Party Wall Notices have conventionally been served via post, however in 2016 the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 recognised that electronic mail is as prevalent and the new normal. The Act made its first amendment, since its introduction in 1996.
The Electronic Communications Order 2016, entitles both Building Owners and Surveyors to serve, Party Wall Notice via email (electronic communication) the only stipulations being the recipient of the communication has confirmed they are agreeable to receive a Party Wall Notice, via electronic communication. This agreement must not be withdrawn throughout the exchange. And last but not least, the Party Wall Notice sent, is sent to the email address given by the recipient/ Adjoining Owner.
This effectively means once Adjoining owners are in agreement, a Party Wall Notice can be served electronically if the Building Owner or Surveyor wish to do so.
The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 amendment remains mute on the timings for the adjoining owner’s statutory Notice response. This effectively means we can assume the 14-day response period still applies to the email. In practice, serving a Party Wall Notice via email isn’t any quicker than post, as the timings still apply. Here at Icon Surveyors, we recommend serving Notices via both post and email (Old & New School) this ensures we have done everything possible to ensure the recipient is likely to receive the Party Wall Notice.
Party Wall Notices come in various forms, the process can be a little daunting, as if the Notice is not served correctly it can cause delays to the process as well as your planned construction works. If you are planning on serving a Party Wall Notice upon your neighbour. We recommend speaking to one of our experienced Party Wall Surveyors.
Here at Icon Surveyors, we offer free Party Wall advice, just give one of our experienced Party Wall Surveyors a call today.
