Expert Witness and Boundary Disputes
Joel MacDonald BSc(Hons) MRICS provides independent expert evidence on building surveying matters for solicitors, their clients and the courts.
Areas of Expertise
- Building defects and their causes
- Dilapidations and landlord and tenant disputes
- Standards of workmanship and construction
- Residential property condition, including claims relating to surveys and building works
- New build defects and warranty claims
- Service charge disputes
- Boundary disputes and encroachments
Our Approach
An expert's duty is to the court, not to the party who instructs them. Our reports are prepared in accordance with Part 35 of the Civil Procedure Rules and the RICS requirements for surveyors acting as expert witnesses. We can act as a party-appointed expert or as a single joint expert.
We have prepared expert reports for contractors and building owners on residential works and larger development schemes, including claims against a new build warranty provider that succeeded after being initially rejected.
We can also provide preliminary advice at an early stage, to help assess the merits of a case before formal proceedings begin.
Boundary Disputes
Boundary disputes usually arise between neighbours, landowners and developers, and are often handled through their solicitors. We review title plans and deeds against the position on site, measure and record the physical features, and prepare reports and plans to help establish where a boundary lies. Where a matter is heading to court or tribunal, we can act as an expert witness.
Recent boundary instructions include a former care home, a cycle path and a former petrol station site in Newport, a residential boundary in Bonchurch and an encroachment claim at Whippingham.
We also prepare lease plans, rights of access plans and title plans for owners, landlords and solicitors.
Instructing Us
Please contact Joel with a brief outline of the matter, the parties involved and any relevant deadlines. We will confirm that there is no conflict of interest and provide terms and a fee estimate.