At FPS we pride ourselves in the quality of our service. Sometimes Clients need the support of an Expert to factually analyse and independently offer an opinion on a contentious issue. Guy Freeman has being practicing for over 23 years and as a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors he has an established an exemplary reputation supporting his Clients, instructing Solicitors and Barristers to provide a full Expert Witness service. Guy now has a continuous workload as an Expert working on behalf of Claimants, Defendants and as a Single Joint Expert. All Expert work is undertaken in strict compliance with the RICS Practice Statement: Surveyors acting as expert witnesses and the Justice Department: Civil Procedures and Practice Directions.
Areas of Expert Work undertaken include:

Building Surveys & Defects

• Building Defect analysis and advice.
• Dispute resolution regarding poor design & workmanship; repairs, maintenance and new build.

Professional practice

• Malpractice in surveying.
• Fraud in surveying services.
• Negligent provision of building surveying & project management services.

Disability & Medilegal

• Medilegal Accommodation Reports to support Medical Negligence and Personal Injury cases; this provides advice regarding special needs audits; design & costed feasibility of disability adaptation consultancy; whole life cost planning to procure, operate and maintain special needs adapted properties and support facilities.
• Inclusive environment audits for all types of property & use to ensure DDA compliance or seek enforcement for non-compliance.
• Special Educational Needs; supplemental advice in respect of children attending school and higher education with respect to the approach and delivery of special needs facilities in education within the built environment, ie the building & facilities.

Project Management & Contract Administration

• Contract administration disputes.
• Project management disputes.
• Project monitoring for financial institutions disputes.
• Build out issues following contractor or client administrative receivership; assessment of project status – works completion to date, quality, statutory compliance, over valuation, rectification of defective works. Exercising ‘Step in Rights’ on behalf of project funders.
• Advice to Law of Property Act (LPA) Receiver to realise property asset capital value.

Dilapidations

• Prepare, negotiate and settle Landlord dilapidation claim.
• Negotiate and settle Tenant defence of dilapidation claim.
• Prepare Scott Schedule and manage dilapidation dispute in accordance with Civil Procedures Protocol for terminal dilapidations.
• Prepare Joint Expert statement for dispute resolution.
• Prepare Expert Witness Report to support dilapidation litigation.
• Provide dilapidation consultancy to acting lawyers for Landlord or Tenant and Valuers undertaking Landlord & Tenant Act 1927, s (18) damage to reversion valuations.

Party Wall Matters & Boundary Disputes

• Advice in administering Party Wall procedures.
• Acting as a party wall surveyor on behalf of the Building Owner or Adjoining Owner or Single Surveyor or Third Surveyor.
• Boundary disputes – line definition and identification; repair and maintenance liabilities.

Building Insurance Assessments & Disaster Recovery

• Detailed reinstatement cost assessments.
• Analysis of over and under insurance.
• Emergency damage appraisal and disaster recovery project management; loss adjuster negotiations.
• Contingency disaster recovery planning.
• RICS Build Action Volunteer roles can include: risk assessment; risk education/mitigation; disaster preparedness; emergency relief; early recovery/transition; reconstruction; monitoring & review.

Building Energy Efficiency & Sustainability

• Ensure the EPC & DEC with supporting Advisory Reports have been correctly prepared.
• Interpret energy data to provide sustainable energy efficiency consultancy advice.
• Prepare energy improvement feasibility and option appraisal.
• Prepare Ska Assessments for office fit outs and refurbishments.
• Prepare Waste Management Plans.

It is essential when entering into a Lease both the Landlord and the Tenant have absolute awareness of their obligations under the proposed contract. FPS has day to day involvement with differing Leases and as a result is well placed to offer clear relevant advice on all your contractual responsibilities. For specific information on Break Clauses, Repairing Obligations and other Lease Advice FPS will be delighted to assist.

Working as consultants for a number of key Clients has ensured that we provide reinstatement cost assessments of the highest quality for organisations such as BP International and ITV. FPS can provide recovery support that will make the difference to sustain your organisation should the worst happen.

Our aim to provide the complete package for our Clients also includes providing you with the services you need to fulfill your duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. The introduction of these regulations has resulted in a larger emphasis on the Client to provide certain documentation and facilities in order comply with the legal framework, FPS can offer you peace of mind by identifying the CDM requirements within a project, liaising with the HSE on your behalf and ensuring that the Client's obligations are adhered to on site.

If you or an adjoining building owner intend to carry out work on or in close proximity to a boundary line whether it be to an internal wall of multi storey accommodation or the garden wall of a terraced house then it is a legal obligation to appoint a Party Wall Surveyor. FPS has widespread experience as the Building Owner’s Surveyor, Adjoining Owner’s Surveyor and also as the Agreed Surveyor on both Commercial and large Residential properties. Upon appointment an FPS Party Wall Surveyor will take control of your Party Wall obligations in serving the relevant notices and liaising with the appropriate parties.

With close consultation with our Clients we can provide advice on proposed designs at all stages in order to provide accurate working methodology. Alternatively FPS can provide full working designs that are in full compliance with all Statutory Regulations including Building Regulations. FPS can be used as your sole point of contact for providing detailed designs and liaising with the Local Planning and Building Control departments in order to progress the project.

FPS are a best practice organisation that will liaise with both the Planning Authorities and Building Control Officer in order to ensure the best design and best construction methodology for our Clients. FPS can also provide a single point of contact for your Planning and Building Regulations applications. In addition to our Planning and Building Regulations advice we can also offer guidance and other services with regard to Listed Building Consent and Change of Use applications.

Inclusive access is about more than altering your facilities to allow the passage of wheelchair users; the Disability Discrimination Act is designed to make services more amenable to all people with disabilities. Under the act it is unlawful for a service provider to treat a person with a disability any less favourable than others and as a result all service providers must provide reasonable adjustments to accommodate people with disabilities. FPS have experience in providing design advice for both Commercial and Residential properties in relation to DDA and Part M of the Building Regulations. FPS has taken many of these projects through from inception to completion. Other aspects of our DDA services include the design and adaptation of Residential and Commercial premises, large scale DDA audits and design consultation.

FPS has comprehensive knowledge and experience of Dilapidation issues with years of experience working for both Landlord and Tenant. We have a good track record of limiting our Client’s liability under Dilapidations procedures and as a result Managing Director Guy Freeman has worked closely with Remploy for over 15 years providing them with Dilapidations advice that has significantly reduced their liability and ultimately costs on a number of key sites.