Party Wall Survey

siesta_1

Hi all, looking for an advice

We have received a building permission for anextension and neighbours’ surveyor has sent a letter saying he would be doing aparty wall survey which seems rather expensive after the research. Neighboursare insisting on that particular surveyor.

What are our options?

Thank you

mart.vader

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/237227/Party_Wall_etc._Act_1996_-_Explanatory_Booklet.pdf

cyclonebri1

They have you by the balls I'm afraid. It really stinks how this recent legislation affects neighbours rights.

Did you contact the neighbour?, explain and satisfy him you would do every thing needed by reg to comply with the PWA?, it could have been settled at that stage, but now the vultures have descended.

teneighty

This has all the hallmarks of the vultures who scan through the Councils planning applications and try to trick neighbours into appointing them.


Whatever you do do not agree to appoint them and do not let them trick you into serving a Party Wall Notice.


Read the information in the link provided by mart.vader and do a search on the other threads on here regarding the Party Wall Act, there is one rather long thread that has some good advice in it...... https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2883974

cyclonebri1

As I said earlier, the vultures have descended, and as I and previous posters know you will be the prey/loser.

Please do not accept anyone from the opposition to act as your choice.
The that are advising the NBr will want to act for you too.

With some foresight, maybe too late now, this can all be sorted without any getting their cut, :mad::mad::mad::o

gamb2

This is very much NOT spam. It is a genuine attempt to discover whether the third speculative letter is genuine or not as it was the only one of the three who does not have a comprehensive list of cautions on the internet.

So, has anyone had any experience, whether negative or positive with the aforementioned firm?

teneighty

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but do you honestly think any company that sends out mass speculative mail shots to attract business is going to be honest and reliable? They may not be as bad as Vincent Brown but the fact that they have to tout for work in this way suggests they are not very professional.


Have you looked at their website? Looks very amateurish to me with no information about the people behind the firm which always makes me suspicious. They claim to be members of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers but to the best of my knowledge a firm cannot be a member, just an individual, anyway they don't show up as members on the CABE website.


If you need a Party Wall Surveyor just look on the RICS website...... http://www.ricsfirms.com/ the search facility is a bit rubbish so if you don't get any results under "party walls" try "building surveying"
(Other surveyors are available)

cyclonebri1

gamb2 wrote: »

This is very much NOT spam. It is a genuine attempt to discover whether the third speculative letter is genuine or not as it was the only one of the three who does not have a comprehensive list of cautions on the internet.

So, has anyone had any experience, whether negative or positive with the aforementioned firm?

In that case I will retract my post and apologise:o, I get very irate as you can tell from my previous posts when these companies appear out of the woodwork.

So the first question is do you want to appoint any of these?, ie, can it be done by mutual agreement without it costing your neighbour an arm and a leg?

I wouldn't be surprised if many of these cases being handled by a cash payment from the neighbour that's building to next door.

You have to ask yourself what effect the build is likely to have on you?
Is it right up to your boundary?
Is there any risk to your property etc.

There are template forms for mutual consent agreement attached to the planning portal if you go that way, regarding someone to act I can't help you.
When I did the retaining wall between out 2 properties I went the consent route, the next doors were happy with this, they were in effect getting a wall for free.

gamb2

Thanks teneighty & cyclonebri1 for confirming my suspicions and offering more advice. As it turns out, the Sir John Brown Partnership was the name of the firm at the start of the previous century and the current firm trading under that name is part of the Philip Norris Group.

There is a highly revealing piece about a multiple hearing that removed them from the RICS at the RICS site (sorry, as a newbie I cannot quote the full address):
rics.org/uk/regulation/disciplinary-procedure/panel-hearings/disciplinary-panel-hearings/mr-phillip-norris-24-september-2008/
and this says it all really.

Thanks again,

teneighty

Thanks for the update. Looks like Philip Norris (aka Sir John Brown Partnership) needs to go on the naughty step along with Vincent Brown.

http://www.rics.org/uk/regulation/disciplinary-procedure/panel-hearings/disciplinary-panel-hearings/mr-phillip-norris-24-september-2008/

cyclonebri1

teneighty wrote: »

Thanks for the update. Looks like Philip Norris (aka Sir John Brown Partnership) needs to go on the naughty step along with Vincent Brown.

http://www.rics.org/uk/regulation/disciplinary-procedure/panel-hearings/disciplinary-panel-hearings/mr-phillip-norris-24-september-2008/

We aim to please;);)