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Party wall award procedure and process

My first post gave a brief background to party walls and the procedure of preparing and responding to notices served in accordance with the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (PWA 1996). This second post provides an overview of the award procedure and process from a surveyor’s perspective.

Need for a party wall award

If an adjoining owner has dissented to the building owner’s works, or has remained silent for a period of 14 days after the service of a notice, a party wall award is required before the notifiable works can proceed.

Section 10 principally deals with the award procedure or, more correctly put, the resolution of disputes. In essence, any issue or “dispute” arising between the building owner and the adjoining owner in connection with works proposed under the PWA 1996 may be settled by an award.

The award is concluded by either an agreed surveyor appointed by both owners, or by two surveyors appointed by each party.

The third surveyor

The first duty of the two appointed surveyors is to select a third surveyor who will be instructed should they be unable to resolve any disputes between themselves.

“Your surveyor” 

One question that often arises is, can a party change its surveyor? The simple answer is no.

“Your surveyor” is purposefully misleading because the surveyor(s) has a statutory role and is not an advocate for the owner who appointed them.
The PWA 1996 sets out that once a written appointment is made it cannot be rescinded, but also goes on to state that if:

  • A party’s surveyor dies or is incapable of acting, that party may appoint another surveyor to act with the same powers and authority.
  • A party’s surveyor refuses to act or fails to act within 10 days of a request so to do, the other party may proceed ex parte.
  • An agreed surveyor dies, is incapable of acting, refuses to act or fails to act within 10 days of a request so to do, the procedure shall start all over again.
  • A third surveyor dies, is incapable of acting, refuses to act or fails to act within 10 days of a request so to do, the other two of the three surveyors may select and appoint another third surveyor with the same powers and authority.

There have been come interesting new cases recently regarding surveyors appointments including Property Supply and Development Ltd v Verity and Mills v Savage.
The obvious conclusion to draw here is that any owner should ensure they appoint a surveyor who is suitably experienced to deal with the complexity of the instruction.

The party wall award

A party wall award can determine:

  • A right for the building owner to execute work under the PWA 1996.
  • The time and manner for executing the works (although, unless agreed between the building owner and the adjoining owner, the time for executing the works shall not commence until the initial period included in building owner’s relevant notice has expired).
  • “Any other matter arising out of or incidental to the dispute including the costs of making the award”.

The PWA 1996 gives surveyors a wide jurisdiction to regulate any matters connected with work that the PWA 1996 relates to and the surveyors must carry out a review of the factors specific to the property/site. This is not the place for an exhaustive list of such factors, but listed below are some typical examples to give an insight into the surveyors’ role in the award process:

  • Review of scheme drawings, method and impact statements to understand how the works will be undertaken and what (if any) restrictions or obligations might be needed.
  • Imposing time restrictions for the notifiable works (such as only working between 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday).
  • Placing limits on or requiring monitoring for movement and vibration.
  • Requiring temporary protective measures for support or weathering.
  • Security for expenses (itself a whole topic of its own!).

Sometimes circumstances may have the potential to require a surveyor to consider acting “ex-parte” or using the third surveyor to make a determination. Such circumstances can include where:

  • Surveyors are being slow to respond (especially if they have a large workload).
  • Surveyors have requested significant levels of information over and above what is considered reasonable.
  • The costs as set out might not be viewed as reasonable – more on this later.

Party wall surveyor’s costs

Surveyor’s fees can be a matter of contention. Indeed, it is one of the most common matters referred to the third surveyor. The PWA 1996 states that the reasonable costs in making or obtaining an award, inspecting work to which the award applies or “any other matter arising out of the award” shall be paid by such party as determined by the surveyor or surveyors making the award.

In an unreported case in 2004, a judge commented that fees were a three course banquet out of what should have been a snack.

Farrs Lane Developments Ltd v Bristol Magistrates’ Court

With fees being such a pertinent issue, it is probably appropriate to mention Farrs Lane Developers Ltd v Bristol Magistrates Court. This case concerned 10 awards made by one surveyor acting either as the “agreed surveyor” or jointly with the surveyor appointed by the relevant adjoining owner. Each award stated the building owner should pay the surveyor’s fees of £1,300 plus VAT for preparing and serving the relevant notice plus fees for his additional work at the rate of £90 per hour plus VAT. The fees totalled £24,363.72.

Instead of appealing the fees to the county court within 14 days of the awards being served, the building owner simply failed to pay. Therefore, the surveyor issued 10 complaints in the Bristol Magistrates’ Court for non-payment of his awarded fees.

The building owner defended the claims saying the magistrates had no jurisdiction to make the orders the surveyor sought as he (the surveyor) was neither the building nor adjoining owner and his fees were not a matter of dispute between those parties. The magistrates disagreed and ordered the fees to be paid. They refused to give reasons for their finding and the building owner sought a judicial review of that decision in the High Court.

The case was heard by Holgate J, who had three issues to determine:

  • Were the awards in respect of the surveyor’s costs ultra vires as they did not relate to a dispute between the building and adjoining owners?
    • Held: while the PWA 1996 relates to disputes between the owning parties, an award may determine “any other matter arising out of or incidental to the dispute” (section 10(12)(c)).
  • Even if an award that includes an order to pay the surveyor’s costs is not disputed between the owners, can it direct a party to pay them to the surveyor directly (instead of awarding direct payments between the two relevant owners)?
    • Held: “The statute enables the surveyor(s) to determine which party is to pay the costs awarded without limiting the discharge of that obligation in the award to a payment to another party, rather than to the surveyor entitled to receive that payment.”
  • Had the magistrates erred in awarding the surveyor his costs based on the number of hours he spent on the case (38.5 hours) multiplied by his £90 hourly rate?
    • Held: it was within the magistrates’ discretion to award the surveyor reasonable and just costs.

In considering the issues before him, Holgate J reviewed comments made in paragraph 7.5.1 of RICS’ party wall guidance note to the effect that case law suggests that there is no contractual or statutory basis for surveyors addressing responsibility for costs in an award. He disagreed and said the issues before him had not previously been dealt with by any judicial authority. Further, while the building owner could have challenged the awards in the County Court, it had chosen not to do so and thereby incurred costs that exceeded the challenged fees. His disapproval, while not forming part of his judgment, was clear.

Service of a party wall award

Service depends on who makes the award:

  • If the parties’ surveyors make the award, the surveyors shall immediately serve it on the parties.
  • If the third surveyor makes the award, then after payment of the costs of the award, the third surveyor shall serve it on the parties or their appointed surveyors. If the latter, the appointed surveyors shall immediately serve the award on the parties.

Service may be conducted in person or by post (section 15). In addition, The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (Electronic Communications) Order 2016 (SI 2016/335) allows notices and other documents to be issued by electronic communication (including by email), subject to the recipient having stated they are willing to accept documents this way.

Appealing a party wall award

Subject to either party’s right to appeal the award within 14 days of it being served, an award is binding and conclusive and it cannot be questioned by any court. On appeal to the County Court, the court may rescind or modify the award, or make such order as regards costs as it thinks fit.

Thankfully, appeals are rare.

Non-compliance with a party wall award

The first consideration must always be the validity of the award. For example:

  • Was the surveyor properly appointed?
  • Did the matters set out in the award fall within the surveyor’s jurisdiction?
  • Was the award served in accordance with the PWA 1996?
  • Was the appeal issued within the 14 day time limit set out in section 10?

The second consideration is whether non-compliance amounts to a criminal offence under section 16 of the Act. For example, where an occupier refuses to allow a person to enter the property (having first given not less than 14 days’ notice of proposed entry), to stay to carry out the works, or if any person hinders or obstructs another from carrying out the works. If the property is locked, the building owner or the contractor may enter by breaking open gates or fences, if accompanied by a police constable or officer. However, any breach is punishable by summary conviction and a fine.

Thirdly, if the non-compliance is not a criminal offence under the PWA 1996, it is worth considering whether there has been a breach of a civil right or breach of a statutory duty that is enforceable (potentially) by an injunction. For example:

  • If works are carried out that are outside those works covered by the award.
  • Entering on to land other than under the PWA 1996, which can amount to a trespass, as can carrying out works other than those covered by the award (and this may also amount to a nuisance giving rise to a potential claim in damages).

Specific conundrums

Having covered the basic operation of the PWA 1996, there are, of course, more complex matters that may arise such as special foundations and (as I’ve already hinted at) security for expenses. I will focus on these issues in my next post on party wall matters.

Malcolm Hollis James Audsley

19 thoughts on “Party wall award procedure and process

  1. Can the surveyor just walk away if there are outstanding breaches under an Award saying that the matter must be referred to the third surveyor named in the Award put in by the BO’s surveyor who will be ignored by the BO just as he has ignored the Award ?
    Does the surveyor remain responsible until all breaches have been dealt with?

  2. My developer neighbour is attempting to build a side extension to his house, above what was the carport / garage. Our houses are link-detached with the roof of his garage attached to the wall of my house. He has issued very vague Party Wall Notices with plans showing a structure unsupported at my side. His notices describe this as a ‘dormer’, which is clearly not the case.
    I do not believe the wall is a party wall as my deeds show the whole of my house, including its roof on my side of the line of boundary. The surveyor the neighbour has appointed has declared that it is, however, but has not checked on the original plans. His surveyor is now intending to appoint someone he knows as the second surveyor. He appears to be acting more as a solicitor than a surveyor.
    An architect friend and I suspect that the developer’s intention is to support his very large structure on a few pieces of steelwork inserted into my wall rather than simply building it on his own land.
    From what has been said, excavation work has already been done adjacent to my wall, prior to the Excavation Notice being issued.
    Is it correct that the neighbour and his surveyor’s behaviour has invalidated the Party Wall Notices? Does that prevent his use of the PWA?
    Any advice you can give as to how I should proceed would be appreciated.
    Obviously I am concerned about the risk to my own house and to the issue of fire and sound transmission through having this structure inserted into my wall.

    1. If you have not already done so, I suggest you consult the first post in this series – Introduction to party wall issues – and consider the section dealing with the appointment of party wall surveyors. As an adjoining owner, you have the right to appoint and be advised by your own surveyor and it sounds like that would greatly assist you with your neighbour’s project. As that post notes:

      “Fees for considering the statutory party wall matters are, generally speaking, recoverable from the building owner.”

  3. My new neighbors have removed my wooden fence boundary and built their own wall without consent. They have also carried out major structural changes to their house which caused severe damage to my property to having cracked and holes in the walls and damping walls. They did not serve any notice. They are also making threats.

    In 2006 the sellers and I agreed the erecting of this wooden wall would belong to us. They failed to mention this in the property seller form.

  4. Party Wall Award has an incorrect address and incorrect name of neighbor and surveyors have made decisions on where boundaries are and deciding on whether walls are party walls. My understanding is all these errors can make an award invalid.

    1. OK surveyor’s has issued an amended report to address errors and omissions but a major error still exists they have also totally ignored my request to invoke 3rd surveyor support to interview and resolve errors.

  5. If the award was served on a Monday, the 14 days runs out on Sunday night – so is the previous Friday the last working day on which an appeal can be launched?

  6. we drew up a party wall act , but neither surveyor consulted me regarding with what is written in the party wall act. My surveyor went on holiday and signed the award on my behalf with out telling me ! Does the party wall still apply because I didn’t know what was written until too late.

  7. Hello, my neighbour is planning to build an extension of 4 meters with two floors.
    If there is less than 45′ angle from my window to the wall will be built is it can be objection for reducing my daylight?
    Also, how do you think, my neighbours extension can has affect to my house price negatively?
    If there is anything I should do before agreeing to let him build extension, like checks what could affect me, please could you advise me.
    Thank you, very appreciate.

  8. if a builder proceeds with works before the award is issued would this be considered the same as ignoring the award and dealt with in section 16?

  9. Nice information..thank you so much for this. My brother has started the construction business, I am sure it will help him.. Bookmarked your site. keep posting such content.

  10. Has anyone taken a Party Wall Act surveyor to the small claims court for unnecessary delays. We started the procedure in February last year and our neighbour was required to appoint a second surveyor (his choice) by 23rd March. When this didn’t happen we believed our surveyor could make the appointment on his behalf but were not advised our neighbour had not made the appointment. We believed that the two surveyors were working on the award during lockdown and expected the first visit to be carried out at the end of lockdown. Instead our surveyor furloughed himself and didn’t tell us and the second surveyor was not appointed until. He did not send the appointment letter until the end of the July with the site visits not carried out until the end of August. The method statement and structural engineers report were not requested until after the site visit causing further delays. We are considering taking our surveyor to the small claims court as once he furloughed himself he was clearly not capable of acting and should have resigned. Has anyone taken a surveyor to the small claims for a service not carried out in a timely manner?

    1. i would be very interested to hear replies as i am in the same situation with mine. we paid 2000 pounds on the 22nd October 2020 and still have not had an award served on my neighbours yet.

      1. Have you asked the third surveyor to step in and take over, I understand this is allowed if your surveyor is failing to act.

  11. Our neighbour bought the adjoining property over 6 years ago. Soon after buying it he started knocking bricks through on our party wall. He assured us he would fix it ASAP (he didn’t). He requested a party wall agreement so that he could convert the existing property into 5 units. It required structural work on what is essentially a hundred year old garden wall. As part of the PWA the neighbour was required to provide a structural wall report to demonstrate it was safe to build on top of it, he was required to repair the damage. This was 3 years ago. He went ahead with the building work without fulfilling any of the pre-construction requirements. The issue hasn’t been resolved but he’s now requesting a new PWA to repair the wall because water is leaking into the new units…and wants us to part fund the works saying the ingress is due to poor maintenance. What should we do? There are now two surveyors involved but neither seem interested in helping and insist we are liable for a contribution to the cost of repairs. The wall is a mess and we’re concerned it could come down at any point. The neighbour told me the council have signed off on it as safe but they’ve said that’s not the case. He’s also been done for removing firewalls after a building inspection just prior to tenants moving in. We are considering selling the house and don’t want it to affect the sale. What can we do?

  12. The land on my property is higher than my neighbours, and an old garage wall on my neighbour’s (the building owner) property is acting as a retaining wall for my land.
    A further amendment to Party Wall Award has been made to reduce the building owners old garage wall to my property ground level and add additional retaining walls to be built on the neighbour’s side. But no safety and security requirements have been identified. There is a real risk of falling injury from my higher land into neighbours land during these works and until new fence is erected my property will be unsecured.
    Would lack of safety and security direction be reasonable grounds for appeal. Surveyors are being unresponsive.

  13. Should a party wall award consider safety and security of adjoining property especially where works will remove walls currently providing safety and security of adjoining property where the land on adjoining property is considerably higher and works may expose risk of falling injury of adjoining property neighbors occupants and pets.?

  14. We already have a party wall award.

    Further into the project, we need underpinning, which requires an additional award. The 3rd party surveyor is a pain, rejecting multiple drawings.

    We proceeded with the underpinning in the mean time and completed the work, which was supervised and approved by Building Control.

    As far as I understand, the work is done so no award could be served. 3rd party surveyor is angry, asking for as build drawings and engineers for the work.

    We don’t need an award for completed work. Where do we go from here?

  15. We had a very intrusive party award completed between two surveyors for a simple, basic single story kitchen extension. The survey was more a sales survey, going into every single room of the AO rather than just the wall and surrounding areas of the house.
    In any case, notices are specific to 3m excavation and remove shared ridge caps from the roof.
    When can the surveyors discharge the award? When the specifics of the award is completed? The award does not cover basic renovation, but it was listed in the award, it reads as if any future crack in the AO property will be linked to the award.

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