Advice Needed On Damage To Property By Builders Carrying Out Work Next Door

[conchis]

Just need some advice about damage caused to property following work being carried out next door.

 

My utility room and garage are next to my neighbours property which is being renovated. Water now leaks through the roof of the utility room, the side wall of the garage has a hole in it and a one and half inch gap has developed between the floor of the garage and side wall. It seems they have dug underneath the side walls of the utility room and garage causing it to move!

 

I have contacted my insurance company.

 

Any further advice on how to best deal with this would be appreciated

 

Thanks

 

D

[gyzmo]

Just let the insurer deal with it - that's what you are paying them for!

You can help by providing as much info as you can - details of your neighbour, contractors etc.

[djmetsandy]

Gyzmo is correct. Contact your insurance company and they will probably appoint a loss adjuster to liase with all parties involved with the damage.

[Helford]

Also worth speaking with the Building Control Department at your local council and telling them what has happened.

 

H

[jackieandwayne]

Yes, as Helford said, you need building control in here PDQ.

 

My mum has lived in her flat since being evacuated with my gran in the war. They used to have the whole house, but then it was converted into GF and FF with mum having the FF.. This must have been late 1990's. So there was mum happily sat on the loo one morning, doing what you do, with building/conversion works going on underneath her, when the bathroom wall slipped a few inches before her very eyes! She then tried to get out of the bathroom and couldn;t because it had jammed the door! Eventually the fire brigade got her out, making them downstairs put up accro props and what have you, only to find that one of the kitchen walls had also dropped breaking all the plumbing for the dw and washing machine - water everywhere!

 

Fire bridgade called building control at the Local Authority, they were there within an hour, the upshot being that the site was shut down whilst they made it safe, and put right and they had to put right professionally the damage to mum's flat before they could continue with the conversion downstairs. I believe they were fined but my mum was too soft to go for compensation, although I believe she should have done!

 

Hope this helps.