Council letting a plot that hasn't been given up.

[Novice Gardener]

Awwwww, I'm so sorry to hear that. Even you'd only had it a short time, I imagine that you'd made plans - both mental and physical ones. You must be gutted. Well i think you have to be positive and think that it wasn't meant to be, and just put yourself right into your new plot. Stay positive and in the thought that you've got a plot when there are so many peeps on the list

[jemus]

hi sez sorry to hear about your problems. but hopefully they are behind you now. it looks like i may be in the same boat as you as someone has been on my patch cutting down the grass. i was given my alottment last week and was told tonight that a fella and his wife were cutting the alottment down today. i have been allocated half a plot so i hope the other people have the other half and have the wrong end of the stick so to speak

[percy charlie]

Councils Quick To Take Your Money! Give Nothing In Return, Ie Council Tax Over £1000 Min A Year That Pays For Nothing More Than Bin Emptying With Strict Conditions Applied, And A Police Force You Never See Or Do Nothing When They Surface. I Hope You Compensation Or Your New Plot At A Years Free Rent.
Our Allotments Are £10 A Year To Rent At Mo And Two Is Going Free Good Size Too Shame You Dont Live Near Sherwood Forest.

[SarzWix]

Sez, my heart goes out to you. What a crappy, crappy thing to happen
I hope you kick off royally with them; if they can't get a rotavator in, they should be sending men with spades!!!!
Don't let it put you off though hon, you may be set back a bit now but hopefully you'll have the plot for years & I'm sure you'll come to love it

[Flummery]

Work out the cost of what you have put on there - you might be pushing your luck to include £10 per hour for your work, but honestly I think they owe you! Certainly you are justified in asking them for the cost of what you have sown/planted.

[carlseawolf]

Sez , sorry to here your bad news.
It's a bit of a bad show on the part of the council with this plot mix up , it's bad enough waiting for a plot without finding out it was not even there's to give .

Where has this plot holder been the last few months as it has taken untill now to find this out as alot of people have been sorting out there plots the last couple of months.

i know it frustrating to have this happen and the effort it will take to start again as well as the expence makes it even more frustrating that all this happened because of a lousy penpusher in the county office .

If you need any seeds or plants to get you re-started then please post to the vine and i will personally post what i can to you free of charge what i have left so this experiance turns into a good memory - As having a lottie should be relaxing.

[Seahorse]

If you need any seeds or plants to get you re-started then please post to the vine and i will personally post what i can to you free of charge what i have left so this experiance turns into a good memory - As having a lottie should be relaxing.

I have lots of bits and bobs I could pass on too. Just say

I really hope you're not too put off. Having a lottie truly is a good thing

[zazen999]

Me as well; might even be able to package up some seedlings if I'm careful!!! I'll have too much to plant out anyway.

[sez]

Without sounding sappy, i truly mean it when i say thank you everyone for being so kind-hearted! I have been a bit down in the dumps about this recently but you've rekindled my spirit, I think (may change my mind on that when I discover 6ft weeds, or something Thank you all for the generous offers too - thankfully I was just about to start planting in earnest, so I've not lost much bar a few spuds. It's more the time that I'm bothered about - I was already behind in planting and now I've got to start from scratch!

I have to say, I'm pretty shy by nature, and I don't think I've got it in me to let loose at the council! Argh! Maybe a letter is in order

[Pootle]

Hi Sez,

Glad you're feeling a bit more positive about the terrible situation you've been landed with - I'm sure you'll make a big success of the next plot!

I would certainly write that letter - I always go for the 'I'm so disappointed but I'm willing to be reasonable' tack which usually gets results...If you'd like anyone to look over what you write - just pm me with the draft!

Cheers!

[mumzieuk]

Couldn't you let loose on the phone?
I know a lot of people hate using the phone but my opinion is "They don't know you from Adam". They are hardly going to point you out in the street saying "THATS THE ONE" 'cause they have never seen you - your'e a voice not a person.
I have to say - although we aquired our plot by getting in touch with the Council - there is a guy- Sid - who oversees the plots - ours was aquired because the previous owners wife took ill and they moved away. We have paid our first years rent and I would still be willing to pay the previous owner for his greenhouse etc - but he has just disappeared.

[raine]

We had a similar problem, but the previous tenant really had given it up and the council were well within their rights to give it to us. We were told by one of the old boys that his friend had been given our plot and that the council had thus rented it out twice. We'd only had it a fortnight, but we'd already spent a lot of money buying compost bins, tools etc and I was so upset. It took me three days to actually speak to a human being rather than a machine at the allotments office, but when I did it seems that this chap's friend had never even applied for a plot, never mind been given ours. They also hinted, but never actually said, that this chap tries the same thing with lots of new tenants, for some reason he doesn't like new people and tells them all sorts of tales to try to make them leave. Had I accepted this person's word I would have left and become so disillusioned I probably wouldn't have reapplied. So stick to your guns, find out from someone in authority what's really happening and, if it turns out that the council are at fault, demand your pick of all the plots that become available until you find one that you like. This won't be ideal, I know as - and this might sound silly, - but you do actually 'bond' with a plot and when you give it up, swap it for a different one or, as in your case, lose it through no fault of your own, then it can be difficult to settle somewhere else. We gave up our original plot due to work commitments, but a few years later took on the one we have now and it took me 18 months to get used to it, I still planned things as if we had the old one. So let the council know exactly how you feel. Also, if the original tenant had left things in such a state why has he suddenly turned up?

Bluemoom, just picking up on something you said there and with which I absulutely agree. You DO bond with your plot. At one time last year someone unfortunately had to give up a perfect plot. For a while, we thought of swopping (if permission was given) but although our plot is half dug, half wild,very stoney etc etc, we couldn't bear to do it! All the hard work at the start makes any successes (and sometimes ours seem few and far between!) very dear to your heart. What do other plot holders think?

[yoanbob]

Poor sez, the councils are terrible, good luck on your new one, you may find the soil is very fertile and much better than your old one, dont give up.

[Sunbeam]

In the paper work we have been given to look over re our plots, that it says the owner must keep the plot weed free and in a good state of repair - if the previous owner has left it to go to seed/rot then surely he/she has reneged (sp?) on their contract?? Having said all that the owner has to received written notification re the plots being 'repossessed' - but who is to say the letters weren't received and ignored! I hope your new plot is full of lovely things to come!

[Snadger]

Good luck on your new plot Sez...........You deserve a bit of good luck after what you've been put through!