Should we bill our downstairs neighbours for work resulting from thier renovations?
Question:We live in a converted terrace house built around 1900. The people downstairs had work done to enlarge their basement and improve their property. The work went on for weeks and after it was done we notice that many of our doors and windows were jamming as the work has caused the structure of the building to shift.
They got their builder in to fix it up, but there's been further movement and the doors are all jamming again.
Can we bill them to get them properly fixed?
Answers:
Since they cooperated the first time, discuss the problem with them before you take it upon yourself to have the work done.
SUE THE BUILDER!
I would, let them go after the builder.
Yes. Document everything. If you have a homeowners association, notify them. Call the department of buildings to send an inspector. Call your insurance company for information.
You can BILL anybody; the question is, will they PAY?
If the neighbor's work is in fact the cause of the problem, then they obviously are liable to you to get it fixed, a court would probably rule. The question NOW is, how much is it going to cost. Because the damage to your property would ultimately fall back on the contractor, it makes sense to have THAT contractor fix it -again- if he/she is competent to do so. So that's the plan I would propose to the neighbors, assuming you guys are on friendly terms. Point is, to build a chain of evidence -with written documentation, emails, notes of calls or meetings, that show what caused the problem, and your courtesy and reasonableness in working it out. Thus, if your efforts FAIL, you've got a nice package to put in front of a judge, if it comes to that.
OK?
first thing you must call the building inspector sounds like they either removed some supports not knowing or they altered the structure but you could be in an unsafe enviroment,this is something you don't want to fool with being the house is over a 100 yrs old .. you need to talk to the board and a lawyer and your counties buildings dept to see if permits and licences were taken out for this work,your house could be considered historical and thats a problem right their...
Yes!! If they did it you shouldn't have to suffer!
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