Garden Dug Up and Cable installed on my property without knowledge - Page 6

Wayfair · 27-03-2010, 09:53

I would take the advice already offered, get a couple of chairs out and a few beers and just chill with the neighbour whilst having a bit of a giggle over the workmanship, then get your gardener to turf both sides and stick little hedge up.

Pretty much a win win.

rag3d · 27-03-2010, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayfair

I would take the advice already offered, get a couple of chairs out and a few beers and just chill with the neighbour whilst having a bit of a giggle over the workmanship, then get your gardener to turf both sides and stick little hedge up.

Pretty much a win win.

Could'nt agree with you more but I think because of the actions of the contractors its going to take a little time.

---------- Post added at 15:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:52 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

OK, I'm not a lawyer (so much for the caveat). I wouldn't expect any claim to allow betterment, i.e. the cost of the hedge. Unavoidable improvement, the provision of a reasonable quality lawn of new even turf over one that might have been perhaps a bit weedy should be allowed, unless the lawn really was in terrible order which your photos would suggest wasn't the case.

After that is a case for compensation, or in legal terms damages. That really is one that the ambulance chasing lawyers might be better off dealing with. Does your house insurance include any legal cover, some do. Might be worth a call to them if it does? Of course if BT/ Cobra or whoever is involved have any real sense they should have been making you a cash offer simply to shut you up. Did you ever get as far as serving a proper letter on them to make them sit up and take note, or is it still all oral stuff?

OK Rob your not a lawyer but your suggestion of laying new turf on top of whats there suggests you are not a gardener either. I have for 27 years mowed, spiked, fed and weeded the whole of that little garden to my enjoyment and to the satisfaction of each of the neighbours that have lived next to me in that time. Your suggestion is not a great improvement on Cobras answer which is to send a couple of blokes to tidy the garden.
If I have to pay or do it myself it will be done properly, I dont do short cuts.

die5el · 30-03-2010, 22:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by rag3d

I have for 27 years mowed, spiked, fed and weeded the whole of that little garden to my enjoyment and to the satisfaction of each of the neighbours that have lived next to me in that time. .

Sorry to say rag3d if you have done all that to your front lawn you have been something wrong, that little garden should be like a bowling green btw i am a fully qualified landscape gardener( for over 20 years) also done groundsman course for bowling greens and golf courses and there is no chance in hell that you have done all that to that piece of garden .May be you have mowed the lawn for 27 years but other than that the rest is bs good luck with the compo claim though.

rag3d · 30-03-2010, 23:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by die5el

Sorry to say rag3d if you have done all that to your front lawn you have been doing it wrong, that little garden should be like a bowling green btw i am a fully qualified landscape gardener( for over 20 years) also done groundsman course for bowling greens and golf courses and there is no chance in hell that you have done all that to that piece of garden .May be you have mowed the lawn for 27 years but other than that the rest is bs good luck with the compo claim though.

die5el,if any of us had the services of a professional groundsman we surley would expect are gardens to be far better than we could keep them, be honest mate how many domestic bowling geen lawns have you seen lately after the winter we have had. I think you may have a different opinion if you could see the rest of the gardens in our open plan street and bear in mind I have'nt touched this garden since last November with being away then coming home and finding this damage. I think you would agree I would be a fool to clean someone else's mess up to let them off the hook. I wish I had a pic from last year when its been treated and mown with my Hayter, but there again who would think you would ever need such a thing.
By the way my side lawn and back lawn doent exactly look brilliant at the moment but at least I have been able to start doing a bit of work on them.
By the way two Bali and Rospa landscape companys who have seen this first hand would'nt agree with you. But everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Thank you for your best wishes.

die5el · 31-03-2010, 00:26

@rag3d i havent touched my lawns front or back since about nov also but tbh they dont look as bad your front lawn but make sure you get the quotes off them landscape companys in writing my fingers are crossed for you hopefully you will get it all sorted soon let us all know how you get on

rag3d · 31-03-2010, 10:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by die5el

@rag3d i havent touched my lawns front or back since about nov also but tbh they dont look as bad your front lawn but make sure you get the quotes off them landscape companys in writing my fingers are crossed for you hopefully you will get it all sorted soon let us all know how you get on

Thanks die5el, your a pro I'm an amateur, you have'nt had a couple of gangs of Cobra's men tramping about your garden. I think you'll agree you have a head start on me when it comes to how are gardens should look. To me my little gardens are something I like to keep looking nice. I am for 40 years a pool contractor and working in the garden is a way I find to unwind and relax after a hard days graft. We quite often mix with landscapers who follow us to restore gardens after pool installation, so I know a little about landscaping [I emphasis A LITTLE]. One quote is in I am waiting on the second. I will then get them off to BT's legal claims dept. I also have some contact numbers for the different departments in BT who act as go betweens between Openreach and customers.Openreach themselves can only be dealt with by e-mail.
Whe I get this sorted I will try get it all on here that it may help others in future.

**Chris** · 31-03-2010, 10:53

Could I politely request that we concentrate on the topic at hand and refrain from criticising each others skills and front lawns. It's really not very polite and it's not relevant either.

There is a great result for the ordinary man against corporate stupidity here, let's just celebrate that, eh?

Now, play nicely, or I'll start posting pictures of the desolation that is my front lawn. And you don't want that.

Paul K · 31-03-2010, 19:50

So I take it that the block paved area is your neighbours and that the contractors decided that the best way to install the neighbour would be to not touch their drive and to dig up and completely wreck your lawn? A suspicious mind would wonder how they came to that decision and how hard the neighbour argued for them to not dig your lawn up.

31-03-2010, 20:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris;34991526[B

]
Now, play nicely, or I'll start posting pictures of the desolation that is my front lawn. And you don't want that.

[/B]

I thought you had a gravel driveway?

**Chris** · 31-03-2010, 20:58

No, we're dead posh here, we've got both

on in an hour! · 31-03-2010, 22:13

glad its all (nearly) sorted,but HOW THE HELL did they think that turf was going to knit back in to the original lawn, (not just the original dig but now the neighbours) it resembles a bloody big long pie crust.

ex-ntl in the the NW make a 'slice' with the spade and all you see after burying the cable is a scar like line which when stamped back down (with a little watering after sunset) knits back perfectly.

in 16yrs in the job i have never seen an installation so bad through the lawn that its had to be re-turfed!! (cobra used to do the installs for VM/ntl/ C & W up here as well!)
did my share of installs for them as it goes!!

rag3d · 31-03-2010, 22:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Could I politely request that we concentrate on the topic at hand and refrain from criticising each others skills and front lawns. It's really not very polite and it's not relevant either.

There is a great result for the ordinary man against corporate stupidity here, let's just celebrate that, eh?

Now, play nicely, or I'll start posting pictures of the desolation that is my front lawn. And you don't want that.

Sorry Chris, I should not have got involved.

---------- Post added at 22:30 ---------- Previous post was at 22:15 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

So I take it that the block paved area is your neighbours and that the contractors decided that the best way to install the neighbour would be to not touch their drive and to dig up and completely wreck your lawn? A suspicious mind would wonder how they came to that decision and how hard the neighbour argued for them to not dig your lawn up.

Paul, the last pic I posted shows where it was supposed to go along the pavement and the new trench down my neighbours bit of garden. They would never have needed to touch his driveway. When they came to do this re-route it took them 1hour 20 minutes to dig, lay cable and backfill. They came back after the week-end to tarmac the pavement. If this could all be done in such a short time i'm even more confused as to why it was'nt done right in the first place.

Horizon · 01-04-2010, 18:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by rag3d

No deal established with the claims dept at BT. ].

Then sue, for crying out loud. What are you waiting for?? I know some people are a little bit "nervous" or timid about such things, but if you don't stand up for your rights, who will?

Quote:

Originally Posted by rag3d

I have a quote from a reputable landscape company to take the top off my lawn, level garden and turf with quality turf, a miniature box hedge is included to distinguish the boundry of the two properties, not sure how that will go down. I need to send this with a claims form they have sent me on which I have to state details of my claim. Apart from the landscapers bill I dont really know what else I am entitled to claim, I dont think they are likley to help me with that. Any ideas? The latest trench will not be on my side of the hedge.].

Oh boy....Forget all that, sue for criminal damage. Ask a solicitor, not the idiot who said you'd be liable if you damaged the cable, about suing the neighbours too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rag3d

Spoke to my neighbour on his way in tonight, he's fuming as Cobra it seems are suggesting that his wife gave them the go ahead to dig across our garden in our absence. I have told him no matter what his wife has or has not done the professionals involved would be fully aware that she would have no authority to grant such an act. He like I would not like to fall out over this but it cant help but strain a relationship [I hope things will calm down over time].

Hang on a minute... earlier in the thread you said your builder neighbour (he) was around and supposedly challenged the installers. Now, you're saying it's his wife that was there. Which is it?

Are you sure it wasn't you who gave permission after all, then thought better of it once it was done?

If you are the innocent party, as it seems, then stand up for your rights. Sue for criminal damage and I certainly wouldn't have a beer with a neighbour who allowed this to happen, unless I was pouring it over them.

I suspect this won't be the last "issue" with your "nice" neighbours. Check the deeds to your house and if its allowed, get a fence up quick before the next incident!!

PS: Just to check, has the "nice" neighbours ever offered you any recompense for this themselves, or offered to lay down new turf? I think I know what the answer will be...?

**Chris** · 01-04-2010, 18:48

Crumbs. I'm glad I don't live next door to you, I'd be terrified in case I accidentally farted upwind of you.

Horizon · 01-04-2010, 19:46

....as I think it was you who banned me before, then I'll let that one go...

If people don't stand up for their rights and especially stand up to bullies (whether it be people or companies) then it will just keep happening.

If I had ever caused so much as an inch of damage to someone's property I'd instantly offer to rectify it. That would be the decent and correct thing to do.

These pigs that the OP lives next door to should be treated as such. If he thinks he's going to have good relations with such people, then he might as well just bend over now and be done with it.