Building developers responsibility?

factfinding8888

Hi all,

We have a building development being built next to our property. Currently, they excavating for waste pipes using a very large digger/excavator approximately 10 metres from our property. Due to the vibrations caused by the excavator cracks are appearing in our property. I have spoken to the site manager and the director of the company but they have ignored me and continue to keep working. I have also explained that the smaller excavator doesn't shake our property at all. What should I do next? I have pictures of the damage and the works being done.

Many thanks in advance! 

BarelySentientAI

factfinding8888 said:

Due to the vibrations caused by the excavator cracks are appearing in our property. 

That's a very strong statement.

MattMattMattUK

factfinding8888 said:

Hi all,

We have a building development being built next to our property. Currently, they excavating for waste pipes using a very large digger/excavator approximately 10 metres from our property. Due to the vibrations caused by the excavator cracks are appearing in our property. I have spoken to the site manager and the director of the company but they have ignored me and continue to keep working. I have also explained that the smaller excavator doesn't shake our property at all. What should I do next? I have pictures of the damage and the works being done.

Many thanks in advance! 

Report the issue to your home insurance and let them deal with it.

eddddy

This doesn't sound like a home insurance issue. 

If you were to call your home insurers and say "our property is cracking due to vibrations from building machinery", I suspect they'd just say that your policy doesn't cover that.

You could try contacting your Local Authority Building Control - but I think they might only be interested if the cracking and/or vibration was making your house a dangerous structure.


Apart from that, it would be a case of gathering evidence for a legal claim against the builder. Things like:

• Write to the builders saying that you believe that their machine has caused damage to your property, and might cause further damage, so they should stop using it until they have installed vibration monitors. And you will hold them liable for the cost of any repairs.

• Take photos/videos of the condition of the building now, and on future days to show any worsening of cracks

• You could try contacting specialist vibration monitoring companies - but I don't know how quickly they would come out to you

And this is a bit of a random guess - I don't know if it would really work...

• Maybe try putting buckets of water alongside the walls of your house, to see if the vibrations make the water ripple. If they do, take videos of the ripples.

• The videos might provide evidence of the intensity of the vibrations, which might help a future claim

BarelySentientAI

Demanding the builders cease work until XYZ is likely to be completely ignored. 

Telling them, in some recorded form, that you suspect a link between the damage and the building work, and that you are investigating with the intention of a future claim for repair is more plausible. 

It could also trigger them to speak to their insurer about defending this potential claim, which might get the investigation done for you. 

Ultimately, though, you saying this work has caused damage without any actual evidence of the link is likely not to be viewed favourably for a resolution in your favour, so evidence will be needed.

ThorOdinson

I wouldn't rely on an investigation done on behalf of their insurance. It will be looking for reasons why they aren't liable.

Gather your own evidence.

Does your home insurance have legal cover?