proceed with it. Can I enforce the ... Read more >>

Question I’m a leaseholder in a residential flat above a commercial unit. For most of the time that I’ve lived here, the commercial unit has been occupied. The freeholder has recently started the process of splitting the unit below into two. My initial question relates to operation of The Party Wall etc Act 1996 and party structure ... Read more >>

Question My neighbour's back garden is approx. 5ft higher than mine and there is a wall at the boundary. Part of the wall is leaning towards my garden and there are several large cracks. I've spoken to my neighbour about repairing it but they don't want to know. Answer The first step is to review the property’s deeds in case they ... Read more >>

Question Our neighbour started a building project, a loft conversion and rear extension, but work stopped six months ago and the site has been idle since. The scaffolding remains up and does protrudes over the boundary into our property. When we renovated our house we installed a satellite dish for television. We have not been able to use it ... Read more >>

QuestionMy neighbours are extending in to their basement. Recently the drilling work has intensified and I’ve noticed a crack in the hallway. Should they be using a lower level of force in the drilling i.e. so the house is not shaking and creating cracks as they go?AnswerYou don’t say whether there is a party wall award in place but if there ... Read more >>

Question My question relates to a party wall that was made of concrete blocks and has fallen down after 40 years - their were no footings for the wall and therefore insurance would not pay. Our neighbours who share the party wall live behind and slightly above us. Their garden is about 5 feet higher than ours so now we have a vertical drop with ... Read more >>

Question Our property is separated from our neighbour by an alleyway about 1meter wide owned by the neighbour. He has applied for planning permission to extend out at first floor level over the alley cantilevering from his side. The extension plans to have just a single skin wall and to use our wall as the second skin needed to comply with ... Read more >>

Question We live in a semi, in ex council housing both my house and my neighbours are now privately owned. The plans clearly show the dividing garden wall to be a party wall, adjoined to the wall is one pillar, the original since the house was built with both houses hanging their gates off it. Our neighbours asked could they build  a new wall I ... Read more >>

Question We live in a terraced property and have been trying unsuccessfully, for over 13 months, to recover repair costs from our adjoining neighbour who started building work unlawfully and caused damage to the party wall in the process. After much pressure and dispute, the necessary Planning Permission and Party Wall notification were ... Read more >>

Question We have planning permission for a two story extension along the side of our house - the permission is to build right to the boundry. Our neighbours strongly objected to the plans at the planning meeting (although they had previously told us they had no objections) and are very angry that they have been passed. This extension is of a ... Read more >>