‘Valentines Day has come and gone and it has occurred to me how the workplace romance has changed over the past few years’. The ritual of sending silly and not so silly cards to that special person in the office which led to smiles over the photocopier has all but gone.
Times have changed and boundaries have to be respected especially in the workplace. A racy card which years ago could lead to eternal bliss now could lead to an employment tribunal.
However, boundaries in the traditional sense have been an important and costly area of dispute between neighbours.
Buying a house is one of the most important steps we take in life where we seek professional advice from solicitors and surveyors in order that they undertake the checks and safeguard what is most likely are the most expensive item we buy. Unfortunately, though we cannot carry out any psychological assessment of our prospective neighbours and even if we could it may not highlight issues or problems which may crop up.
When viewing a property warning signs can be apparent, such as the 20 rusting cars on the shared driveway. Although appearances can be misleading and it may be the octogenarian neighbour who arranges builders to turn up at 8am on a Monday morning without warning, looking to demolish a retaining wall which threatens the foundations of your conservatory, who is the real problem.
Paul Harrington in our Dispute Resolution team in Brighton & Hove suggests that every householder visit the government website www.planningportal.gov.uk/partywallact and download a copy of this guidance. It gives valuable information to those wanting to undertake work along their boundary and how notice must be given to those it affects.
As I was involved in the main cases which led to the introduction of the Party Wall Act 1996 I can only recommend you obtain this information as it may not result in loving your neighbour, but it could save you a lot of heartache and cost.”
