Party Wall Agreement Advice needed
Discussion
The surveyor has charged you for 6.5-hours work. Which, if it includes the return visit to check off the SofCondition at the end of the works is pretty efficient use of time.
As for their hourly rate. Well, unfortunately, people think they get better service the more the hourly rate is. The reality is that, v clearly, your surveyor produced a suitable Award and the other Surveyor agreed with it.
Sorry, you're stuck with it. £190 is not the highest I have seen by a long chalk - not even in rural situations.
Remember the details and use if the said neighbour serves Notice. I'd be surprised if the Neighbour uses them to serve Notice. Don't agree to use an Agreed Surveyor either. After all, what's good for the goose........
As for their hourly rate. Well, unfortunately, people think they get better service the more the hourly rate is. The reality is that, v clearly, your surveyor produced a suitable Award and the other Surveyor agreed with it.
Sorry, you're stuck with it. £190 is not the highest I have seen by a long chalk - not even in rural situations.
Remember the details and use if the said neighbour serves Notice. I'd be surprised if the Neighbour uses them to serve Notice. Don't agree to use an Agreed Surveyor either. After all, what's good for the goose........
There's scope to challenge it, I've been successful a couple of times in the past when acting as Owners Surveyor. To start with, ask your PWS to look at the paperwork that next door's surveyor sent through confirming his appointment.... did that say what the hourly rate was? If it did then it weakens your position because its late in the day to query it, but if not then I'd push back a bit and ask them to justify it. Circa £100 p/h + VAT is generally where its at for PW work, pushing nearer £200 is high unless you're in London. Point out that the Act refers to you having to meet the 'reasonable fees' of the Adjoining Owners Surveyor, so push back and ask for justification of their hourly rate. If need be phone a few local surveyors and ask for their rate, it'll give a comparison and perhaps some ammo to run with if next doors man is noticeably higher. I agree 6.5hrs is fair enough, especially when as an adjoining owners surveyor its not unusual to get bombarded with never-ending and unrealistic neighbour queries moaning about the proposals!
Ok, thanks to both for your input.
The job/property is in a London post code, not a central one but it is still London nonetheless, whether that justifies the £190.00 + vat rate or not I cannot say. My PWS charged £140.00 (no vat on top) on the same job and I have been using that as a reference point for the other one.
There were some really petty changes asked for on drawings, eg three pad foundations holding up two beams, there was one arrow to one of the pads with a note "3 x bla bla bla". The PWS surveyor wanted them all to be picked up seperately with arrows "1 x bla bla bla". No doubt this sort of petty nitpicking (the architect's words) was done with the clock running and if that was included in his 6.5 hours then that was running my bill up for no reason other than wanting to earn more.
If anyone reading this ever needs the services of a party wall surveyor in the North London area feel free to PM me for one I would recommend and one I certainly wouldn't if it was my choice
The job/property is in a London post code, not a central one but it is still London nonetheless, whether that justifies the £190.00 + vat rate or not I cannot say. My PWS charged £140.00 (no vat on top) on the same job and I have been using that as a reference point for the other one.
There were some really petty changes asked for on drawings, eg three pad foundations holding up two beams, there was one arrow to one of the pads with a note "3 x bla bla bla". The PWS surveyor wanted them all to be picked up seperately with arrows "1 x bla bla bla". No doubt this sort of petty nitpicking (the architect's words) was done with the clock running and if that was included in his 6.5 hours then that was running my bill up for no reason other than wanting to earn more.
If anyone reading this ever needs the services of a party wall surveyor in the North London area feel free to PM me for one I would recommend and one I certainly wouldn't if it was my choice
Asking for changes to drawings is not uncommon.
The role of a Party Wall Surveyor is to safe guard property. This nneds to be done in a way that is clear to future scrutiny of owners not involved in the process.
To be blunt, you can not be trusted to safeguard a jointly owned structure nor can any owner. That is why the Act has been createdand evolved over the past centuries.
Whilst grobag is right the Act does say fees must be reasonable it doesn't define reasonable. £1500 is reasonable irregardless of the other surveyors fees. You can try pushing back but be wary that should it end up in Court you will lose and be liable for additional costs.
The role of a Party Wall Surveyor is to safe guard property. This nneds to be done in a way that is clear to future scrutiny of owners not involved in the process.
To be blunt, you can not be trusted to safeguard a jointly owned structure nor can any owner. That is why the Act has been createdand evolved over the past centuries.
Whilst grobag is right the Act does say fees must be reasonable it doesn't define reasonable. £1500 is reasonable irregardless of the other surveyors fees. You can try pushing back but be wary that should it end up in Court you will lose and be liable for additional costs.
£190 plus VAT per hour doesn't surprise me, particularly in a London postcode. Nor does 6.5 hours surprise really, to do a condition survey, consider the drawings and draw up the award.
If anything your surveyor's charges seem quite low. I assume he's a one-man operation and only doing it as a fill-in, otherwise he's quickly be over the threshold for charging VAT at those rates. Less than 50 hours a month in fact.
If anything your surveyor's charges seem quite low. I assume he's a one-man operation and only doing it as a fill-in, otherwise he's quickly be over the threshold for charging VAT at those rates. Less than 50 hours a month in fact.
In fairness, having been involved with Party Wall matters during the construction of One Hyde Park, there are a lot of projects where high fees are a necesity for the Surveyor just to cover the PI costs. A £100 million development carries hefty Professional liabilities.
Then you have the £10 million pound houses throughout London which, again, come with hefty liabilities.
£1 million pound properties are now very common.
Unfortunately, the firms (and their rates) then get appointed on smaller jobs and their fees come with them.
Then you have the £10 million pound houses throughout London which, again, come with hefty liabilities.
£1 million pound properties are now very common.
Unfortunately, the firms (and their rates) then get appointed on smaller jobs and their fees come with them.
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