Warning to check condition of properties

Publication date: Friday 10 August 2012

Householders and businesses are reminded to check their properties for loose masonry or degeneration after a person was injured recently when masonry fell from a building's facade in Crouch End.

The council is writing to owners of buildings with decorative stonework or brickwork in Crouch End and Muswell Hill to remind them of their legal responsibility to keep their properties in a safe state of repair.

Cllr Alan Strickland,Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Social Inclusion, said:

"This recent incident where a person was injured is a timely reminder to everyone that they have a legal duty to maintain their properties. I urge anyone with these kind of properties to have regular inspections to check for defects or loose stonework. If a property faces onto a public highway, there is risk that if anything did fall from a building it could cause injury or damage."

Decorative buildings especially can be susceptible to stonework cracking or becoming loose and falling. This is usually a consequence of the age of the property and can be caused by general "wear and tear" and deterioration through rain and frost.

If owners have any doubts about the integrity of a property they are advised to consult their insurance company to get the condition checked by an appropriately qualified professional person.

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