D B & A Party Wall etc

The Party Wall Etc Act 1996 is intended to provide protection to a Building Owner who wishes to carry out alterations to their property and their neighbour(s) who may be affected by the works.

The Act relates to works affecting a shared �party wall�, such as that between two semi-detached houses, nearby properties where the proposed foundations may be at a lower level than the existing foundations to another building or where it is intended to build up to the boundary.

Any surveyor appointed under the terms of the Act is obliged to act impartially and without bias to either the Building Owner or the Adjoining Owner(s).

We can issue the relevant notices under the Act and would normally prepare or agree a written and photographic Schedule of Condition of the adjoining building(s) and would negotiate and agree a Party Wall Award between the Owners.

On completion of the works we would re-inspect the property(ies) to assess whether any damage has been cause.

RIGHTS TO LIGHT ADVICE

Rights to Light are a prescriptive �right� acquired by a dominant (usually neighbouring) building over a subservient building after a period of 20 years without interruption.

A right to light is a right to see a portion of the sky from a percentage of a room at about table top level to provide adequate light to carry out normal tasks. It is not a right to see a view such as the sea or a park.

Alterations to a building by increasing its height or bulk may affect the rights of a neighbouring building to see part of the sky.

We can provide advice on whether the proposals may affect a buildings �right to light� and carry out a detailed survey to confirm how much the visible dome of sky has been reduced and whether this is below an acceptable minimum.