Does the Party Wall Act apply?

Does the Party Wall Act applyA common question received at RMA Surveyors is: does the Party Wall Act apply to me? 

If you’re uncertain as to whether the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 applies to you, then why not look at the below chart. It’s a quick reference flowchart, from the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors, which shows the steps required when considering the Party Wall Act.

The Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors flowchart.

RMA Surveyors Ltd are experienced party wall surveyors, based in Newbury, Berkshire.  We provide Party Wall surveying and advice in compliance with The Party Wall etc. Act 1996.  We act on behalf of building owners and adjoining owners, as well as agreed surveyors for both parties.

If you’re in doubt as to whether the Party Wall Act applies, contact RMA Surveyors for professional advice on 01635 579208. We are members of and regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The Party Wall etc Act 1996

the party wall etc actA Guide to the Party Wall etc Act 1996

In 1997 the Government introduced party wall legislation across the whole of England & Wales in the form of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. The Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (FPWS) was established out of a national need for education and support for surveyors but also to enhance awareness and provide advice and guidance to the public.

Determining if a building project is within the scope of the Act can be complex and failure to correctly identify the status of your project could result in the building works being unlawful. The FPWS always recommend that you seek professional advice. In addition, it has produced a useful Guide to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

If you’re in need of professional advice, contact 01635 579208.

Do I need a Party Wall Surveyor?

You may need a Party Wall Surveyor if you intend to carry out work which involves the following:

– Work on an existing wall, ceiling or floor structure shared with another property

– Building on or at the boundary with another property

– Excavating near a neighbouring building or structure.

If you’re planning any of the above, you must call a Party Wall Surveyor to find out whether the work falls within the scope of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

If you do not comply with the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 by serving the necessary notices and obtaining the necessary agreement or resolving matters by way of an award, your building works could be delayed, declared unlawful, possibly incurring legal claims and costs against you.

In order to be clear if your planned work comes within the Act, you should seek professional advice from an experienced Party Wall Surveyor.

Call Chartered Surveyors, RMA Surveyors Ltd on 01635 579208 for guidance on the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 or to enlist our services as a Party Wall Surveyor. 

We provide Party Wall surveying and advice in compliance with The Party Wall etc. Act 1996.  We act on behalf of building owners and adjoining owners, as well as agreed surveyors for both parties.

Party Wall Process

The Party Wall ProcessThe Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is designed to avoid and minimise disputes. It makes sure property owners notify adjoining owners in advance of proposed works. However, the Party Wall process can seem daunting and/or complicated. To ensure peace of mind that you are following the correct procedure when it comes to your building work, contact RMA Surveyors, Newbury Berkshire to help guide you through the Party Wall process.

RMA Surveyors provide expert advice on the Party Wall process, as one client recently gave testimonial to:

We appointed Richard Mountain of RMA Surveyors to act on our behalf, as our neighbours had commenced work excavating right next to our house, without serving a party wall agreement.  Richard’s knowledge and expertise helped resolve the issue and allowed our neighbours build to continue whilst protecting our property, which was our biggest concern.  Unfortunately our neighbours chose to ignore the first award and we had to engage Richard again to go through another award.  He worked extremely well to support us and offered a voice of reason to ourselves, our neighbours and the barrister we had to engage.

Richard gave us the confidence that we needed throughout the entire process.  His is extremely thorough and practical, his communication was very proactive and he dealt with sensitive issues in a professional and timely manner, often coming out at short notice. I would fully recommend Richard for any party wall agreement.” (February 2018)

RMA Surveyors provide Party Wall surveying and advice in compliance with The Party Wall etc. Act 1996.  We act on behalf of building owners and adjoining owners, as well as agreed surveyors for both parties. 

Contact RMA Surveyors to discuss your needs on 01635 579208 or email enquiries@rmasurveyors.co.uk.

Does the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 affect my building work?

Party Wall etc. Act 1996“Does the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 affect my building work?” is a question that RMA Surveyors in Newbury, Berkshire have often been asked.

If you have plans to carry out the following type of work on your property then you should seek professional advice regarding the Party Wall Act:

– Work on an existing wall, ceiling or floor structure shared with another property,

– Building on or at the boundary with another property,

– Excavating near a neighbouring building or structure.

By seeking advice from a party wall professional, you can determine whether your proposed building work falls within the scope of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, enabling you to respond accordingly and within the Law.

RMA Surveyors are expert Party Wall and Chartered surveyors, members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. With such accreditation, you can rest assured that RMA Surveyors will provide you with the quality advice and service that is required.

Contact RMA Surveyors for advice or help with the Party Wall process on 01635 579208 or email enquiries@rmasurveyors.co.uk.

Testimonial, February 2018:

“We appointed Richard Mountain of RMA Surveyors to act on our behalf, as our neighbours had commenced work excavating right next to our house, without serving a party wall agreement.  Richard’s knowledge and expertise helped resolve the issue and allowed our neighbours build to continue whilst protecting our property, which was our biggest concern.  Unfortunately our neighbours chose to ignore the first award and we had to engage Richard again to go through another award.  He worked extremely well to support us and offered a voice of reason to ourselves, our neighbours and the barrister we had to engage.

Richard gave us the confidence that we needed throughout the entire process.  His is extremely thorough and practical, his communication was very proactive and he dealt with sensitive issues in a professional and timely manner, often coming out at short notice.

I would fully recommend Richard for any party wall agreement.”

A Guide to Party Wall Procedure

Party Wall procedure

RMA Surveyors Ltd provides professional and independent advice concerning Party Wall procedure.

If you intend to carry out building work to your property which could affect your neighbour, you should determine whether works require notification under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Notifiable works include:

  • Work on an existing wall, structural soffit or floor structure shared with another property. e.g. loft conversion, supporting a beam on a party wall, removing walls in a flat, or digging out a basement.
  • Building on or at the boundary with another property. e.g. building an extension or replacing a boundary wall.
  • Excavating near a neighbouring building or structure to a depth lower than their existing foundation.

If the work undertaken is notifiable under the Party Wall Act etc. 1996, the correct type of notice not must be issued. RMA Surveyors provide advice and guidance on which Notice/s should be issued. See our Section Notices blog for more information.

The Party Wall Act is designed to avoid and minimise disputes, notices are served to ensure that the property owners notify their adjoining owners in advance of notifiable works commencing.

Party Wall Notices should contain the following:

  • Name the building owners (those proposing the work) and all adjoining owners (those potentially affected by the work).
  • Clearly indicate the work that is notifiable under the Act.
  • State a proposed start date in accordance with the notice periods prescribed by the Act.
  • Be dated and signed by the building owner or their representative with the authority to act on their behalf.
  • Notices will usually be accompanied by drawings or plans to illustrate the proposals of the notifiable works.

Once notice is served the adjoining owner can:

  • Provide written consent within 14 days from the date of the notice.
  • Provide written consent with conditions (which may be refused) in writing within 14 days.
  • Refuse consent, which will start the dispute resolution process.
  • Do nothing. The matter will be deemed to be in dispute after 14 days, then the adjoining owner should appoint a surveyor within 10 days, or one will be appointed on their behalf.
  • Serve a counter notice requesting additional works be done at the same time. There may be a cost implication to the adjoining owner in this regard.

Notices may have to be served up to two months before work commences (timings vary dependent on the notice served).

If consent is not agreed or notice is ignored,  the Act provides for the appointment of an independent surveyor to act on behalf on the adjoining owner. In this case an Agreed Surveyor (a surveyor appointed to act for the interests of both parties) cannot be appointed.  Where a dispute does arise, the Agreed Surveyor route is often the more cost effective route for the building owner. This arrangement can only be made by agreement from both parties in writing.

Once Surveyors are appointed they should act independently. They are not required to fight their appointing owner’s corner, rather their role is to determine the dispute between owners.

If the building owner does not comply with the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, building works might be delayed, declared unlawful, and might incur a court injunction preventing works proceeding and associated legal costs.

If you need Party Wall advice or help through the Party Wall procedure, call RMA Surveyors on 01635 579 208.

The house that was ‘printed’ in a day

RMA Surveyors Ltd, Newbury, continually keep an eye on the latest building technologies and techniques. We recently we came across this unique house, built by a 3D printer.

We’re interested to see how 3D printing will be welcomed by the construction industry, the technology will change the face of construction as we currently know it.

View post on imgur.com

RMA Surveyors deliver professional building surveys and homebuyer reports. Contact us for further information and advice on 01635 579208.

UK Housing Market

RICS - UK housing marketThe latest RICS Residential Survey has revealed the following regarding the UK housing market:

There is an increasingly mixed picture across the UK housing market, according to the August 2017, UK Residential Market Survey. Although the headline level shows a return to growth, sentiment is less positive in prime central London and to a lesser extent the wider South East, alongside the North and East Anglia.

UK Housing Market: survey in brief

  • Mixed regional picture, with negative trend in prime central London in particular.
  • Solid growth in many regions, including Northern Ireland, North West, South West and Scotland.
  • National sales have not seen any growth since November 2016.

RICS press release issued: 14 September 2017. Visit Rics.org for further information.

 

RMA Surveyors are members of, registered with and regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to ensure we maintain high professional standards. If you are looking for professional advise regarding building surveys, party wall matters or dilapidations, contact RMA Surveyors on 01635 579 208 or complete the enquiry form.

Section 5 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996

Section 5 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996Section 5 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 deals with the disputes that arise under Section 3 and Section 4 of the Party Wall Act.

As already established in Section 3 and Section 4 of the Party Wall Act, Section 5 deals with disputes that arise when a party structure notice or a counter notice has been served.

Section 5 of the Party Wall etc. Act begins by setting out a time frame period by which an owner who is in receipt of a served notice must respond. This period is 14 days, and if the owner does not consent within this period, then a dispute is deemed to have arisen.

This section is an extremely small section of the Act and it simply consists of a single sentence. Although it does not state it within Section 5 of the Party Wall etc. Act, if a dispute is deemed to have arisen during or after that 14-day period then the dispute would be dealt with under Section 10 of the Party Wall Act.

A time period is necessary to allow a building owner to proceed with the party wall process, rather than be scuppered at the first hurdle, where an adjoining owner may decide to ignore the notice.

Despite the 14-day period, even if a decent is deemed to have arisen, owners can still agree at any time during the party wall process to consent to the works. If written consent is given, then there is no need to continue to pursue a dispute process.

If you require Party Wall advice, then contact us 01635 579208. We are members of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, RMA Surveyors Ltd provides professional, independent advice.

Section 4 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996

Section 4 of the Party Wall etc. ActSection 4 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 deals with the serving of counter notices.

Such a notice might be triggered where an adjoining owner has received a party structure notice from a building owner but does not agree with the proposals put forward within that notice.

Section 4 of the Party Wall etc. Act allows an adjoining owner to serve upon a building owner a counter notice giving details of their requirements.

What can a Counter Notice request?

Paragraph 1a allows that adjoining owners may ask, where reasonably required, for a building owner to include such elements as chimney copings, breasts, jams or flues. It should be noted that this work would be done at the convenience of the adjoining owner.

Furthermore, an adjoining owner could serve a counter notice in respect of special foundations which the adjoining owner would consent under section point 7 of the act. He may request that the special foundations be placed at a greater depth than that proposed by the building owner or be constructed of sufficient strength to bear the load to be carried by columns of any intended building of the adjoining owner. Or both.

Section 4 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 – Issuing a Counter Notice

If an adjoining owner decides to issue a counter notice, the counter notice should specify the works required, and should be accompanied by plans, sections and particulars of those works. It should also be served within a period of one month, beginning on the day on which the building owners party structure notice was served.

If a building owner receives a counter notice he should comply with the requirements of the notice, unless the works described within the counter notice would be injurious to him, cause unnecessary convenience to him or cause unnecessary delay in the execution of works pursuant to the party structure notice.

Where an adjoining owner issues a counter notice it would be dealt with by the surveyors as a dispute will deemed to have arisen and owners can not determine a dispute themselves but it is the responsibility of the adjoining owner to serve the notice, and not the surveyor, unless the surveyor has been given the authority to do so. In practise it is unusual for counter notices to be served, however, the Act does allow for counter notices to be served and there are occasions where it is necessary to issue a counter notice.

Need advice?

If you have any Party Wall concerns or feel that a counter notice needs to be served under Section 4 of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, then please call us for advise on 01635 579208.

RMA Surveyors are members of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.