need advice on dealing with plot holder

[marathon]

Thank you all.

Yes it is really bizarre and rainbowmix your summing up is spot on.

Orgainicvic your right the non plot holders shouldn't be on the site on their own. We are a very friendly bunch and with only 26 plots we know each other and help one another. We've never had a need to display rules or enforce any. If we know someone has someone who helps them with their plot then nobody objects as we all need help but one wouldn't expect them to be locked in the site.

Zazen999 just wish we had rules on display. When he phoned up about a plot the chair thought he sounded rather odd and as the plot is very small and not that great he said there wasn't any free. The gut then phoned the council who told him there were free plots ( we are not council run but we had just had an audit) so the chair arranged to meet him to look at the plot well he failed to turn up twice so on the third attempt the chair decided to go home and arranged for another plot holder to show him around. He told the chair that the guy was very odd and didn't think he was there(if you know what I mean) anyway the guy really wanted the plot so he was given the key. Since then our small no hassle site is starting to feel like bit of a drama.

SarzWiz it is so very strange I feel it's a bit like leaving my children on the site for a few hours. I would just like to report it to the police but then you wonder what can the police do if they say they like helping on the plot.

Don't get me wrong there are some people on our site that have their strange ways, like us all but this is something very different. For I know he's a care worker who fancies a pint of an evening it's so strange that there has to be something not quite right with him.

On the other hand after the first night when another plot holder saw them from his house at 10.45 and asked them what was going on and why they were there and pointed out it was dark,wet and not safe. When this plot holder saw the guy the next evening some might expect him to say something about why he wasn't there or apologise for the disturbance.

Anyway although I have advised the people who back onto the plots to phone the police if they notice them again I will find out who our community officer is and run it by them. I think we also need to put the site rules up on the notice board.

sorry about the long post

[PAULW]

Surely there is a rule on the books about the length of time the allotment is open ie dawn till dusk, in daylight hours, there is a hell of a lot of differance between someone going to the plot to do some watering late and someone digging by lamplight, I go up the plot about 5-5.30 when it is baking hot to get stuff done but would never dream of doing anything that made a noise and disturbed the houses surrounding the allotment.

[SarzWix]

SarzWix it is so very strange I feel it's a bit like leaving my children on the site for a few hours. I would just like to report it to the police but then you wonder what can the police do if they say they like helping on the plot.

Helping on the plot is one thing, but if the gates are being locked so that these 'helpers' can't get out, then it is false imprisonment by whoever locks the gates and leaves them without a key.

A change of rules so that everyone is out by a certain time, and no-one is allowed on a plot without the plot-holder being present should deal with the problem. You could call a meeting and propose the rule changes, although you would have to delay the vote until the chairman is there I would think?

[marathon]

Helping on the plot is one thing, but if the gates are being locked so that these 'helpers' can't get out, then it is false imprisonment by whoever locks the gates and leaves them without a key.

A change of rules so that everyone is out by a certain time, and no-one is allowed on a plot without the plot-holder being present should deal with the problem. You could call a meeting and propose the rule changes, although you would have to delay the vote until the chairman is there I would think?

well the chairmen is back next week and we do have a AGM metting but not until September. If possible we could vote on a change before then as I know everyone would agree to say 9 or 9.30pm. As Paul said lots of us go late to water in the summer but I've known anyone stay past 9ish I'm not sure anyone would want to be there any later as we back onto woodland.

[rustylady]

You don't have to wait for the AGM. You can call an EGM (Emergency or Extraordinary General Meeting). Do you have a notice board on the site so you can display the time and date? If not, then get letters done to all the plotholders.

[rustylady]

Thank you all.


I would just like to report it to the police but then you wonder what can the police do if they say they like helping on the plot. Unless you do report it you can't possibly know what they will say.

For I know he's a care worker who fancies a pint of an evening it's so strange that there has to be something not quite right with him. You say he's a care worker - does he work in a nursing home, or in people's private homes?

On the other hand after the first night when another plot holder saw them from his house at 10.45 and asked them what was going on and why they were there and pointed out it was dark,wet and not safe. What did the "intruders" say as to why they were there.

When this plot holder saw the guy the next evening some might expect him to say something about why he wasn't there or apologise for the disturbance. Has anyone actually spoken to the plotholder and asked him what's going on?

Anyway although I have advised the people who back onto the plots to phone the police if they notice them again I will find out who our community officer is and run it by them. I think we also need to put the site rules up on the notice board. Site rules can be displayed, but should also be sent to every plotholder when they sign up for an allotment. Also, has he paid any rent?

Several queries above, just hope it posts OK.

[bluemoon]

It does seem a dreadful shame to limit the hours a plot can be worked. I can't cope with hot weather, my only choice is to go there very early and very late and stay until visibility is gone which, at this time of the year is well after 10pm. 'Dawn to Dusk' doesn't help either as in winter I've often been found digging a leek for that evening's supper at 6pm and that's long after dark. We've had allotments for years and have come across some fairly weird situations, like the bloke who only wanted his plot so he could bury the hazardous waste generated by his business without having to pay for its removal, ditto the one-man-band builder who dumped all the rubble on his, and obviously there have been the occasional light-fingered types, but I've never heard of something as truly bizarre as this. If these really are elderly people then I think the problem needs to be taken up by someone in authority who can ensure that no abuse is taking place... after all you don't know what their life is like away from the plot, do you? At the end of the day you're an allotment secretary, not a social worker and this sounds like something which needs to be addressed by professionals. After all, suppose something went wrong; suppose one of them had a heart attack or fell whilst locked on your site, how would they alert the emergency services and, even assuming they had a mobile or something, how would the emergency services gain access? It sounds to me like a problem for social services not an allotments committee.

[Two_Sheds]

We've had some run uns on our site ... like the "gentleman" who used his shed to "entertain" the local high school girls

Give your local C3PO a call (community support officer) and they can go up there and deal with it

[Seahorse]

How very odd.

Of course there might be a perfectly reasonable explanation (not that I can think of one AT ALL) but I agree with other posters that this sounds like an issue for a higher authority. Police, social services? Or maybe citizens advice could give you some pointers on who to approach?

I hope things work out ok. It sounds like quite a distressing situation all round

[zazen999]

It sounds like he has applied for the plot on behalf of the local oap home. Perhaps if they came clean they could work it during normal working hours....rather than sneaking in at night.

Or, something much more sinister.

Now't strange as folk, is there?

[marathon]

Bluemoon your so right, being so strange it's one of those situations that you couldn't make up. I go ealry to my plot, straight from the school run so I'm there by 9am and the last week I've worried that I might find someone still there. I don't like the idea of limiting access but all the other plot holders have commen sense and I trust anyone of them to come up as you say to pull a leek in the dark without concern. I've just had a phonecall to say they were there last night and were collected at 12.36am as the landrover work the neighbours up although we don't know what time they arrived. This time they must have had trouble locking the gate as it was unlocked this morning and the person who phoned said it was a good few minutes of the gate clanging there were also several pie wrappers on the path to the guys plot. We'll get rats next.

Rustylady the last time someone saw him by the time they phoned me the guy had left not to return until 12.10am. I don't know he's a care worker but one never knows. One of the ladies was in her slippers and a flimsy dress the first time it happened as the neighbours were worried she'd got lost. The second time there were three of them and two couldn't walk the 10 metres to the gate as their legs were so bad so they stayed in the shed and the other lady went to try the gate.

It may turn out to be that they are all related but I still don't think it's right.

[Two_Sheds]

One of the ladies was in her slippers and a flimsy dress ...and two couldn't walk the 10 metres to the gate as their legs were so bad so they stayed in the shed

what?
It's not April 1st is it?

if they can't walk, and they are in their nighties, what on earth are they doing on an allotment at midnight?

[marathon]

Ment to add that the guy hasn't actually paid rent. I questioned this practice when I took over from the last sec. It was explained to me that it is such a pain to give refunds so they don't so as someone has already paid for the year if a plot is leased again the new plot holder doesn't pay until the invoices are sent out again.

Don't know if the above makes things easier in terms of sorting things out as he hasn't signed anything

[Two_Sheds]

I wouldn't worry about leases and rents.

Call the cops, when the old people are on site.

[marathon]

what?
It's not April 1st is it?

if they can't walk, and they are in their nighties, what on earth are they doing on an allotment at midnight?

Not April the first- if only

The morning after I plot holder who was just leaving for her holiday phoned me up at 7am on the dot because she was so concerned. She offered to take the women home(this was just after 9.30pm) but she said she had to wait for her son who was picking her up but as explained this wasn't until another couple of hours.