Party Wall [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]

kmmr

coder101 wrote: »

.....also, is there any comeback on my surveyor for failing to notify me that the whole mess could have been avoided by this jointly signed letter saying we don't need them?
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Can you confirm exactly how that would work? I was under the impression that you simply couldn't get rid of them once they were appointed.

Did you ever set up that website about them? I'd be interested in having a look, and am happy to try and keep people informed [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]. Advice on how to get away would be very useful.

[TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM].

chrissiebht

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your information. My mother who is in her eighties had one of these circulars and was talking about using this company!! Her neighbours are building an extension which is within the 3m guideline and I was thinking it could be a good idea but now there is NO WAY I would recommend my mother uses this company or any other surveyor, especially if you can't unappoint them. We have done without them this far and will continue to do so!!!

coder101

Nice one chrissiebht. Glad this thread is of help.

They're now threatening me with legal action Has anyone heard of any of their cases actually ending up in court?

Cany anyone think of a good facebook group name we could use to get some support and try and stand up to these people?

anoyingmouse

I’ve been reading these posts with interest. I'm a practicing PW surveyor so speak with some experience. Please do not tar all of us with the same brush as in my experience, most PWS’s are responsible professionals. When considering an appointment I suggest you first look to see if they are a member of the Pyramus & Thisbee club (P&T), or the Faculty of Party Wall Surveyors (FPWS). Whilst no guarantee, it does indicate that the person you are appointing takes an active interest in maintaining a high professional standard in this matter.

[TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] The whole industry is at risk of being discredited by some of the practices illustrated by previous posters. The simple rule is NEVER SIGN ANYTHING that has been received unsolicited. You never know who you are really dealing with. [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM].

IMPORTANT - Before undertaking any work, TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBOURS first. And I mean before you even submit a planning application. This really is just good manners, but may also save you a small fortune.

Should you sign their fishing email, it could be argued that you have entered into a contract with them and are obliged to continue should a Notice ever be served. It cannot be right that such a contract never expires so I’d like to see this tested in court, but to my knowledge it has not yet been. Therefore,whilst some of us have developed strategies to get rid of them and most would gladly try to help you, please do not rely on a surveyor to get you out of trouble if you signed something without first realising the potential consequences.

One day perhaps the Act will be changed to [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]. But don’t hold your breath.

coder101

Trouble is, I never signed anything The people that sign the paperwork aren't doing the extension and will probably never have Googled Vincent brown or James Gold, so are none the wiser!

anoyingmouse

I can fully appreciate how painful this must be and how toothless the Act can seem. It frustrates me hugely to see such practices occurring. Like all walks of life there are the honourable and the good, then there are the [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]. You can only really rely on the cooperation of your neighbour and the guidance of a competent PWS when faced with such a dilemma.


I think raising public awareness and canvasing anyone who will listen is a great plan. The problem is that VB….A & PS……G seem to skate just the rightside of the law, so technically have done nothing wrong. There again charging 2000%APR for a payday load is technically not illegal, but is [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM], yet gets plenty of airtime. Building extensions seems to be a national obsession, so why this problem is not well known eludes me.


Good luck.

alacatad

I live in Southampton and have just had a letter from Vincent Brown offering their services for party wall work relating to my neighbour's planning application. The Act does not apply as the application is for a structure well over 20m away.
They must be desperate for work!

BlondeHeadOn

alacatad wrote: »

I live in Southampton and have just had a letter from Vincent Brown offering their services for party wall work relating to my neighbour's planning application. The Act does not apply as the application is for a structure well over 20m away.
They must be desperate for work!

My neighbours had a similar letter from VB, when I applied for planning permission for a conservatory. Which made us both laugh, because the house the letter was sent to is on completely the other side of the street!

VB obviously didn't bother looking at any street plans, just sent it to number 14 and 16 (we are number 15). Trouble is, our street numbers don't go alternate even numbers, and we are detached and at the end anyway. If whoever sent the letter had read the planning application properly, they would have known that numbers 14 and 16 were miles away.

I was shocked to read the letter from VB though, [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM]. I can see why some people might be [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] to sign up for their 'services'.

:cool:

iamcornholio

Its the same principle as spam - send out thousands of speculative letters on the probability of a small percentage of returns.

Obviously, it's a business model that works

It's interesting to note that under the PW Act, if you instruct a surveyor, then you are stuck with him unless (1) he dies or (2) He declares himself incapable of acting for you. It's also specific to the person, so you can't swap for someone else in the firm either

Chonkerton

Hi

I have read with interest the posts in this forum. I am at the start of my dealings with Vincent-brown. Like coder101 they have approached my neighbour following my planning application and persuaded him to sign their form.

In the meantime I have prepared the notices etc that are required. I met with my neighbour to serve the forms and at this point he told me that he had appointed these people to be his surveyors. I had not appointed surveyors because I do not intend to have a distute with my neighbour.

I was concerned that the approach of Vincent-brown was not professional in terms of sending unsolistited mail. my neighbour appears to be their perfect target, old, alone, no building expertise at all, but concerned to look after his house as an asset.

I looked them up on the Internet and was a bit reassured by their website so made contact with them to see if they could be the agreed surveyor.

By making them the agreed surveyor I would hope to minimise fees.

Having read this forum I am now quite concerned to have these people involved at all. My neighbour is also concerned and will cooperate to a point in trying to get rid of them, but is concerned not to be liable for appointing two sets of surveyors

The situation is that he has appointed Vincent brown on the basis of the description of the works that they found in the planning application. I have issued the pw notice, but my neighbour has not yet sent it to Vincent brown.

Time is pressing as I have issued the notice. What do you think I and my neighbour should do?

Thank you