ADJOINING OWNERS

If you are an adjoining owner (a freeholder, leaseholder or have an interest in a property for more than one year) and have been served with a party wall notice, you initially have 14 days to respond. Typically, the response to the notice is either to consent or dissent to the works. If you dissent, you can either agree to appoint a surveyor as the “Agreed Surveyor” or appoint your own Surveyor. If you fail to respond to a party wall (find out what a party wall is here) notice within 14 days, a dispute is “deemed to have arisen” and you must therefore appoint a surveyor within 10 days or the building owner’s surveyor will appoint one on your behalf. The fees of the adjoining owner’s surveyor are usually paid for by the Building Owner.

If you have been served with a party wall notice and would like advice as to how best to respond, please do not hesitate to contact.