My mother was sent a letter today from the local council who own the other
half of her semi-detached house. The letter refers to the Party Wall act
section 6, 1996. It states:

"We are proposing to carry out a mini auger recinforced concrete piled raft
foundation system throughout the ground floor of number xx together with
refurbishment of the property on completion.

The works proposed are as depicted on the enclosed plan and you may feel you
can concur with these being carried out without the preparation and
agreement of a formal "Party Wall Award". In such circumstance we would
compile a schedule of conditions, with your agreement, of the areas adjacent
to the party wall, together with supporting photographs, as a record of the
existing defects in your property.

If you feel your interests would be better served by the preparation of a
formal award, then you may nonetheless concur with the appointment of a
third surveyor, who will impartially regulate matters affecting us both."



I guess many of you have received similar "Party Wall notices", but its the
first time I have encountered one. Would it be sufficient to go with the
councils record of the condition of the house, or should we go for a
"formal award"?
What would we need to do from our our side if we ask for a "formal award"?
Would we need to find and hire the "third surveyor" (their wording). I
think that they must mean a third party surveyor.

The house is ex-council, built on very heavy clay and is about 50 years
old. My mothers house has a number of cracks in the internal walls which
have been there for decades. They just decorate over them. I don't think the
party wall has any significant cracks.