The Lemon Fool

I have a periodic damp patch on a wall at the end of my tenement extension where it meets the old outside toilet. Just enough to effloresce the paint and blow the top layer of skim.

I thought it was from the flashing where the loo roof joined the tenement as it is all single brick, so replaced the very small bit of roof and flashing over the summer and removed the blown plaster, let it all dry, and reskimmed.

The damp came back the other week.

I went next door and their garden is slightly different, their land is built up against the other side of my outside loo by about 1 metre, exactly the height as I'm getting the damp. The have a paved walkway along and the last 2 or 3 slabs are dropped 1/2 an inch, sound hollow when tapped, and the pointing had gone. This is usually unseen as their wheelie bins hide it.

The neighbour seemed to agree this was the likely cause but says "well, it's just a bit of subsidence, can't be helped in these old houses" and declined to get any repairs done. Oddly he gets the same issue in his tenament which adjoins mine but isn't bothered.

I'm selling my house and no surprise that the surveyor has picked up on the damp patch.

I'm going to offer to pay to get his patio slabs re-laid, but as his failure to maintain his property is the problem, is there anything I can do legally to make him do the work should he refuse?

Also, if someone happens to pop over the wall and sort it whilst they're away at Xmas and put the bins back then what would be the position then.

thanks

Paul

DrFfybes wrote:I have a periodic damp patch on a wall at the end of my tenement extension

From the use of the word `tenement' I'd infer that you may be talking about a property in Scotland, in which case only a Scottish lawyer could properly advise you. Am I correct?

Clitheroekid wrote:

DrFfybes wrote:I have a periodic damp patch on a wall at the end of my tenement extension

From the use of the word `tenement' I'd infer that you may be talking about a property in Scotland, in which case only a Scottish lawyer could properly advise you. Am I correct?

AFAIK Paul lives in the South West of England.

John

Clitheroekid wrote:

DrFfybes wrote:I have a periodic damp patch on a wall at the end of my tenement extension

From the use of the word `tenement' I'd infer that you may be talking about a property in Scotland, in which case only a Scottish lawyer could properly advise you. Am I correct?

No, I though it was a generic name for a part width (usually single brick thickness) rear extension. Spurred by your question I Googled "tenement extension" and the first hit was Cornwall Council! However it does look like it isn't as generic a term as I thought.

Thanks

Paul