Party Wall Appointment
Walthamstow, London E17
(London Borough of Waltham Forest)
Close to Wood Green, Woodford and Edmonton. Within the catchment of our Finchley office.
Background: The works required excavation for foundations within 3 m of the adjoining owner's property and below the level of the adjoining owner's foundations. The building owner also wanted to replace the boundary wall with the flank wall of his extension. The front extension was proposed to abut the wall of one of the adjoining owners.
We were appointed by the building owner. The adjoining owners did not wish to appoint the building owner's Surveyor as Agreed Surveyor and instead appointed their own Surveyor. Both adjoining owners appointed the same Surveyor which resulted in the involvement of two Surveyors.
There were two adjoining owners
The works involved the erection of a ground floor front and side extension.
Conclusion:
A boundary wall and a side passage separated the the building owner's property from the adjoining owner's property. The position of the boundary wall strongly suggested that it was positioned wholly on the building owner's land and as it belonged to the building, could therefore be removed in order to make way for the side extension.
The rendered (unpainted) structure to the front of the building belonged to the second adjoining owner and was assumed to sit on very shallow foundations. Hence, the Award required that when excavating for new foundations alongside it, that sequenced, hit and miss foundations would be utilised with each bay to not exceed 500 cm.
The Award also required that flashing be provided at the juncture between the proposed front extension and its abutment with the adjoining owner's structure and that any remaining gap be closed off to prevent the build up of debris with its attendant risk of resulting rising damp.
The building owner was a charity and both Surveyors cut their fees in half in a gesture of goodwill and community spirit.