Party Wall Surveyors Membership Organisations
Posted on 28th December 2018 at 15:19
A simple guide to membership organisations
Pyramus and Thisbe Club
P&T is an organisation for professionals with a particular interest in matters relating to the Party Wall etc Act 1996. The Club seeks to advance knowledge of party wall legislation and procedure and to promote best professional practice in its application. (ITS New Media Ltd - Newry, 2018).
The organisation was set up in 1974 and whilst originally confined to London by virtue of Part VI of the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939, it has now expanded to the rest of the country as the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 became law across England and Wales.
The website openly expresses the club structure and has a ‘Find A Party Wall Professional’ search facility which provides instant results.
There is a vetting procedure for membership, but members do not receive post-nominal letters to use after their name.
Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors
The objective of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors is to promote the highest standards of professional practice in this field of expertise and to expand the knowledge and study of all matters to do with party walls, to encourage the exchange of information and ideas amongst its Members.
The Faculty is a non-profit making organisation whose principles are the raising of the standard and awareness of party wall matters from an informed, proven academic background with an open information shared basis. (Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors, 2018).
The website openly expresses the club’s Directors and Regional Chairpersons and has a ‘Find A Surveyor’ search facility which provides instant results.
There are two routes to membership; interview with supporting evidence of experience in party wall matters or by attending a two-day seminar first followed by interview with supporting evidence of experience of party wall matters.
Members are then allowed to use the post nominal letters MFPWS.
The Party Wall Academy
Members of the Academy are required to demonstrate a sound knowledge of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 and competency in its application. To that end, admission is solely by written assessment. The Academy is the only party wall membership organisation to have such a stringent entry requirement. (Thepartywallacademy.org.uk, 2018).
The website openly states the Academies Founding Fellows’ and has a ‘Find A Surveyor’ search facility which provides instant results although this appears limited to less than 40 members nationwide.
There are two routes to membership; a two-day training course or those with more than two years experience, both routes requiring a written assessment.
Members are then allowed to use the post nominal letters MPWA.
Institute of Party Wall Surveyors
The Institute of Party Wall Surveyors (IPWS) has been established to address the existing void in knowledge and understanding of Party wall matters and legislation. Its purpose is to provide a platform and structure upon which those professionals operating, or wishing to enter this specialist field of expertise are able to develop cohesively as a professional body in its own right. (Ipws.co.uk, 2018)
The website has no details of the Institutes structure or its members and the search facility is simply a web form that you are required to fill in and presumably wait to be contacted.
There are apparently four grades of membership which include an interview and assessment.
Members are then allowed to use the post nominal letters MIPWS.
Party Wall Surveyors Association
Party Wall Surveyors Association (PWSA) 2011-2018. A Private Limited Company Operating from Central London on a Non-Profit-Making Basis to provide sound cost saving advice to consumers. Substantially well funded. (Partywallsurveyorsassociation.com, 2018)
There is no company registered at Companies House with this name despite the bold claim.
Click on the following link and carry out your search https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/
The website has no details of the Associations structure or its members and the search facility is simply a web form that you are required to fill in and presumably wait to be contacted.
Members are then allowed to use the post nominal letters MPWSA.
Conclusion
It goes without saying, that if you are searching the internet for any service you should always carry out your own due diligence.
The Pyramus and Thisbe Club, The Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors and The Party Wall Academy all have easily accessible clear information on the members and structure of the organisation.
The others simply do not. That should be the first alarm bell. It is all too easy to create a website but you need to know who you are dealing with.
The last website in the above list stating it is a ‘Private Limited Company… on a Non-Profit-Making Basis’ is quite simply, a con.
Further it provides a list of ‘100 surveyors. The surveyors with the designatory letters F/MPWSA are fictitious surveyors. It really is not hard to do some simple checks to protect yourself from this type of scam.
ITS New Media Ltd - Newry, C. (2018). About P&T. [online] Partywalls.org.uk. Available at: https://www.partywalls.org.uk/about_pt
Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors. (2018). About Us - Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors. [online] Available at: https://fpws.org.uk/about-us/
Thepartywallacademy.org.uk. (2018). The Party Wall Academy | Professionalism in Party Wall Surveying. [online] Available at: https://thepartywallacademy.org.uk/
Ipws.co.uk. (2018). About Us - Institute Of Party Wall Surveyors, UK Professional Body of Party Wall Surveyors. [online] Available at: http://www.ipws.co.uk/about-us.
Partywallsurveyorsassociation.com. (2018). London Party Wall Surveyors Association and how to find a Qualified Party Wall Surveyor - Home. [online] Available at: https://www.partywallsurveyorsassociation.com/
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