Who Is Involved? What Do They Do? When Do They Do It?
Party Wall who is responsible? How do Party Wall Agreements work? Michael White C.Build.E FCABE FFPWS explains who is involved in the process, their purpose and the responsibilities of their role.
Advice To The Building Owner
The process of resolving a dispute under The Party Wall Act can involve input from a myriad of people, many of which are operating at the expense of the Building Owner. Here, Michael White C.Build.E FCABE FFPWS explains who is involved in the process, their purpose and the responsibilities of their role….
The Roles?
Within the mechanism of The Party Wall Act, when a dispute arises between property owners, both owners develop a key role within the process. Each owner may then be represented by a surveyor and, in the interests of avoiding a stalemate, a third surveyor is duly selected.
So, at the very outset of a dispute, there is the potential for involvement from five people, and this is before we consider the roles of the designers, contractors and engineers.
The following definitions attempt to define the responsibilities of each role and, as a result, provide some insight into their involvement within the process.
1. The Building Owner(s)
The Building Owner is the central figure of the process, it is their intention to carry out works that instigates the process by the serving of notices. There is a simple definition contained within the Act:
“Building owner” means an owner of land who is desirous of exercising rights under this Act”
The key role of the Building Owner is to serve notice and, in the case of a dispute, appoint a surveyor. All joint owners of a property are regarded as Building Owners and all should be named as such on any notices served.
2. The Adjoining Owner(s)
The term “Adjoining Owner” covers any owner of land, buildings, storeys or rooms adjoining those of the Building Owner. Clearly the term “adjoining” requires some definition as it will vary depending on the type of work to be undertaken and the proximity between the two buildings. Under section 6 an Adjoining Owner can be an owner of buildings within 6m of the proposed work.
Section 20 contains the following definition of an Adjoining Owner:
“(a) a person in receipt of, or entitled to receive, the whole or part of the rents or profits of land;
(b) a person in possession of land, otherwise than as a mortgagee or as a tenant from year to year or for a lesser term or as a tenant at will;
(c) a purchaser of an interest in land under a contract for purchase or under an agreement for a lease, otherwise than under an agreement for a tenancy from year to year or for a lesser term;”
3. The Building Owners Surveyor
Section 20 defines the surveyor as:
“any person not being a party to the matter appointed or selected under section 10 to determine disputes in accordance with the procedures set out in this Act.”
If a dispute has arisen the parties are required to appoint a surveyor. This can be anyone that is not a party to the matter. The surveyor does not need to have any specific qualifications and he may already be involved in the works (ie: as an architect or engineer). While qualifications are not a requirement, it is generally accepted that a party wall surveyor should have experience and competence to be able to act in the role of an expert. The surveyor should at least be able to make basic judgments on the substantive issues without having to seek advice from other professionals.
4. The Adjoining Owners Surveyor
The surveyor acting on behalf of the Adjoining Owner. As with the Building Owner’s surveyor, this person can be anybody not involved in the dispute.
The role of the Adjoining Owners Surveyor is primarily to represent the interests of the Adjoining Owner and ensure the correct implementation of the requirements of the Act. Key responsibilities include:
- Review and comment on the notices, with the intention of verifying their validity
- Cooperate in the forthwith selection of the Third Surveyor
- Ensure a Schedule a Conditions is carried out properly (not a requirement under the Act but generally considered as good practise)
- Review draft award documents and provide comments to ensure fair and comprehensive award(s) are served
- Countersign awards, document registers and schedules of condition
The Adjoining Owners surveyor will usually allow time within his fee to carry out a site inspection during the works and after completion. The purpose of these visits is to ensure work is progressing in accordance with the drawings and method statements and, after completion, to review the adjoining property against the schedule of condition and check for damage caused.
5. The Third Surveyor
In instances where there are two surveyors appointed (one acting for the Building Owner and one acting for the Adjoining Owner) the first act they must undertake in resolving the dispute is to select a Third Surveyor. The usual process is that the Building Owners surveyor nominates three choices to the Adjoining Owners surveyor, who then proceeds to select their preferred option. If the Adjoining Owners surveyor does not feel any of the three choices are suitable they may decline to select any of them and suggest three alternatives. In instances where the two surveyors are unable to agree on the selection of the Third Surveyor they must refer it to the Appointed Officer within the local authority to make the selection.
The Third Surveyor does not need to agree to be selected and, often, he will not even be aware of his selection until called upon.
The Third Surveyor is usually an experienced specialist in party wall matters.
6. The Agreed Surveyor
7. Design Engineers
The role of the design engineers becomes even more prevalent on basement projects, where the design is far more involved and includes the temporary works (propping and temporary support details), reinforced concrete underpinning and retaining walls. The technical details of such a design may extend beyond the expertise of most surveyors, in which case it is prudent to engage the services of a checking engineer to assist in the evaluation of the design.
8. Checking Engineers
The cost of the checking engineers fees are usually written into the award and, as with the vast majority of costs uncured under the Act, are to be paid by the Building Owner.
9. Contractors
10. Architects
11. Adjoining Occupier
Adjoining occupiers are obliged to allow entry under section 8 of the Act, subject to the requirements of notice in that section, and can commit an offence if they do not permit entry.
12. Inspection on completion
Are you a Building Owner?
If you are planning on doing some work to your property here are some of the things you need to know before you get started.
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We are party wall specialists with over 15 years experience in the industry. We are based in Thames Ditton, Surrey and operate throughout Surrey and South West London.
We hope this has been useful. If you have any questions please contact us at: partywall@whiteandlloyd.co.uk
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