Party Wall Award Guidance

Party Wall Award Manchester, London, Bristol, Birmingham & Cardiff

The Party Wall Award is the legal document that lays out the rights and responsibilities of the owner of the property on which building works are proposed (the “Building Owner”) and the owner of the property next door (the “Adjoining Owner”). This is, in essence, what the Party Wall Act is all about.

Who is Responsible to Develop the Party Wall Agreement?

The Party Wall Surveyors (or the “Agreed” Surveyor acting on behalf of both the Building Owner and the Adjoining Owner) draw up the Award. This is a comprehensive document that describes with great detail the works to be carried out under the Party Wall etc Act 1996 (the works being this Act’s jurisdiction are often just one part of a much larger scheme). The Award sets out not just the timing of the proposed works and the manner of carrying them out but will also include drawings and “method statements” that elaborate on what is to be done.  

Does it include a Schedule of Condition?

Since a Building Owner must compensate any damage that party wall work causes to an Adjoining Owner’s property, it is standard practice to prepare a Schedule of Condition before the work starts. This document is a record of the condition of the neighbouring property, made just before the relevant work begins. It serves as a crucial document for comparing “before” and “after” states in the event that the work causes any damage.

What should be done with the Award?

The Deed must be accompanied by the Award, as both of these are legal documents. Both documents are required to prove that the works in question have been done and who was responsible for the works. If no Notice has been issued, a retrospective Award can not be made, though.

Surveys of Commercial Property

If you’re thinking of acquiring, leasing, subletting, disposing of, or altering commercial premises in Manchester, you would be well advised to locate a surveyor skilled in the nuances of commercial building surveying – should you spot a defect in a commercial building you can use that information to negotiate an asking price for the property that’s considerably lower than what the seller originally wanted, or you can talk your way out of a bad deal altogether. 

Our Manchester-based team of RICS-compliant commercial building surveyors is equipped to handle matters throughout Manchester.

Contact

Our team prioritizes client care above all else. We look forward to being in touch with you so you can instruct a surveyor in Manchester, London, Bristol, Birmingham or Cardiff. You can reach out to us easily. Just fill out our form, and we’ll get back to you with a free quote for your survey. All our surveyors are qualified as members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and we are one of the UK’s leading providers of building survey and valuation services:

The property survey you commission will be carried out by an accredited professional. Your chartered surveyor will be a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), or will belong to some other industry-standard professional body. Rest assured; you will receive highest quality of professional service for your survey.

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