We own a house (freehold) on a new build development that is almost completed. We have been living in the house for 5 months. We know there is an easement for the sewer running though ours and next door's boundary.
Earlier this week, I looked out of the window to find a manhole cover had been dug into our garden - no notice from the water company or from the developer. I'm just looking for some advice on what questions to ask before we go through our solicitor. Obviously there is the issue of the contractors coming onto our property without our knowledge but am I right in thinking there is a bigger issue here? Why have the water company decided 5 months after completion that it needs a manhole cover? Would this not have been on plans, gone through building regs etc?
I feel like it either wasn't on the plans that we saw and has come up now for some reason or it was on the plans that we saw and the builders haven't put it in. Either way this seems like a big issue to me but DH thinks we should just accept some compensation from the builders for not being notified and accept the manhole cover. I want to fight it because I don't believe we knew it was going to be there. Plus we have two under 4s and it's above grass height so a huge health and safety concern!
Any pointers gratefully received.