We live in a semi, the other half has been empty for a long time, it's been squatted and trashed. After many m any attempts to contact the owners and discuss problems which are affecting our house, they are finally doing something. They said nothing to about repairs needed or anything at all - they have not contacted us.
The first thing we knew was the scaffolders telling us they were putting some scaffolding on our property. We discovered that they are repairing the chimney. At no point have the owners tried to contact us, not even to mention that the scaffolding goes across our front windows and impedes our parking, nor to discuss costs and payments.
A builder friend of dh's has said that in shared properties, if one owner just takes it upon themselves to make a repair which affects both owners, then they have to bear the cost, unless they've been in contact with the other owners and agreed something different.
The owners have not been in contact with us in any way shape or form. Do they therefore have to bear the full cost. We would have appreciated some discussion about it all before they started and certainly once work had begun, and would have had to just find enough money to pay some share of it. But they haven't bothered, so we do feel it would serve them right if we just refused to pay anything towards the repairs.
Is it true that if they don't speak to us first to agree works and finances, then we are not liable at all?
Thank you. Sorry it's a bit waffly.