Blog
Party Wall Act - Informing neighbours about building works?
Thursday 4th July 2019
Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS
How do I inform the Adjoining Owner or owners? / Serving a Notice under the Party Wall Act.
It is obviously best to discuss your planned work fully with the Adjoining Owners before you (or your professional adviser on your behalf) give notice, in writing, about what you plan to do. If you have already ironed out possible snags with your neighbours, this should mean that they will readily give consent in response to your notice. You do not need to appoint a professional adviser to give the notice on your behalf.
Whilst there is no official form for giving notice under the Act, a notice must include the following details:-
- your own name and address (joint owners must all be named, e.g. Mr A & Mrs B Owner)
- the address of the building to be worked on (this may be different from your main or current address)
- a full description of what you propose to do (it may be helpful to include plans but you must still describe the works)
- when you propose to start (which must not be before the relevant notice period has elapsed)
The notice should be dated and it is advisable to include a clear statement that it is a notice under the provisions of the Act.
The notice may be delivered to the Adjoining Owner(s) in person or sent by post. Where the neighbouring property is empty or the owner is not known, you may address the notice to "The Owner",
Example letters and Notices can be found in Part 5 of a helpful explanatory booklet available on line at: www.communities.gov.uk.
--
This article was written by Carl O'Boyle BSc MRICS FCIOB MFPWS. Carl is a full professional member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a member of the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building for which he currently sits on the CIOB professional conduct committee and adjudications panel.
If planning to carry out basement works please call Tayross Associates where we can offer helpful advice and at the same time offer a very competitive rate for carrying out party wall works | 0208 426 1448.
