Is it a party wall?

[Bobojangles]

Hello,

Our neighbors have attached a wooden beam to the side of our house without permission.

From what I can gather they are totally in the wrong but I wanted some opinions as to weather it's actually a party wall and if they are allowed to do it?

They are standard Victorian terraces - my understanding is that the internal wall is party but this external wall is 100% ours and that the boundary runs along it rather than through it

This ties up with the way the garden boundary is set up

Thanks for the advice! I've obviously attached a diagram

It would come under a party wall if they were to build and fill in the courtyard but they’d need a party wall agreement. However, for the purpose of this it isn’t a party wall and I’d ask them to remove it. If they blather on then tell them to appoint a party wall surveyor for you both (they have to pay) and take it from there. They’ll soon realise…

From your drawing it looks like it's not a party wall (owing to their garden wall being offset from your house). The deeds though should be your first port of call. Do they declare whether any walls are party walls? What years were the houses built in? All at the same time?

They were built approx 1900 - I assume at different times as ours "matches" the other neighbors not the ones in question

Steve the party wall surveyor here - if the garden wall is offset from the internal wall then probably not party. B One way of checking is to measure to the face of the inside wall from a window, then add 130mm (half the thickness of the wall and 20mm for plaster). That will give you the rough boundary line. Then go outside and measure the garden wall from the same point on the window, check that dimension against the inside one. If the boundary line goes through the garden wall its party (doesn't have to be half way, could be anywhere). If it doesn't then not a party wall.

If it isn't then the beam is a trespass and you should ask them to remove it, @superram is right, if they want to push it and claim its a party wall tell them they will need a surveyor and yes, they will soon realise. If it's party they may have a right but again need to serve notice and get a party wall surveyor.

S