I live in a Privately rented ex-council flat and I have a side garden. It's obviously leasehold, so the council are responsible for outside repairs etc.
Around March this year a landscaping company employed by the council have started improving the gardens throughout my street. The company put a letter through my door to say that they would be improving the gardens in the area, but didn't specify what they were going to do, or when they were going to do it.
I had a beautiful Calla Lily and Ornamental Lily in the ground on one side of the garden. Well, they turned up a few weeks later to erect a 6ft fence and dug up the lillies/crushed them with fencing posts. I didn't say anything and decided to let it go as I still had 3 other plants the other side ( two rose bushes and a fuschia plant).
They arrived a few weeks later to erect a metal fence the other side, and then dug up/crushed my three other plants. I was furious, I love gardening and was looking forward to this Summer to see them bloom as they had been in the ground for 2 years and were established. Each plant/shrub costs between £8-10.
I rang the company to complain, and 5 minutes later the foreman and the labourer turned up at my door. The labourer (who I assume erected the fences) was quite defensive, took a look around the garden and said that they had to dig up the plants to put the posts in. He then said he would call in later that week and replace the plants. That was nearly 3 months ago.
After not hearing from them for 2 weeks or receiving the plants, I decided to put in a claim form with the council. The council said they couldn't do anything as the company would have to claim off their own insurance to replace the plants blah blah blah.
I rang the landscaping company back and asked to speak to the manager. They gave me his number, I spoke to him and he said he would only be able to replace two of the plants (fine) as he wasn't sure who was on duty that day. He said he'd call over later in the week with plants. He never did.
I was really looking forward to seeing my plants bloom this year, we are already at the end of June and this still hasn't been resolved. I can't afford to replace them (I'm on disability due to autism) and feel really angry by their shitty attitude.
WWYD next? Give up, or contact the director of the company and tell them? I was nice the first two times but I think I need to take a more firm approach.
Also, wanted to mention the plants were dormant in March so they just had little twiggy branches, and the lillies are tubers so had barely come through the grass. I still feel they were being careless though.