Feeling bullied off my plot

[akashicdevi]

I would love to get some advice on how to handle a situation i've found myself in.
I've had my plot for a couple of years. It was a derelict plot that hadn't been cultivated in 20+ yrs, and was essentially a bramble patch. Its been slow going digging the roots out, but i had successfully cleared a lot of it of the pernicious weeds there.

Over the past few months i've suffered an illness (and am on the mend) but received the dreaded letter from the council telling me that my plot needs to "show signs of cultivation" in 28 days or i'll lose it.
This, i guess is fair enough...

However, i've now learned that my plot neighbour (who recently became the site chairman) has, while i've been ill and uncontactable, taken it upon himself to dig and plant on one half of my plot... and doused the other half in weedkiller.
As far as i can see, i'm still the tenant? I paid the rent? And what he has done feels a lot like being prevented from getting back to work on it. I can't dig poisoned earth until the stuff has broken down... (and it was an organic plot!!!) I feel I've been put into a horribly awkward position and am a bit stumped as to what to do next. if i make a formal complaint to the council, then this would obviously make things even more awkward.
Any advice appreciated? Has anyone ever come across this kind of thing happening? Would really appreciate some thoughts on this.

[Jeanied]

My advice to you is to wait for a break in the rain and go down to your plot and see for yourself what is happening. You can then assess what to do next.

I have been in a similar situation but I didn't get a letter because I told fellow allotmenteers that I have not been well and they covered for me. I am still struggling, but it is the weather this time! I will be using the lasagne method to get one or two of my beds back under control, and strimming back as much as I can.

Why don't you go down for a look, take a few photos and post them back here so we can assess the extent of the issue?

[areia]

hmm tiz a bit off if so

if hes site chairman would that not mean he would have access to your details to contact you???

It maybe the weeds were growing over to his plot and he may of just weedkilled the bit between, untill you go down your not going to know.

[akashicdevi]

I'm actually afraid of running into him!! I hate confrontation, but this is immensely awkward.
The way i saw it last- three quarters of the plot was covered in plastic (about 50% of that covered area had been dug and cleared of brambles, but i'd left the plastic sheet on to prevent any weeds... though on saying that, there were some small holes in the plastic, so some might have come up) The remaining quarter or so had been cleared and had a greenhouse on it, and i suspect that end of the plot had gone wild and wooly with annuals.
A plot neighbour gave me a pretty good account- one half has now got his veg growing in it... the other half has been uncovered and had weedkiller sprayed on it. (half of that section still had some bramble stumps to get out... the roots are massive, it was slow work, clearing a bit at a time, so tI'd covered them to weaken them)
He's just pretty much taken my plot over!! Even though as far as the council are concerned, i am still the tenant.

[Jeanied]

And don't worry, if he has used weedkiller on your plot (unless he is a commercial gardener with access to really toxic stuff) the weedkiller will not poison your plot as it will have neutralised on contact with the soil. If, as you suspect, he has designs on growing stuff on there, he would hardly use a nasty long lasting chemical.

Whoops we were both posting at the same time.

If it were me I would be tempted to graciously thank him for all his hard work on your plot and the donation of all those veg!

Where are you in London?

[akashicdevi]

Of course, i don't know if the plastic had blown off... but even still!!! It would make more sense to just re-cover it?

He does have my contact details, but i've been pretty uncontactable via phone or email due to the nature of my illness... but no formal letter has come from him. Only from the council very recently.

[akashicdevi]

Whoops we were both posting at the same time.

If it were me I would be tempted to graciously thank him for all his hard work on your plot and the donation of all those veg!

Where are you in London?

Sorry, i'm new to posting here, (though i've been reading a long time) not gotten used to the way it updates :-)

I'm in North London, almost Herts. Our site was only partially filled until recently, because it was so badly derelict. There was no waiting list there either- more plots than people. And those that came to see a plot ran away again because it was so bad. My plot was the worst on site, and has been a long slog to get it to where it is. I feel like all my hard works been stolen along with my plot.

[Jeanied]

No you need to go down there asap and assess what is going on. If you want to avoid meeting him, go down in the rain!

[zazen999]

You do need to go down there and take photos and put them on here.

We will try and devise a response for you.

[Incy]

Did he know you were ill?
If so, is it possible that he may actually have been trying to do you a favour by showing some cultivation so that you didn't get kicked off?
I think you need to keep an open mind and yes, get down there, take photos and if you do see him thank him for helping you in such a kind way.
Even if that wasn't his intention it's possible that the suggestion he was doing a kindness would shame him into going along with it.

[akashicdevi]

Did he know you were ill?
If so, is it possible that he may actually have been trying to do you a favour by showing some cultivation so that you didn't get kicked off?
I think you need to keep an open mind and yes, get down there, take photos and if you do see him thank him for helping you in such a kind way.
Even if that wasn't his intention it's possible that the suggestion he was doing a kindness would shame him into going along with it.

No, he didn't know that i was ill, and i was too ill to have a sensible conversation with anyone for quite a while, so getting in touch with people was unfortunately the last thing on my mind, though i regret it now, i was just focused on getting better. (thankfully i am feeling a lot better since getting treatment in the past few weeks.. the nhs, i am glad it exists, but it can be frustratingly slow!)

I'd like to hope that he was doing me a favour... I'm not so sure though... I'm gonna take the advice of going there when its raining heavily, (no shortage of that weather lately!) maybe during the week when he's more likely to be busy elsewhere. Will bring a camera.

[bearded bloke]

Sorry but this makes very little sense to me,you got ..... "the dreaded letter from the council telling me that my plot needs to "show signs of cultivation" in 28 days or i'll lose it" ..... which infers that there has been a site inspection & yet ..... "A plot neighbour gave me a pretty good account- one half has now got his veg growing in it... the other half has been uncovered and had weedkiller sprayed on it" ..... infers that the plot is largely cultivated (albeit not by you)
You really do need to get a wiggle on & go for a look yourself,take a friend or neighbour with you if it makes you feel more comfortable,but go & look

[bearded bloke]

If it were me I would be tempted to graciously thank him for all his hard work on your plot and the donation of all those veg!

Excellent I really do like that but catch it on video please,I wanna see his expression

[akashicdevi]

Sorry but this makes very little sense to me,you got ..... "the dreaded letter from the council telling me that my plot needs to "show signs of cultivation" in 28 days or i'll lose it" ..... which infers that there has been a site inspection & yet ..... "A plot neighbour gave me a pretty good account- one half has now got his veg growing in it... the other half has been uncovered and had weedkiller sprayed on it" ..... infers that the plot is largely cultivated (albeit not by you)
You really do need to get a wiggle on & go for a look yourself,take a friend or neighbour with you if it makes you feel more comfortable,but go & look

The site hasn't had an inspection from the council in.... years... Not during the time that anyone on the site has been there anyway. (I'm certain of this)...
And this is precisely why i DON'T believe he's tended it to help me out. Its a lot more likely that he's asked the council to start the ball rolling with sending me a letter, but has jumped the gun a little too soon and took it over for himself. I can't see any other way that a letter could come out, without someone at the site instigating it... and i've reasonable cause to think its him who instigated it.

Excellent I really do like that but catch it on video please,I wanna see his expression

lol... he'd probably be sick as a parrot

[bearded bloke]

The site hasn't had an inspection from the council in.... years... Not during the time that anyone on the site has been there anyway. (I'm certain of this)...
And this is precisely why i DON'T believe he's tended it to help me out. Its a lot more likely that he's asked the council to start the ball rolling with sending me a letter, but has jumped the gun a little too soon and took it over for himself. I can't see any other way that a letter could come out, without someone at the site instigating it... and i've reasonable cause to think its him who instigated it.



lol... he'd probably be sick as a parrot

Given that,get yourself & a camera down there ASAP,take some good clear pictures (at least one from each compass point) print them & send them to the council asking for both a reason for their letter AND a site meeting take an "independent" witness to video it