Disputes

What to do when a neighbour or a notice goes wrong.

• What Happens if a Neighbour Ignores a Party Wall Notice?Silence does not block your work and it does not count as consent. If the adjoining owner does not respond in writing within 14 days of receiving a…
• What to Do If Your Neighbour Starts Building Work Without Telling YouStay calm, record what you see and ask your neighbour in writing whether notices have been served. If the work falls under the Party Wall etc. Act…
• What to Do If a Neighbour Refuses Access to a Party Wall SurveyorNever force your way in. Under the Act, surveyors and workers can enter the adjoining owner's land to carry out work the Act requires, after 14 days'…
• Buying a House with an Outstanding Party Wall Dispute: What You Need to KnowTreat it as a due diligence issue, not a reason to panic. Ask the seller and your solicitor for every notice, award and letter, and find out what is…
• Damage Caused by Party Wall Works: How to Claim CompensationUnder the Act the building owner must make good damage caused by the work, or pay the cost of doing so. Record the damage, tell everyone in writing…
• What Happens if a Neighbour Signs a Party Wall Notice But Then Objects?Consent given in writing on a valid notice generally allows the described work to go ahead. Whether it can be withdrawn afterwards is not clearly…
• My Neighbour is Building a Ground Floor Extension Without a Party Wall AgreementNot every extension needs party wall notices, but many do, especially if it is built on the boundary, attaches to a shared wall or involves deep…
• Neighbour Refuses to Sign Schedule of Condition: What Can I Do?You can still protect yourself. A schedule of condition works best when agreed, but a refusal to sign does not have to stop it. Surveyors can record…
• What to Do If Your Neighbour Claims Your Building Work Cracked Their CeilingTake it seriously and respond quickly. Under the Act, the building owner must make good damage caused by the work. That does not mean every crack is…
• Can My Neighbour Force Me to Pay for Half of a New Boundary Wall?Generally, no. Under the Act, a person building a new wall wholly on their own land or on the line of junction is usually the building owner and pays…
• Neighbour Text Message Consent: Is a Text Legally Binding Under the Party Wall Act?It is uncertain. The Act expects notices and consents to be in writing, and whether a text message counts is not clearly settled. Do not rely on one.…
• Neighbour is Drunk or Aggressive with My Party Wall Surveyor: Legal StepsSafety comes first. The surveyor should leave, and you should not confront anyone. Record what happened, report threats to the police where…
• What Happens If a Neighbour Ignores a Party Wall Award and Carries On?An award is binding once the appeal period has passed. If a neighbour ignores it, write to them and the surveyors, record the breach and seek a court…
• How to Deal with an "Unreasonable" Adjoining Owner During Building WorksFollow the process exactly, keep communication written and factual, and let your party wall surveyor deal with disagreement. The Act gives you routes…