Neighbour demolishing adjoining shed

[gremlindolphin]

I am the landlord of what was my family home. I have a good, communicative relationship with the neighbours on one side. They have got planning permission (which we supported) for an extension which includes removing a garage which backs onto our garage. Our only stipulation was that once they had removed their garage, they had to make good our garage wall. I have been positively reasonable on a number of other issues.

Work has now started, their garage has been removed and surprise surprise the adjoining walls are more complicated than might have been so our garage is now open to the elements under the roof on one side and they are expecting to pay to rectify this situation which has only arisen because of work they wanted to do and agreed to make good once they had done!

Surely their builder/surveyor should have either worked out how the garages were constructed or identified that it wasn't possible to tell until they did it so they should make contingency for it?

I have just started reading about party walls as well which looks quite complicated and possibly relevant!

Anyone?

I don't believe the garage walls were complicated at all. I expect the builders just knocked it down because it was easy.

It is possible I suppose that their garage was built before yours, and you garage didn't include a wall.

I have an idea that you ought to have had a party wall agreement before work started and it is too late now, but I don't know. Perhaps they didn't offer because they would had to pay all the costs.

If they were doing work that involved structures with shared walls they should have followed party wall procedures. In your title it says shed (which might not count) but a garage is a more permanent structure and should fall under the Party Wall Act. Google it and get some info before you approach but the law may well be on your side.