Correct way to serve party wall notice

In this blog, Icon Surveyors will discuss how a building owner can serve a party wall notice and which are the possible ways under the Party Wall Act. You might have heard that a Party Wall Notice can get rejected. Why and How? Not to worry, that only happens if it is served incorrectly or from matters far beyond your control. You have the option of letting the party wall surveyor serve the party wall notice or you can do it yourself.

Before we get to serve the party wall notice, ensure you have filled all the required forms and gathered any additional material from your neighbour and required authorities. Cross-check to ensure everything required is duly filled.

4 Correct Ways to Serve a Party Wall Notice

According to the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, the following are recognized as correct and legal ways to serve the party wall notice;

Serve via Post

This was perhaps one of the most popular methods of serving a Party Wall Notice and may still be although technology is taking over. Once you have posted your notice be sure to get a receipt or proof of postage from the office.

You can also opt to post via a reliable and registered delivery company if you cannot get to the post office. Note that this method is not applicable if you do not have the correct address of the adjoining owners.

Make a Hand Delivery

If you are on good terms with your neighbours this is an option you can consider. It simply requires you to physically deliver the Notice to the neighbour and if the property owner is unknown, the notice should be handed to the current occupant.

According to the act, the delivery must be 'in person' and not done via a drop off on the letterbox. If you and your neighbour do not get along, this might not be a viable option.

As a Conspicuous Post

You have the option of posting the Notice on a conspicuous part of the property where your neighbours can see it. This option is considered a last option if you have no knowledge of the owner, there is no answer on the door of the building is unoccupied.

To do it effectively, post the Notice on a part of the property that cannot be missed such as the front door or at the window. Given that there is no one to witness your service, be sure to take clear photos of the Notice with the text visibly captured.

Send an Email

With the increased use of electronic communication, the Party Wall Act was Amended in 2016 allowing Party Wall Notices to be served by email. For this option to work, you and the adjoining neighbour need to share your email addresses and the recipient should be open to receiving the notice as an email.

Following any one of the above methods should help you serve the Party Wall Notice correctly as required by the law.

Here at Icon Surveyors, we understand this can be a confusing and stressful time. For this reason, we offer 30-minutes of free consultation. Feel free to reach one of our party wall surveying experts through our website or call us on 020 7493 9087.

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Icon Surveyors

We are a team of party wall surveying experts based throughout London and the surrounding areas. Here, we share informative property survey blogs created by industry experts.

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