What is a Party Wall Development?

A party wall development is a townhome community where the units are not considered condos— they are single family attached homes. They own the parcel where the townhome resides and there are no shared spaces. Every square foot of the development is owned by one person or another. The entire townhome including the roof and facade are the responsibility of that homeowner. There is no HOA and instead there is a party wall agreement in place. The party wall agreement typically states what is permitted in regards to the shared walls and lists out all of the easements that each unit owns. For example, one unit will own an easement to be allowed to drive over their neighbor’s parcel to get to their garage, or an easement to walk through someone else’s parcel to get to their front door. Another example, is one person having an easement to be allowed to repair their plumbing pipe that runs through someone else’s unit. Some party wall agreements will also list what each person is allowed to do with the exterior of the property, like changing the paint color. The party wall agreement is tied to the property and is passed on to the next owner when it is sold. If you have specific questions regarding your party wall agreement, it is best to consult an attorney.