My house was badly damaged by a lorry. On the day the council took over under section 78 of the Building Act 1984. I was only notified of this by letter 16 days later. I have now received an invoice for £9,000 and they have put a charge on my property. Am I responsible for paying this, and should I have been notified earlier?
Section 78 gives the local authority emergency powers to ensure the safety of dangerous structures. The legislation states that the local authority should “if reasonably practicable” give notice of their intention to the owner and occupier. It also states that they can recover from the owner expenses reasonably incurred by them in making the building safe. It’s not clear why it took so long for you to be notified, but hopefully the lorry’s insurers will foot the bill.