Hi,

I live in a terrace house. The end terrace (next door) has been completely demolished for quite some time and the party wall on the neighbours side has only a scratch coat of plaster.
With the recent snow and cold weather we have now gotten some damp seeping through to our side of the wall - approx half way up the wall on the ground floor (the wall is a cavity wall with block on their flat).

I am looking some advice as to whose responsibility (and cost) it is to get this wall finished plastered to weatherproof it. It is a 3 storey terrace so I'm assuming it will be quite expensive to do.
I have had some limited dealings with the owner of the site in the past and they are a little unapproachable so I would like to be armed with as much facts / info before I go anywhere near him.

Many thanks.

In article , mchugp
scribeth thus

Hi,

I live in a terrace house. The end terrace (next door) has been
completely demolished for quite some time and the party wall on the
neighbours side has only a scratch coat of plaster.
With the recent snow and cold weather we have now gotten some damp
seeping through to our side of the wall - approx half way up the wall on
the ground floor (the wall is a cavity wall with block on their flat).

I am looking some advice as to whose responsibility (and cost) it is to
get this wall finished plastered to weatherproof it. It is a 3 storey
terrace so I'm assuming it will be quite expensive to do.
I have had some limited dealings with the owner of the site in the past
and they are a little unapproachable so I would like to be armed with as
much facts / info before I go anywhere near him.

Many thanks.




FWIW If it were me I'd ask the local building inspector for his opinion
as to where you stand on that, seems a rather odd instance?.

And if I think thats how you describe it a structural surveyors opinion
wouldn't be a bad idea either!.

Either way I reckon another external skin of brickwork or a very good
render is called for!.......
--
Tony Sayer

On 02/04/13 16:03, tony sayer wrote:
In article , mchugp
scribeth thus

Hi,

I live in a terrace house. The end terrace (next door) has been
completely demolished for quite some time and the party wall on the
neighbours side has only a scratch coat of plaster.
With the recent snow and cold weather we have now gotten some damp
seeping through to our side of the wall - approx half way up the wall on
the ground floor (the wall is a cavity wall with block on their flat).

I am looking some advice as to whose responsibility (and cost) it is to
get this wall finished plastered to weatherproof it. It is a 3 storey
terrace so I'm assuming it will be quite expensive to do.
I have had some limited dealings with the owner of the site in the past
and they are a little unapproachable so I would like to be armed with as
much facts / info before I go anywhere near him.

Many thanks.




FWIW If it were me I'd ask the local building inspector for his opinion
as to where you stand on that, seems a rather odd instance?.


yes. don't 'complain' exporess 'concern about the safety of an interior
wall'

Another poss is the insurance company. They will have a legal team to
pursue yer man as well.


And if I think thats how you describe it a structural surveyors opinion
wouldn't be a bad idea either!.


+1

Either way I reckon another external skin of brickwork or a very good
render is called for!.......

Definitely a properly tied in cavity insulated external skin Could even
done with wood, celotex and building paper and cladding,. or the same
but meshed and rendered.




--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

On 02/04/2013 13:52, mchugp wrote:

Hi,

I live in a terrace house. The end terrace (next door) has been
completely demolished for quite some time and the party wall on the
neighbours side has only a scratch coat of plaster.
With the recent snow and cold weather we have now gotten some damp
seeping through to our side of the wall - approx half way up the wall on
the ground floor (the wall is a cavity wall with block on their flat).

I am looking some advice as to whose responsibility (and cost) it is to
get this wall finished plastered to weatherproof it. It is a 3 storey
terrace so I'm assuming it will be quite expensive to do.
I have had some limited dealings with the owner of the site in the past
and they are a little unapproachable so I would like to be armed with as
much facts / info before I go anywhere near him.

Many thanks.

The Party Wall Act may well apply. The site owner has effectively
damaged the wall by removing the weather protection afforded by the
building that used to be there.

Are there plans to rebuild? If so, then maybe you could ask the Building
control office and the site owner about a temporary weatherproofing
solution. Otherwise, you need to negotiate with the owner of the site
about a permanent solution.
--
Tciao for Now!

John.

Thanks to all for the responses / advice.
It's a long story but the house we now live in and the house next door we derelict buildings for almost 20 years. The council actually demolished next door as it was in a dangerous condition.
Our family owned the site and when I moved up to the area we got the house completely renovated stripping down the party wall and building a new cavity block wall (in place of a single brick internal wall) with the neighbours full agreement but no formal Party Wall Contract in place - he did make a partial contribution.
This was then scratch coated as the owner of next door had planning permission passed to build on the site and was going to tie in to the front and rear walls. However, 3 years have passed and the site still lies derelict.
The local Building Control office has commissioned a builder to tidy up the site as part of an Urban project - I was talking to someone from the BC office but the weren't very forthcoming with any advice or info on what we could do to rectify this.

mchugp wrote:
Hi,

I live in a terrace house. The end terrace (next door) has been
completely demolished for quite some time and the party wall on the
neighbours side has only a scratch coat of plaster.
With the recent snow and cold weather we have now gotten some damp
seeping through to our side of the wall - approx half way up the wall on
the ground floor (the wall is a cavity wall with block on their flat).

I am looking some advice as to whose responsibility (and cost) it is to
get this wall finished plastered to weatherproof it. It is a 3 storey
terrace so I'm assuming it will be quite expensive to do.
I have had some limited dealings with the owner of the site in the past
and they are a little unapproachable so I would like to be armed with as
much facts / info before I go anywhere near him.

What are the plans for the plot where the house has been demolished?
Maybe something is to be built that will solve your problem.

Bill

On 02/04/2013 13:52, mchugp wrote:
I am looking some advice as to whose responsibility (and cost) it is to
get this wall finished plastered to weatherproof it.

I suggest you ask this in uk.legal.moderated.

Andy