The government has issued updated and simplified guidance on party walls for property owners and builders.
The Department for Communities and Local Government published the guidance on 15 January to help clarify issues around party wall disputes – Such disputes will often, but not always, involve walls that straddle the boundary of land belonging to two or more different owners, however, the works do not have to involve a wall for the Act to apply
Building owners proposing to start work covered by the Act must give adjoining owners notice of their intentions in the way set out in the Act.
Adjoining owners can agree or disagree with the proposals and, where they disagree, the Act provides a mechanism for resolving disputes.
The new, simplified guidance includes answers to an increased number of frequently asked questions and a series of templates for letters to be used in relation to party wall issues. The new guidance can be found here.
At Palmers, we can advise on compliance with the Party Wall Act and steps that need to be taken to meet legal requirements, to minimise the risk of disputes. In the most serious cases, we can assist in preventing the building work taking place but we understand that most people want to minimise the cost and time involved in resolving a dispute and we aim to assist clients in settling matters quickly and constructively. For more information, please contact Adam Davis.