57. Party Wall etc. Act 1996

The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 is a UK law designed to help property owners manage and resolve disputes related to party walls, boundary walls, and excavations near neighbouring buildings. Its primary purpose is to ensure that any building work affecting shared walls or boundaries is carried out with due regard for the interests and rights of all parties involved. 

Key points about the act 

A party wall is a wall that stands on the land of two (or more) owners and forms part of a building, or a wall that stands on one owner’s land but is used by two (or more) owners to separate their buildings. Under this Act, before starting any work that might affect a party wall, property owners must serve a notice to their neighbours. This notice outlines the intended work and offers the neighbours a chance to agree or dispute the proposal. If there is a disagreement, the Act provides a way to resolve it through the appointment of surveyors. 

How to know if a notice has been received 

To find out if any notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 has been received for your property, start by checking your own records. Look through any letters or documents you have that relate to property boundaries or building works. When you bought the property, the previous owners might have given you information about any such notices, so it is worth reviewing any documentation from the purchase process. 

Talking to your neighbours can also be helpful. They might remember receiving or issuing a Party Wall notice if there was work done that affected shared boundaries. Additionally, your local building control office could have records of Party Wall notices, especially if the work required permits or inspections. 

Finding records of agreed works 

If you need to find records of any work agreed upon or carried out in relation to shared boundaries, there are a few places to check. If surveyors were involved in managing the works, they would have detailed records of any agreements and the work that was done. You can contact the surveyor directly if you know who they are. 

Your solicitor is another good source of information. If they handled any legal aspects of the Party Wall notice or agreement, they would have kept copies of the relevant documents. Local authorities might also have records if the work required planning permission or building control oversight. 

Do not forget to ask your neighbours, too. They might have kept copies of any agreements or notices, especially if the work affected their property as well.