Neighbours solicitor has contacted us for info

[Hazeymarie]

We found out our neighbours are selling their house, we are currently renovating, structurally it's complete and planning permission approved.

We have recieved letters and emails from a solicitor on behalf of either the neighbours, estate agents or potential buyers (they are not clear) saying surveyors have concerns. They have asked us for a party wall award, we don't have one as their was no dispute over the party wall and we served notice and an agreement was signed and a copy given to the neighbiur.

They have now asked for our signed agreement which we cannot actually locate, our evidence of gas membrane being laid and removal of contaminated waste and more like when our rendering will be completed, etc

We are just perplexed why we need to provide all those information when we are not selling our property?

We have had a double extension and loft conversion. All structural work is complete. Just need to render before building control will sign off.

Any advice would be great as its getting quite stressful having to provide all this evidence when we aren't selling our house.

I would suggest you send a clear copy of it, rather than the original

If it’s all been signed off by building control then that is good enough, show them a copy of the completion certificate.

your neighbours buyers sound like hard work , I wouldn’t entertain them .

it’s up to their surveyor to point out any problems in the property.

sounds like they think you might have been burying hazardous waste in your back garden 🤣

What an odd response. The OP doesn't owe any information to anyone other than her current neighbour and then all they should show is the party wall agreement.

OP I'd supply the party wall agreement as a matter of courtesy but tell them that's all and they're not even entitled to that. These people are effectively strangers. Any information should be coming from the seller and what they're entitled to is covered by the PW agreement.

Are your neighbours aware that you're being asked for all this information? I think I would let them know that you're being asked for a lot of information and that really it's a bit much when it's not your house on the market. Hopefully they will then take it up with the sellers via their solicitor. I really think that it is unreasonable for anyone other than building control themselves to expect you to provide all this documentation.

>your neighbours buyers sound like hard work , I wouldn’t entertain them .

This. I wouldn’t be providing any further help to encourage them to become my new neighbours.

Yes, there's that! If you are too helpful, you're going to reliving next door to these people! Maybe being a bottles helpful is the way to go.

I really don't get why providing this information should be so stressful. Surely you can understand that prospective buyers want reassurance that your building work - which sounds pretty substantial and significant - has been done properly and safely? (As well as having an idea of your proposed end point).

I'd call the solicitors and ask if there's anything else that they need, so you can do it all in one go. Surely you have all the relevant paperwork to hand/in a file somewhere? You'll need that anyway, if/when you come to move!

I'd reply politely but without bending over backwards.

Your clients were given a copy of the party wall agreement but as a courtesy I enclose a further copy.

Most of the information you are requesting is available on [planning portal].

We anticipate the rendering to take place around [month], weather permitting.

I'm involved in a very complex sale atm with works issues in the wider property development requiring vast amounts of detail.

Solicitors demanded information for best part of a year and then the lender refused to lend until the works are complete. It's a complete nightmare.

Solicitors and lenders are way more picky than they used to be. You will need all of these bits of paper if you ever sell, it's worth doing but there are limits to what the neighbours can demand.

It’s kind of insulting that these potential neighbours are coming in making the assumption that the OP is an irresponsible home owner.

”Prove to me that you have built your extension properly and with an environmental conscience.”

Nah mate, you’re the one who wants to live here, I already do.

Surely they're not making any assumptions, by asking for this stuff though?

I think that this all came as a surprise is what's stressful for us. We have young children and work full time. We had no idea our neighbours were selling, then we get this letter. A heads up would have been nice.

Yes we have obviously built our house extension following all plans and regulations and have all the paperwork, and I understand extensions are a nuisance.
I just don't understand - how our property effects our neighbours when all our info is public record, and structurally we are complete so there's nothing really noisy happening, just decorative etc. It's frustrating as first of all they asked for a party wall award which I replied that we don't have as there was no dispute on the partywall, then they came back and asked for the agreement, that's fine, got that. but also asking for our surveyor details, our gas membrane evidence, etc I feel is over stepping. I just don't know where to draw the line in what they are asking for as I don't want to look like we aren't helpful but also I'm not going to keep going back and forth when they want more of something if that makes sense. May I add we have been really good neighbours, and compromised loads of things with them for our extension such as not removing the roof they attached to our wall, instead of re building the wall we came in a few bricks, we also did not block their access onto our land but instead built a porch around their access gate. Maybe we are just unhelpful etc, I think we are just abit sour that they kept it all secret to be honest.

Well, just tell the buyers to refer to the planning portal. You aren't under any obligation to tell total strangers s the details of your works. They can like it or lump it - I think party wall paperwork and a referral to the planning portal is where your 'obligation' begins and ends.

I would reply as eurochick suggests and leave it at that.

Also I might tell the neighbour about the letters from the solicitors and how you have responded. Refer them to the planning portal. If they have been keeping it all a secret they have not treated you well.

You were obliged to enter into a party wall agreement if any works took place within 3 metres of your neighbours property, op.
You really shouldn’t have begun work without one.

They did enter into an agreement. They just didn't need to go down the surveyor route because the works were agreed.

We did have a party wall agreement?

bit harsh!

Agree, and point them to your local planning portal and your building control inspector (who will possibly want to charge them for the info).

It is possible for the buyers to take out a relatively cheap indemnity insurance - it is possible that it is not the buyers but their mortgage company who is asking as a standard for any new works which may affect the value of their property.

Give the solicitor a copy of the party wall agreement and tell him that all these questions can be answered by visiting the planning portal.

If they want everything signed off then they will have to wait till you have finished all the work and building regs sign off everything

Then add “Please do not contact me again asking for things that are freely available on line”

Wouldn’t both sides have a copy of any agreeemnt? And whoever drew it up?

Might be a zombie thread, but intriguing I wonder how it all turned out?!

So to update - after digging.... turns out it was all from their daughter who works for the solicitors, sending letters from them and after we stopped replying we heard nothing anyway. We ended up having to report the neighbours for harassment as they kept shouting at us in the street! But anyway... they have tried everything to cause us issues, but thankfully we have kept documents of everything and faughr everything and shut it all down. They are just bitter unfortunately. However they have now sold their house! And hopefully moving soon!!!! Have met the new buyers and they seem lovely. They knocked our door and spoke to us saying they felt next door were shady and if we could answer any questions for them which we were happy to do.

Wow! That was an unexpected turn of events! Thank god they're finally moving.