Do people owning properties in Suffolk need a Party Wall Surveyor?
The answer is yes, if they are carrying out, works to their property, notifiable under the Party Wall Act.
This includes excavating within 3 meters of their neighbour's structure and to a depth lower than the neighbours foundations. It also includes building a new wall either on or astride the boundary and finally, any works to the party wall such as inserting steel beams as part of a loft conversion, removing chimney breasts, raising the party wall or even thickening it.
All towns and villages in Suffolk include terraced and semi-detached properties. If owners of such properties are planning to do work that will affect their neighbour, then they must serve a party wall notice on them in plenty of time. For excavations and building at the Boundary this is one month. For work to an existing party wall, then the notice period is two months.
The adjoining owner upon whom the notice is served, can waive this time period if they wish. You may wonder why they would do that? Building work happening next door even on your own property is always a nuisance. Many adjoining owners would rather get it over with as soon as possible, and so are willing to allow their neighbours to proceed before the two months or one month expires.
The adjoining owner has 14 days to respond to the party wall notice. They can consent, dissent and appoint their own surveyor, or dissent, and appoint an agreed surveyor, that is the same surveyor as their neighbour who is having the work carried out.
If the adjoining owner consents, the building owner can then continue with his project but must do this within one year.
If they dissent, the party wall surveyor or surveyors need to resolve the dispute by means of a legal document called a party wall award. As this can take time to produce and agree by the two surveyors, the period of one year does not apply. However, with most domestic situations an award is usually agreed within a week or two.
What if the neighbour does not respond at all? After 14 days with no response, the Act considers that the adjoining owner has dissented automatically. Building owner tenant rights to the adjoining owner and ask him to notify him as to who the party wall surveyor is that has been appointed. They must do this within 10 days. If no response is received after 10 days in the building owner may appoint a party wall surveyor on behalf of his neighbour this party wall surveyor will work with the building owners party wall surveyor to produce a Party Wall Award which is then serve both neighbours. The building owner can then proceed with his building project.
Usually, he is responsible to pay the fees of both surveyors.
We hope you find the information above helpful. Whether you are planning a building project in Ipswich, Colchester, Bury Saint Edmunds, Hadley, disc, Sudbury, or any other town or village in Suffolk, or Norfolk or Essex, don't hesitate to contact Bluegrass Surveying for free, help and advice.
We will also provide you with a hassle-free quotation for our services which you will find very competitive.
