Postby Girliemum » Tue May 26, 2015 11:48 pm
Sounds fun!
From experience it's best to try and sort out any differences now. I think it's great you spoke to them at the outset, but once plans start to get formalised and pen put to paper, people can quickly change their opinions and become more awkward. I'm sure they will also have received lots of 'junk' letters from other surveyor companies on the back of your planning application urging them not to go with your choice of surveyor but appoint their own/ flagging up the perils of building work etc, etc. I hate to say it, but if they are being awkward now, after weeks of building work, they will possibly only get worse.
It does seem odd that your surveyor missed these points as they are pretty basic to any party wall notification. Is it possible to have another chat to your neighbour - perhaps agree to a different surveyor of their choice, but highlight your need to push on with the works and see if they would allow you to start your work subject to the change of surveyor? If your current surveyor has not issued the papers correctly and hasn't completed any site visits surely they couldn't charge you much? It may be a pain, but placating them in the short term,might work out better over the lifetime of the project.
They can't drag it out forever. There is a cut off once the notices are issued (a couple of weeks I think) and if they have not responded after that period it is classed as a disagreement (your surveyor should have explained that)
I'm sure there was a post on here recently about doing the whole thing yourself - although it sounds like your neighbouring might not want to do that!
Good luck with it all.