puffernutter
Puffernutter
- Messages
- 1,804
- Location
- Wiltshire
Long story short.
We live in an 1890 terraced house. Approx 12 months ago the owner of the adjacent terrace (not particularly approachable and their property is HMO) messed with the guttering at the front and now it inundates and our outer wall gets significantly wet (and it is Bath stone, so quite porous). The hopper and downpipe are both on our side of the boundary.
We employed a roofer to make a repair (repair not started yet), it involves lifting a hip tile, removing a roof tile, ensuring there is a free flow of water and making a new lead hopper (that the neighbour bodged up). A complication is that the power to house an aerial route and is close by.
Modern regulations require scaffolding. The electricity board have been out and insulated the cable, the next day the scaffolders were out and it is erected on our land and over a shared passageway and this is where the fun starts.
The neighbour has a room above the passageway and is claiming that we need a party wall agreement. We have spoken to a solicitor from our house insurance (Swintons) who's view is that as the scaffolding is not touching the wall (it isn't) and that the work is being done on the guttering (not the party wall) a party wall agreement is not necessary.
Our neighbour has dragged out a builder (who seems to have built everything and seen everything in their 40 years with their 5 million business) and is insistent that not only do we need a party agreement, but also we are liable for anything our roofer does that harms people passing underneath whilst they are working or any damage to the neighbours property. He is also of the opinion that the downpipe is not sufficient diameter for two roofs and will inundate anyway, I did point out we've been here 21 years and the problems only started after next door messed with it!
I appreciate we have spoken to a solicitor, but I wonder if any of you have come across a similar situation.
In reality we are paying a large wedge to sort out next doors mess, we don't mind, but just wish we don't get all this grief in the process!
Cheers
Peter
We live in an 1890 terraced house. Approx 12 months ago the owner of the adjacent terrace (not particularly approachable and their property is HMO) messed with the guttering at the front and now it inundates and our outer wall gets significantly wet (and it is Bath stone, so quite porous). The hopper and downpipe are both on our side of the boundary.
We employed a roofer to make a repair (repair not started yet), it involves lifting a hip tile, removing a roof tile, ensuring there is a free flow of water and making a new lead hopper (that the neighbour bodged up). A complication is that the power to house an aerial route and is close by.
Modern regulations require scaffolding. The electricity board have been out and insulated the cable, the next day the scaffolders were out and it is erected on our land and over a shared passageway and this is where the fun starts.
The neighbour has a room above the passageway and is claiming that we need a party wall agreement. We have spoken to a solicitor from our house insurance (Swintons) who's view is that as the scaffolding is not touching the wall (it isn't) and that the work is being done on the guttering (not the party wall) a party wall agreement is not necessary.
Our neighbour has dragged out a builder (who seems to have built everything and seen everything in their 40 years with their 5 million business) and is insistent that not only do we need a party agreement, but also we are liable for anything our roofer does that harms people passing underneath whilst they are working or any damage to the neighbours property. He is also of the opinion that the downpipe is not sufficient diameter for two roofs and will inundate anyway, I did point out we've been here 21 years and the problems only started after next door messed with it!
I appreciate we have spoken to a solicitor, but I wonder if any of you have come across a similar situation.
In reality we are paying a large wedge to sort out next doors mess, we don't mind, but just wish we don't get all this grief in the process!
Cheers
Peter