Okay, so the next big development in town is coming to your neighbourhood. Not just in your neighbourhood but right next door to you!
You are excited and cant wait for construction to begin (as you know this is the only thing separating the final arrival of your new neighbour).
Be it a Shopping Mall, a factory/warehouse, a residential apartment, a tall/ high-rise building, an infrastructural entity bridge, flyovers, tunnels etc, whatever, are you aware that your new neighbour could be a source of friendly fire which could cause you a whole lot of unprecedented woes. Well, maybe not you directly but your house/building/property which you built/acquired with your sweat/earnings or inherited will be on the firing line.
Well, here goes the little technical jargon which may bring you up to speed with all I am saying
For every new development within proximity (at least the next property) to yours, there will be a need for installation of a foundation to support the new development (remember in various adages, people keep talking about foundation being the most important of anything….well, that cue was taken from construction).
Depending on the nature of the soil (ground), size of the new development, chances are that during the new construction by your neighbour, your building may be adversely affected by virtue of the (re)adjustment of the soil to accommodate the new development (intrusion) .
This is generally borne from soil strata(level) disturbances caused by foundation installation equipment (deep and/or vibratory), change in groundwater levels etc.
Depending on your locality, the likely combination of events will vary greatly and likewise the impact on your own existing edifice. Cracks could appear on your building’s elements(walls, tiles, floors, beams, columns, etc), your building may undergo partial settlement (sinking), your property may even suddenly begin to flood. These may all appear out of the blue or prior existing conditions of these defects may become active and worsen within the time frame of the construction works of the foundation.
What do you do at this point ?
Permit me to jump to conclusion— Then questions start getting asked, tempers perhaps get high, nerves get frayed.
Who takes the blame for this ?
What caused this?
Who is to fix (repair) this?
What is the limit of my new neighbour’s involvement in all this?
To save yourself all the above, request for a pre-dilapidation survey of your property to be carried prior to commencement of such developments next door to you. You should not be in the dark on the size of any proposed development happening next door to your property. Enter into a discussion with your would-be neighbours be they the developers, clients, consultants of contractors, understand the overall scope of the proposed development, request to see their construction risk assessment. Check if a risk to your property is assessed and ranked therein.
A Pre-dilapidation Survey is a record of condition of pre-construction condition of properties adjoining a project site. It generally involves taking photographs with cameras and in some cases measurements with specialized tools.
This record is assembled into a report called a dilapidation report and acts as a reference document when cases of reported claims and damages are made.
Where the foundation works is considerable, demand for a pre-dilapidation survey to and grant the survey team access to all areas within your own property under your (or appointed person’s) close supervision. The survey will culminate in the preparation of a report, collect a copy, check its consistency with the current condition of your building, once you are satisfied, all parties should sign this document (while smiling…. no bad blood). In a case where your new neighbour declines to carry out this task, take the pain yourself to engage the services of a competent professional to do this for you on your property, and serve your new neighbour a copy of the pre-dilapidation report (smiling).
This way, the report and documentation of the condition of your property prior to construction works becomes an arbiter where you suspect or establish a friendly fire from your new neighbour has unfortunately kicked your property where it hurts your pocket. (refer to the caption photograph of this article)
The importance of this simple exercise- The Pre-dilapidation survey and its outcome document – The Pre-dilapidation Report to your new neighbour cannot be over-emphasized as it also protects him should you attempt to pass on obligations which are not inflicted by his works onto him. It is mutually beneficial to both parties.
