Is our house now unsaleable ..Help!

Freecall

Davesnave wrote: »

I should be very surprised if there is any cavity between two terraced houses built in the 1950s. Surely, it wouldn't be serving any function applicable in those days.

I totally agree, it is extremely unlikely that there would be a cavity between the two houses. Reading the posts, I think that some have jumped to a false conclusion based on what was heard from the builder.

A building of this age will almost certainly have been constructed with an 11 inch solid wall between the two houses.

Also, to add, it is no longer acceptable to embed a structural steel beam in a common structural wall in this way as it would contravene the 60min structural preservation requirements of Part B Section 3 of the Building Regulations.

Any steelwork required should be supported on suitable brackets wholly contained within the envelope of the building which benefits from the support unless alternative arrangements have been made for its protection ie. next door's loft.

The common structural wall [Note that 'party wall' has a subtly different meaning] can be used to provide support via the brackets assuming the appropriate consents are in place but that is another story.

Hootie01

I have an update.
As someone suggested we called our house insurers Natwest who where v helpful.
We totally qualify for there legal services in this matter.
They told us to write a letter to stop works until we had come to a agreeable outcome.
Stating the had broken the party wall agreement and we had taken legal advice.
Hubs took copy round, I posted one, recorded delivery and emailed neighbour as well.


The outcome is that it will be rectified by builders tmrw under supervision of the comp director at ten am.
They wont be doing any further excavations into the wall. Its amazing that you have to do all this just to get people to behave themselves. The local council informed me thay have used a private inspector for the job rather than the council so they couldn't help. But did say that they have broken the party wall thingy. The neighbour was apologetic and hubs accepted this but I'm more cynical than that as I find them both disingenuous.
They have done the same to the other side but I have no idea how that's turned out.


I have just pressed the thank you button where I can..and on my own post...that didn't work though. .I thank you all and hopefully that's an end to it...

chris_m

Good news - hope it all comes right in the end.

Chanes

Great! You had legal cover then! Sometimes your home insurance covers these things. Really pleased for you!

Freecall

That sounds like great news and what is more will set you up well for any further problems during the construction process (I imagine that the builders won't want to upset you again).

Let us all know how things have gone when they have fixed the hole.

Good luck.

:beer:

moneyistooshorttomention

:D:D:T

There ya' go. Glad that worked.

Fingers crossed that's an end to the problem.

LannieDuck

Well done.

charliewocka

Glad to hear it sounds as if things are sorted out. However, would you not look to appoint an independent builder to come in (at your neighbours expense ideally) after the works have been repaired to ensure that a decent and acceptable job has been completed? Call me cynical but even if the company director has come around to oversee the works, his best interest is in your neighbour as they are ultimately the ones paying for the job.

paddy's_mum

Hootie01 wrote: »

it will be rectified by builders tmrw under supervision of the comp director

Why would you be trusting this company director to play fair and right with you? When all is said and done, it was his men who behaved so outrageously in the first place.

Your own Party Wall surveyor is, in my view, your only real protection.

Good luck.

martindow

paddy's_mum wrote: »

Your own Party Wall surveyor is, in my view, your only real protection.

Good luck.

Or a surveyor or structural engineer to check the work is of a satisfactory standard. I would not trust these builders who have shown little regard for correct procedures.