ᐅ Looking for an expert to assess settlement cracks (Lüneburg area)

Hello,
can anyone recommend a good building surveyor?

Here is the situation. Three years ago, we purchased a house from 1966 with a half-basement and replastered all interior walls. About six months later, new construction started next to us, and a 2.5m deep (8 feet) excavation was made roughly 5-8m (16-26 feet) away from our property line (our house sits at an angle to the boundary) to create a basement-level space and a lower garden area. The neighboring property is therefore significantly lower.

During the construction phase, steel beams were driven 8m (26 feet) deep, with wooden beams stacked in between. It was quite intense how everything vibrated when the steel beams were hammered in—although into pre-drilled holes, it was still quite disruptive. After the beams were removed, it took several months before L-brackets were installed on the edge.

Now we have a problem: cracks have appeared on two interior walls on the side of the house without a basement (the basement is on the side facing the neighbor’s property). The cracks start at floor level on the exterior wall and run diagonally upward toward the center of the house (following the brick joints).

We first noticed the cracks over a year ago. The cracks are very narrow—no more than 2mm (0.08 inches) in some places—but clearly visible. It seems to me that the house has settled slightly in the middle.

It’s a bit unusual for a 40-year-old house to suddenly settle like this, so I suspect a causal connection to the new construction next door.

I would like to have this assessed by a building surveyor.

Thank you very much for your help.

I can tell you in advance what the surveyor or a construction law expert will say: If you have not legally documented the house before the construction work, you will unfortunately have no real chance of proving the causal connection in a way that allows you to make claims.

Artrium Architects in 21423 Winsen/Luhe. Mr. Ulrich S. appears to be very committed.

Is that really the case?
I know one example, admittedly from Sweden, where controlled explosions are quite common.

A colleague of mine had the mandatory vibration sensor on his house forgotten, so the company responsible for the blasting couldn’t prove that the vibrations were within the allowed limits.
As a result, his damages were compensated.

It might be different here in good old Germany. But I would find that quite odd, because how am I supposed to know if my neighbor shows up tomorrow with a pile driver to drive 10m (33 feet) long steel piles into the ground, and then quickly brings in a certified expert to inspect my house? The damage could already occur on the first day...

If I play football (soccer) in my garden and the ball flies into my neighbor’s window, I can’t just say,
“Bad luck, you should have built a fence; you know I play football...”
Isn’t it my responsibility to make sure that what I do on my own property only causes damage there and doesn’t affect my neighbors?

Normally, the process is as follows: as soon as you become aware of construction activity, you submit your concerns in writing to the builder and request an appropriate expert report. The costs are usually borne by the builder. If the builder refuses, you should consult a specialist lawyer who, in extreme cases, can apply for a construction stop in court.

Hmm, to be honest, that seems quite unrealistic to me.
For me, the groundwork took 2 days, including piling maybe about a week? By the time the letter even reaches the builder and is actually read, the steel piles are already driven into the ground...

Has this already been ruled on by courts, is there a case number as an example?