Strangle someone or cry - I need to vent

[amandaandherveg]

Our neighbour over the back has been having repairs done to his wall over the last couple of weeks. We were away for three days and returned home last night. I've been in the garden all day today and by late afternoon noticed that it was very quiet, ie, the workmen weren't there.

Went to the back of the garden 30 mins ago and have just seen the state of my wall - they have come over to my side, patched it with rough cement and and put new cement coping stones on half of it (the wall is over 200 years old). Not only didn't they ask my permission but they have covered all my new black trellis with cement (which is has now set) and my 2 clematis are knackered and partly set in mortar. The plants in the troughs along the wall are all dead and I've had to pull them out and there solid lumps of cement stuck in the chuckies. My new black garden furniture is now grey.

I am so angry I could spit the dummy and cry. They must have done it on Thursday or Friday when I was away. It's the Open Gardens in our village next weekend and the back of my garden now looks like cr8p.

[Two_Sheds]

The bleepers!
I hate shoddy workmen. Your poor garden.
Compensation and an apology from your neighbour? It's going to cost you to put all that right again.

[Incy]

That's awful!
Go round and see your neighbour and show him the damage. Insist that he sorts it out. We had a much more minor incident with brick dust all over the front of our house and covering the cars and the neighbours workman 'borrowing' our sand as he had run out. My OH had a word and made them clean the cars and replace the sand.
Maybe you're neighbour hasn't had a look yet?
I hope you get it sorted out.

[deezyb]

OMG Amanda - how awful! I don't know what to say really? Have you seen your neighbour to have him have a look and see the mess his builders have created? I bet you are absolutely seething! Is there not something that can be done about them coming onto your property without permission??

A couple of years ago, my neighbour, lovely though she is, pruned her side of the wall- her cotoneaster and stuff and pulled all my clematis over the wall from my side out with her stuff! I couldn't believe it! I felt so angry and actually did say something to her...although I had to keep my tongue firmly between my teeth so as not to fall out with her! But she knew I was angry!

Sorry you've had a bad experience today!

Dee x

[quark1]

Poor you - first thing take lots of photos and even better if you have 'befores' perhaps when you were proud of your new garden decs.

The workmen were clearly very slapdash and need to put everything back as it should have been - not how they thought you wouldn't notice.

Anything ruined beyond useful purpose needs to be replaced as new.

Approach your neighbours to see if they are willing to take on their shoddy workmen. If they will not accept responsibilty then you have your house insurance route. In fact I'd be tempted to see if this wouldn't be the easiest route to get satisfaction as they will pursue either the neighbours, workmen or both. Those parties 'should' be insured against destruction of other people's property whilst at work. If you'd have an excess of house insurance you need to get that claimed back as well.

If all else fails - looks like it could be a dispute taken to small claims court (or worse) depending on financial size of claim.

I wonder if you'd been at home and they'd been spraying the liquid cement about if they'd have stopped if you were out in you garden on thsoe same chairs which are now covered in muck?

Can only wish you luck with this - its rotten.

Additional thought - a word to trading standards and/or local council could be useful. If they don't put right they can be blacklisted in future.

[amandaandherveg]

I'm too hacked off to walk over and see them at the moment - I'm yanking out weeds to calm down.

My other neighbour has still to see his wall yet. He rents his place out so I called and left a message. His has been patched with very, very wonky breeze blocks and red brick topped off with coping stones at a jaunty angle. If I get really p***ed off I'll call the Planning Dept - our houses are both listed.

[TEB]

Make sure you take lots of pictures before you do anything else

[allotmentlady]

Yep take piccies, write down when you think they did it, have u any piccies of have it used to look? Go and see your neighbour and ask them to come and look at the mess they have created. You must speak to planning and inform them what has happnened.

Here is a HUG ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((hug)))))))))))))))))))))) it looks bad now but it will get all sorted out.

Hope it all works out soon xxx

[ginger ninger]

Listed buildings ups... there both on very thin ice, as you know yourself, even the smallest of work has to be approved by the local planning authority, sometimes by the secretary of state for the environment, depending on which listing you have, my house was built in 1812, 197yrs old and is grade 2 listed (Buildings of special interest), real pain in the bum sometimes, we can't change the windows, doors inside or out, don't get me started.
But at the end of the day, your neighbour should have at the very least made sure your property was not damaged...... I'd be absolutely livid if it was my property..... Good Luck with what ever you decide to do. x Poor plants

[bramble]

I would'nt tidy it up until your neighbours see it.
They may not believe it is so bad if they don't see it firsthand.
Feel so sorry for you as they very same thing happened to my mothers gartden and wall.
We could'nt say much as the same neighbour was very good for doing things for mam when my father died.
Having said that, it was me who had to pick all the concrete out of the flowerbed.

[amandaandherveg]

That went well (not).

The chaps wife saw me looking over the wall and must have told her hubby who then appeared. I VERY, VERY politely said that I had a couple of concerns about the wall. Talked around in circles with him getting very defensive - apparently the wall was unsafe and I should be 'grateful that it was repaired'. Told him that I would have been delighted to have worked with him in getting the work done, etc, but not listening. Admitted it was 'a bit rough' but he was worried how much it was costing him so hurried it up. I asked if they were bricklayers, masons, etc he said he didn't ask but they were 'nice lads and and did gardens'. I mentioned in passing how bad their swearing was and he said he didn't care because his kids weren't around.

I said that as a courtesy that it would have been only but polite if they had asked permission to come into my garden and work on my side of the wall and not do it sneakily whilst I was away.

Told him about the open gardens and showed him the ruined clematis, etc. Parting shot was that he was due me a couple of new ones to which he replied that he had 'a couple of them in the garden doing nothing that he could give me'. FFS!

[rustylady]

I'm too hacked off to walk over and see them at the moment - I'm yanking out weeds to calm down.

My other neighbour has still to see his wall yet. He rents his place out so I called and left a message. His has been patched with very, very wonky breeze blocks and red brick topped off with coping stones at a jaunty angle. If I get really p***ed off I'll call the Planning Dept - our houses are both listed.

Don't wait till you're really p****d off, call the Planning now!

[quark1]

Well you've got your answer there haven't you!?

These kinds of people will NEVER accept responsibility - bet it looks great from their side.

Call Planning, Council, Environmental (if appropriate) and, most importantly your insurers, and explain the intransigence of the offending neighbours who charged 'the lads' with the work.

You'll probably find they're unqualified, uninsured and hard to find.

If the wall was 'unsafe' - then work should have stopped immediately and both parties be given the opportunity to decide on what happens next with a view to possibly seeking finacial and PROFESSIONAL help thru insurance.

And I know you've had a belly full - but PLEASE do it NOW.

[jackie j]

They may even be working and claiming !!!!

[amandaandherveg]

The wall was in a poor state before the repairs, but as I said to the chap, it was not his decision to make and that he should have approached all the householders that shared the wall and we could have agreed to the works being carried out.

I told him that I worked with a great network of reputable tradesmen and that we could have got quotes and everyone could have chipped in towards the bill and had the work done to an acceptable standard. I was standing there in very dirty gardening clothes and I'm sure I looked a ticket but when it comes to building I'm not as green as I'm cabbage like! I'll have to post a picture of the 'repairs' done to my other neighbour's wall - he's in Spain at the moment. If I think my wall is a mess, whoah - you should see his.

I forgot to mention - he offered my 4 metres of willow fencing to hide the wall!!!!!!!!!!!