party wall repair
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If you been served with a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. 

If you have received a notice regarding the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 Act it means your neighbour is doing work that may affect your property. The Party Wall Act is not a vehicle to try and thwart your neighbour’s plans and prevent the proposed work going ahead. The time for objecting to any work is at planning stage where you can have your say and the local planning authority will either grant permission or refuse to. Once permission is granted there is nothing in the Party Wall Act that can prevent the work going ahead based on your overall objection to the development. 
 
In fact, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is an enabling Act. What this means is that the Act is in place to make sure that your neighbour can carry out the work without interference BUT at the same time safeguarding your property from the effects of that work. 
 
Richard Johnson guided us through what could of been a very difficult Party wall conflict. From first contact he was extremely professional and agreed all costs up front which remained the same to completion. 
 
Richard was available to assist with all enquiries and even arbitrated final costs with the third party surveyor making us a considerable saving.  
 
Richard is very personable, approachable and we felt he acted in our best interest at all times, I would certainly use his services again and recommend him for any Party wall issues. 
 
Jason Cooper MCA 4 eng, Engineering Director,  
Powerpro UK Ltd Northwich, Cheshire., June 2014 
You have 14 days to consent to the works. If you do not want to consent, you do not have to stipulate a reason, you simply have to state that you do not consent. Alternatively you can just ignore the notice in which case it will be taken you have dissented after the 14 day period. 
 
Importantly, a Line of Junction notice works slightly different from the other two notices. Here you have to state what is in actual dispute. Unless you do, there is no dispute. Ignoring a section 1(5)- Line of Junction notice will not be taken that you have dissented. 
 
If you have been served a section 1(2)- Line of Junction notice requesting consent to build a new party wall on both owners' lands, unless you consent in writing the building owner wall must build the wall wholly on his own land. 
 
Having expressed that you are not consenting to a notice, either one party wall surveyor agreed between the owners will be appointed or alternatively one surveyor for each owner will determine the dispute and take steps to ensure that all procedures are followed and the proposed work is carried out in such a way to cause as least inconvenience to the adjoining owner. Their work may involve appointing an independent structural engineer or checking method statements. 
 
So that both parties are aware of what has been determined by the surveyors, a document called an ‘Award’ is made. Once agreed by the surveyors and served on both owners this becomes binding if the Award is not appealed in the County Court within 14 days. 
 
If on the other hand you consent to the proposed work, then the work goes ahead without the input of party wall surveyors. You are not signing away your rights by consenting. All the provisions of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 will still protect you. Once the Act has been invoked by a notice, both parties have the protection of the Act and in particular to call upon the dispute resolution procedures. 
 
serving notice on adjoining owner
excavation below adjoining foundations
Get advice about the notice you have been served from a Party Wall Surveyor: 
Richard G Johnson MFPWS ACIOB Dip Eng Law (Open) on 07740 257414 or 0333 577 3050 

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