chimney problems party wall

[janysroslyn]

out of my depth and need advice please. i own a 3 story mid terrace built 1888. the rear of the property is slabbed with 3 outbuildings and a coachhouse . the party wall runs from the front to the back linking the sheds and coachhouse as originally the coachhouse was an l shaped building which sat in what is now the neighbours back yard. my understanding is that back in the early seventies these houses were subject to local authority works as next door was council owned and that the party wall was left in place at that time. i have lived here since 1986. the neighbour bought his house at this point. some 5 years ago he built a single extension from the back of his kichen to a garage adjoing the party wall . his basement flooded and a large crack appeared on the front of his property. at the time my floorboard joists were knocked out of position on the party wall and i paid for them to be put back and had my builiding insurers check for structural damage to my home.
At the same time a large crack appeared at the base of a cut off chimney in a back bedroom on the second floor. i was assured this was an age problem with mortar not structural.
my problem is that the neighbour has hardly stopped banging since particularly skirting boards from front to back and work around the chimney breast on his side, which i think is a bathroom refurb.
he has been very difficult complaining about the guttering on the coach house causing damp on this extension and placing a brick in it at party wall level causing me to pay to replace the gutter. there must have been a down pipe there before he did his work as no problems for 10 years . he has put the brick back causing my gutter to back up to stop end and cascade down my wall.
more recently he informs me that the back chimney breast is causing damp etc to enter on his side (where he has been constantly banging away) and that his builder says this is not on his side! likewise the coppice stones on top of the wall are my responsibility apparently. sorry this is so long to explain. before we bought the house the survey showed that the back chimney breast originally going down to the original kitchen area had been removed safely in the 70s and was sound and not a likely problem.
my problem is that he now expects me to pay roofers and for necessary scaffolding to investigate the problem. apart from a slight discoloration above my kitchen cupboards and gap at the bottom of the chimney breast i have no damp issues my side. having spent money twice in the last 5 years to rectify problems i seriously beleive he has caused i am not inclined to do it again. neighbours say he got into trouble as he did not apply for planning permission for this extension and his inner lobby steps collapsed into the basement as well. help please where to i go with this as i am 60 + and separated with sons at uni. i really have no funds to sort these issues out and am sick of his banging and constant blaming of builders who are local handymen not skilled tradesmen. do i go to my insurers or the council for advice? have had enough really.thanks

 

[dishman]

Best thing to do is no not loose your cool in these situations.

I am having a hard time picturing where the areas of contention are on the proptery.

Can you post a picture?

If he is intentionally causing damage by sabotaging the guttering as you say then you should tread carefully with someone like this. Take pictures, but do not retaliate. Did you ask him why he put a brick in the guttering?

Is the chimney a joint chimney that runs through the party wall. So half on his side, half on the other?

With the guttering, is it shared with only limited downpipes on certain properties? Or does each house have its own downpipe?

 

[joe-90]

How do you know the multi-skilled bathroom fitters are 'handymen'? What's it got to do with you anyway?

Tell me how you get old tiles off a wall without a bit of banging?

You sound like trouble to me. We've only got YOUR side of the story here, and I think it is very skewed.

 

[catlad]

Wow! welcome back joe

 

[janysroslyn]

hi and thanks for cool down advice. have indeed found roofer to take photos and report and will deal with any water in neighbours house if caused by a cut off chimney on my back roof. roofer ascertained 2 other chimneys are definitely not on my roof but his. i will also deal with guttering again despite his actions causing overflow to both but at least i will have a paid for report if there are further issues.

joe 90 -without any context you have been a tad quick to judge me and if u lived in a multicultural inner city area u would quickly learn the difference between a skilled tradesman and illegal and underpaid labour. it becomes my concern when my neighbours ill fated diy leads to problems in my property that i have to rectify. yes one side of the story indeed but perhaps it is your attitude to women that is the trouble here?

 

[joe-90]

Nah. I even married one once.