I'm having a dormer loft conversion done. Before the works started I had plans drawn by an architect and got council permission (not planning permission, that wasn't needed needed).
However, I didn't serve Party Wall notice.
While the builders were putting in the steal beams, they caused damage in the loft next door - cracks where the beams went in, and hairline cracks in the plaster.
We talked to the neighbour to see how to settle this, and decided to serve party wall notice 'retrospectively' (whatever that would mean, I know there is no such thing, but I'm leaving it to the surveyor to sort it out). My builders have also offered to repair the damage. I hired a surveyor and paid him to serve the notice, but he said it's going to take a while and has been fairly unresponsive (not answering phone calls or emails). The neighbour is rushing me, because he wants to sort this as quickly as possible. He has made it clear that he'll appoint his own surveyor, which means it may turn out costly for me.
It's been over a week and my surveyor hasn't done anything yet. This morning the neighbour texted me he's going to get a court injunction to stop the works.
The works affecting the party wall are long done, and the only works left to be done are internal works (electrics, plastering, etc.). It is my understanding that he can't stop us now. And technically I don't even have to serve the party wall notice. I can just let the works carry on and there is nothing my neighbour can do. Am I correct?
In any case, I don't want to get into a dispute with him and I want to make him happy. That's why I'm doing this retrospective party wall notice and bearing the associated costs. I understand I should have done it *before* the works started, but it's too late so I'm just doing what I can do now to improve my relations with the neighbours.
However, I didn't serve Party Wall notice.
While the builders were putting in the steal beams, they caused damage in the loft next door - cracks where the beams went in, and hairline cracks in the plaster.
We talked to the neighbour to see how to settle this, and decided to serve party wall notice 'retrospectively' (whatever that would mean, I know there is no such thing, but I'm leaving it to the surveyor to sort it out). My builders have also offered to repair the damage. I hired a surveyor and paid him to serve the notice, but he said it's going to take a while and has been fairly unresponsive (not answering phone calls or emails). The neighbour is rushing me, because he wants to sort this as quickly as possible. He has made it clear that he'll appoint his own surveyor, which means it may turn out costly for me.
It's been over a week and my surveyor hasn't done anything yet. This morning the neighbour texted me he's going to get a court injunction to stop the works.
The works affecting the party wall are long done, and the only works left to be done are internal works (electrics, plastering, etc.). It is my understanding that he can't stop us now. And technically I don't even have to serve the party wall notice. I can just let the works carry on and there is nothing my neighbour can do. Am I correct?
In any case, I don't want to get into a dispute with him and I want to make him happy. That's why I'm doing this retrospective party wall notice and bearing the associated costs. I understand I should have done it *before* the works started, but it's too late so I'm just doing what I can do now to improve my relations with the neighbours.
