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[Closed] is there a rule of thumb for who legally owns a party wall?

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my / my neighbours wall bit the dust in the storms last night.

If you face down the garden with the house to your back it is the wall to the right hand side.

is it mine or theirs or would only consulting the deeds provide the answer?

either way it needs to be rebuilt which is a pain but, considering the strife others are facing its not the end of the world by a long stretch!


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 2:27 pm
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Deeds?


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 2:30 pm
 DM52
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The deeds should have the answer.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 2:30 pm
 Pook
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Deeds and plan


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 2:32 pm
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If it's just a garden wall then it is unlikely to be in the deeds unless it's a new build.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 2:51 pm
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Rules of thumb are just that. There's various urban myths but the deeds are the only sure way of telling. In the absence of that it'll be 50/50.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 2:53 pm
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As others have said deeds are the only way to be sure.

Our current house, all boundaries are 'party walls', even where the physical wall lies wholly within one of the properties.

Matt

[Edit] Doesn't mean you can't do anything with it, just that there is a legal procedure to follow.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 2:55 pm
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If it's just a garden wall then it is unlikely to be in the deeds unless it's a new build.

Depends on the house though, mine was built in the 1800's and I have boundaries clearly marked including who owns what wall.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 2:58 pm
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Depends on the house though, mine was built in the 1800's and I have boundaries clearly marked including who owns what wall.

Mine (1890s) has just the boundaries marked, no mention of who owns what.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 3:00 pm
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1893 - so quite old. the wall was always a bit doddery tbh!

time for a more robust fencing panel system!


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 3:08 pm
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Rule of thumb:

If it needs expensive repairs then you own it.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 3:15 pm
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like!


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 3:17 pm
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"time for a more robust fencing panel system!"

you mean a more maintainance required less long lasting fencing panel system surely ?


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 5:29 pm
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insurance?


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 5:36 pm
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If you have neighbours like mine, best to do it yourself so it looks nice. The fence blew down on his side, he said he wanted to have a brick wall put up instead. I thought this would be nice. I came home one day from work to find a DIY breeze block wall had appeared, and it looked awful.

I had my side clad with featherboard and painted.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 5:42 pm
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There's various urban myths but the deeds are the only sure way of telling. In the absence of that it'll be 50/50.

That's my experience - deeds didn't show.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 5:47 pm
 Olly
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does it have buttresses/piers/columns?


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 8:45 pm
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My deeds show it to be the RH wall with property in front BUT there are others in here that have the LH on theirs


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 8:50 pm
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I went through this last year and figured splitting it would be fair as ownership wasnt clear

Deeds useless and neighbour said to jog on cos it was the right side, or left side, or something equally useless and urban myth-y and not his problem

After threatening legal action* he coughed up and went 50:50

* pity it came to this as we now hate each other but I did take legal advice and was told if it went to lawyers it would cost thousands and the only winners would be the lawyers - but fortunately he saw sense as I was actually going to foot the whole bill myself which would still have been cheaper than getting the solicitors in


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 9:00 pm
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If the wall has fallen into the neighbours garden, just build a wooden fence your side, that way youdont have topay for a skip, and removal of old bricks, and just be thankful it didnt fall on anyone, 2 children have ben killed by crap walls falling on then locally in recent years up here.


 
Posted : 13/02/2014 9:49 pm