My neighbour’s wall is causing damp in my house

Property disputes partner Simon Painter, answers a reader’s question regarding an issue with a shared wall in an article for The Sunday Times as follows:

The first thing to do is to identify who owns the wall in question and where the precise boundary between your property and your neighbour’s property lies. A good place to start to find this information are the descriptions contained in the title deeds and the title plans of the properties. However, it is important to note that the scale of title plans is sometimes too small, and the lines shown too thick, to identify exact boundaries. If you are able to identify the precise boundary between the properties, this will dictate who owns the wall and who is therefore legally responsible for its maintenance and for resolving the damp issues.

Subscribers can access Simon’s reply in full via The Sunday Times website.