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Original poster

CF county council has destroyed my wall!

241 replies

TheCouncilDestroyedMyWall · 12/04/2019 22:23

I've name changed for this as it will probably end up quite outing...

The council are improving a 'road' next to my house, this road is not passable with a normal vehicle, only a 4wd. The posh golf course behind us wants to cut down lots of trees so need access for large vehicles, therefore the council have had workers there this week improving the lane.

I spoke to them about 4 days ago just to find out what they were doing (just being nosy!) and was told that they were improving the opposite end of the lane, but not my end due to funding.

I've come back from work today to find that they've decided to drain a large, muddy puddle (probably 40m long by 7m wide) by making a large hole in our dry stone wall and digging a trench onto our land, surely they can't just do this?????

Am planning on ringing them tomorrow and asking for the wall to be rebuilt and everything put back to how it was, anyone had a similar experience at all? I'm quite flabbergasted by the cheek to be honest Grin

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
LonelyTiredandLow · 13/04/2019 08:15

Also watching with interest as my dad had a similar situation - local council dug a ditch on adjacent land (to take road water) one Christmas when he wasn't home. Now expect him to maintain it and have written to him telling him so! CFery indeed!

Mousetolioness · 13/04/2019 08:16

Contractors working on the highway on behalf of councils are supposed to adhere to a very specific standard of works.

Actually, thinking about my own experience of 'permitted' works outside my house, I realise that's no guarantee of anything.

Do you know for sure the 'improvements' were authorised by the Highways department?

If so, I think the last thing the current elected councillors will want is any whiff of negative publicity on the eve of the local elections!!

You could have a field day of fun with this one as long as you don't let them stonewall you (sniggers to self...). I certainly wouldn't rush to accept any first or even second offer of putting things right/compensation. And certainly no offers from the contractor to make good the damage themselves. They've shown their credentials... It will take a professional of your choosing since they've already showcased their stupidity.

Nousernameforme · 13/04/2019 08:18

Surely this is criminal damage. On a different thread people are talking about how op can't move someone elses fence on her land as it counts as criminal damage.

So would this not be a similar situation. If you can't get through to the council can you phone non emergency number and tell them some feckers knocked your wall down. It shouldn't make a difference if they are council workers or not.

Dontaskmeihaventaclue · 13/04/2019 08:20

A few years ago the council built a little cultural de sac behind my house on some land that had old garages on it. Access down the side of my house. The builders damaged my garden fence but said yeah we'll sort it. When it came to tarmacking the new road the builder asked if they could take down my double gates at bottom of garden as it would be easier if they had more room. Sure, no problem.
I came home from work a few days later to see a wall about 2 foot high, around the end of my garden. I rushed out and told them to stop! Private property not council, and I wanted my gates putting back up and the fence they had taken down as well. They said they'd find out from the powers that be and get back to me.
I came home a few days later to give wall. They'd come back and finished it. I contacted the council and eventually got a 'it's up theres nothing you can do about it ' type reply.
Well actually as they found there was something I could do about it! I emailed my mp, that's what they're for after all.(Google gave me contact details) Oh my goodness, how much did the council want to sort things out when he wrote to them. I did end up keeping the wall because secretly I quite liked it, just not the way they rode roughshod over me and the fact it was my land not theirs. I ended up getting a nice new gate next to end of the wall and every nice new fence all the way down my garden, instead of the patch up job they'd tried to give me before.
Definitely contact your mp, I'd done it years ago over an issue with child support agency and they also jumped through Hope's to tell mp we had reached a satisfactory agreement. Hope my long story helps.

GummyGoddess · 13/04/2019 08:24

I'm almost thinking you're joking as it's so unbelievable!

They can't make the wall look as good as before, it will just look different unless the whole thing is done again. They need to not just repair, but compensate you for the irreversible damage as it will never look the same again.

ThomasRichard · 13/04/2019 08:38

WTH?! They drained a huge amount of water onto your land and knocked down your wall to do it?! Wow. I’d be lying down infront of the diggers maybe not, it’s a bit muddy.

Bringbackthestripes · 13/04/2019 08:38

Did you manage to speak to anyone yesterday? I think I would just phone the insurance and let them do all the chasing around, it sounds like it is going to be very stressful!

PositivelyPeach · 13/04/2019 08:40

I second PP with contacting your MP.

I had to consult them last year on a tricky, multiagency issue. They were my last call before I instructed a solicitor. Not property related but they really came through and I got a more than satisfactory result.

Greenkit · 13/04/2019 09:04

Wow just wow

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 13/04/2019 09:17

Love your dog's WTAF ears.

Original poster
TheCouncilDestroyedMyWall · 13/04/2019 09:17

@ThomasRichard it's far too muddy for that sort of shenanigans Grin

@Bringbackthestripes I didn't see it until 1630, and there's no way of getting hold of anyone at any council past 4pm on a Friday!

OP posts:
Bluelonerose · 13/04/2019 09:17

Is the wall not protected? It looks like one of those old things that could be.
I don't know how your so calm I would of demanded they come back last night.

BlueEyedBengal · 13/04/2019 09:35

Email your councillor and let him know what the fools have done, he needs to sort it out now that's what he paid for.

BlueEyedBengal · 13/04/2019 09:36

I'd be steaming by this they trespassed and stole your wall!

Original poster
TheCouncilDestroyedMyWall · 13/04/2019 09:39

I've rang the council and spoke to a man who says he's going to put a report in and someone will probably get back to me on Monday.
It's an out of hours service today so he doesn't think he'll be able to get hold of anyone useful, but he said he'll make a few calls and get back to me if he can find anything out.

Didn't expect anything more on a Saturday really, it's a shame I've agreed to go out with a relative to the zoo on Monday so won't be here all day, but I'm hoping the workers arrive before I leave so I can tell them to not do anything else! I don't have to leave until gone 9am, so should catch them.

So no exciting update I'm afraid, but I'll keep you all posted

OP posts:
Ontheboardwalk · 13/04/2019 09:50

As others have said e-mail your councillor. I got a reply from mine recently at 10.30 pm on a Saturday night!

woolduvet · 13/04/2019 09:53

Could you put a sign/note up for the builders saying it's private property and you've been in touch with the council to put the damage right.

Weenurse · 13/04/2019 09:58

👀🍿

Seeline · 13/04/2019 10:09

The County Council website should have the details of your County Councillor. Definitely email him/them. Ring if Thier phone now are given.

It may be worth contacting your local District/borough Councillor s too if you are in an area that has two tiers.

Definitely contact your MP.

Also email a complaint to County Highways if you can find their details on the website - that way it will be ready and waiting for them on Monday morning. Copy that to everyone else you have emailed directly. Helps get things moving at the Council (ex Council Officer 😉 )

MotherOfDragonite · 13/04/2019 10:12

This is awful! I'm surprised you are so calm, I'd be fuming!

AwkwardSquad · 13/04/2019 10:16

Agree with the OP who said that talk of suing and police is OTT. As they said, it’ll be a stupid mistake, and the council should put it right ASAP once you’ve got their attention. I would stil contact your local councillors, though - I’ve done this when contractors appeared to be playing silly buggers with local heritage feature, and they were very helpful and swift to respond.

ThatssomebadhatHarry · 13/04/2019 10:16

This is outrageous.

DontCallMeCharlotte · 13/04/2019 10:30

I didn't think anything could surprise me any more, but this...

BoreOfWhabylon · 13/04/2019 10:59

I don't usually bother with CF threads but this is Cheeky Fuckery to the Nth degree!

I agree with those saying to fire off emails to everyone and try to contact local councillors over the weekend. Ours have their phone numbers listed in the Parish Newsletter.

Good luck!

LakieLady · 13/04/2019 11:13

This is appalling. If it's going to drain onto your land, you'll end up with a bloody lake! Does knocking down the wall mean that your dog can get out, OP?

I think if you have legal cover on your insurance, you might end up needing to use it. Imo, they should restore your land to how it was before they started the work.

When I worked at a county council, there was a similar problem and they worked with the adjoining landowner to lay a culvert across their land. The water from the road drained into a stream via the culvert, and the property owner's garden was all restored afterwards, new lawn and paths laid and everything. My colleague was the solicitor who drew up all the legal agreements for the work.

There was also a story (possibly apocryphal) about a contractor undertaking similar who dug up someone's garden when they should have dug up the land on the other side of the track, which the council had bought expressly for the purpose.

I can't believe that they started doing work on your wall and land without discussing it with you.

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