Receiving a party wall notice means that your neighbour or a building owner planning construction work on or near a shared boundary or party wall with your property is legally required to notify you and seek your consent or approval for the work. Here’s what you should do when you receive a party wall notice:
Read and Understand the Notice:
Carefully review the party wall notice to understand the nature of the proposed work, its impact on your property, and the legal requirements involved.
Contact Efficient Party Wall!
It’s often a good idea to consult with a qualified party wall surveyor to help you understand the implications of the notice and to protect your interests. You can either appoint your own surveyor or agree to use the same surveyor as the building owner, depending on the situation. We often act as an adjoining owners surveyor or as an agreed surveyor.
Respond to the Notice:
You have three options when responding to the party wall notice: (We will take care of this for you)
Consent:
If you are satisfied with the proposed work and have no objections, you can provide written consent to the building owner.
Dissent:
If you have concerns or objections about the work, you can dissent to the notice. This means you and the building owner will need to appoint separate surveyors, and a party wall award will be drawn up to address your concerns and outline the conditions under which the work will proceed.
Do Nothing:
If you fail to respond to the notice within the specified timeframe (usually 14 days), it’s assumed that you have dissented, and the process may proceed as if you’ve dissented. If you ignore the notices the neighbour’s surveyor will appoint a surveyor on your behalf.
Appoint a Party Wall Surveyor:
If you dissent, you should appoint a party wall surveyor. This surveyor will represent your interests and work with the building owner’s surveyor to resolve any disputes and create a party wall award.
It’s important to consult with a party wall surveyor and possibly seek legal advice, especially if you have concerns about the proposed work. The party wall process is designed to protect both parties and resolve disputes, but it’s important to understand your rights and responsibilities in the process.
We would be happy to help you if you have been served a notice by your neighbour so please do not hesitate to contact us today at 01707 240564 or send an email to contact@efficientpartywall.co.uk
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