Local Authorties causing damage

lakill Farm

Has anyone else here ever had tere proerty damaged by a ocal authority work crew or there sub contractors? or ever parked there equipment on your property for days witout every asking. ie making theplace there own almost? What actions did you take and what remedy did the co co take

(please watch the detail you give, we want to keept Reilig and Rovi on board)

whelan1

lock all gates, they should ask permisson first, dam right rude to park a car in a gateway for days on end, i would leave a note on the windscreen that makes them know you are annoyed

lakill Farm

whelan i had only moved into the house 5 or 6 weeks and i had opened the gate into the yard to let a low loader in while i was at work. Got home and there was 40ton of 804, a 13 ton rubber duck machine, a jcb 3cx, 2 rollers, a tarmac laying machine, rolls of something , traffic lights.

Absolute shocked i was. They broke fences (actually took it down and drove over it), damaged a gate, damaged lawns, bust a 4 inch pipe under ground with the rubber duck and caused the low loader to come back another day to drop off a machine i was renting for the weekend.

I got a letter to say the would fix it (on there headed paper) but still no use. Thats since Jan 2010.

johngalway

lakill Farm wrote: »

whelan i had only moved into the house 5 or 6 weeks and i had opened the gate into the yard to let a low loader in while i was at work. Got home and there was 40ton of 804, a 13 ton rubber duck machine, a jcb 3cx, 2 rollers, a tarmac laying machine, rolls of something , traffic lights.

Absolute shocked i was. They broke fences (actually took it down and drove over it), damaged a gate, damaged lawns, bust a 4 inch pipe under ground with the rubber duck and caused the low loader to come back another day to drop off a machine i was renting for the weekend.

I got a letter to say the would fix it (on there headed paper) but still no use. Thats since Jan 2010.

A reminder on you solicitors headed paper would stir them I'll bet.

bob charles

sounds to me like you have them for illegal dumping, trespass and a couple of other minor things. I hope you billed them for rent, also any fees incurred having to get site assessed etc. Shoe is on your foot, IO would love to be in your position as If I was I would try and land a serious punch, when the shoe is on the other foot they would give you a serious kicking. Letter to either the County Manager and cc to DOS for environment and give them a deadline for a reply or else.

Grecco

I remember something similar happening to a neighbour with the ESB parking there vehicals in his yard without permission. They blocked access to some his sheds.
What he did then was to put a chain and lock around the gate then demanded an apology and compensation or else they weren't getting there machines.
This went on for two days before they caved in, appologised and gave him €400 foir his trouble

vanderbadger

anyone had those chaps in that cut trees branches away from from overhead lines, in my place a few years ago they cut back a good few branches from a line of old ash trees that run along a large stone wall. no problem with that, it was only a good while after they were gone that i was down around where they piled all the branches that I noticed they had knocked a large section of the wall and just piled the branches up over it so i never noticed it..fcukers were lucky they were gone

grumpyfarmer

lakill Farm wrote: »

Has anyone else here ever had tere proerty damaged by a ocal authority work crew or there sub contractors? or ever parked there equipment on your property for days witout every asking. ie making theplace there own almost? What actions did you take and what remedy did the co co take

(please watch the detail you give, we want to keept Reilig and Rovi on board)

I know its only a small gripe compared to the others but a few years ago. The local co.co. decided to clean the water tables with a backhoe digger having always dine them by hand up till that. They used to scoop out the debris and dump it on. top of the hedge, all the stones rolling into the fields causing havoc with the mower and the slimy mud killing the hedge leaving gaps... the gas thing was there was more men involved doing it with the digger, the driver and 3 standing looking at him than the 2 that used to do it by hand. They haven't cleaned them in 4 years now so we do it ourselves...

lakill Farm

The manager and staff of the council are absolute no help. Neither are the local councillors :rolleyes:. I locked them in also. I swung the digger jib over the gate and blocked them in with the tractor etc. (thats why they broke down the fence and drove over it):eek:

The same council refused planning for my planned home 3 times before i gave up and bought else where.

5live

lakill Farm wrote: »

Has anyone else here ever had tere proerty damaged by a ocal authority work crew or there sub contractors? or ever parked there equipment on your property for days witout every asking. ie making theplace there own almost? What actions did you take and what remedy did the co co take

(please watch the detail you give, we want to keept Reilig and Rovi on board)

The council may have wayleave(?), some sort of right of way to enter property to fix eg. water leaks, blocked rivers etc. Iirc they can enter without permission to repair the problem but there is an onus on them to repair any damage caused while doing the work. Just be careful before going in hot and heavy, they can delay any compensation due for years and there is nothing you can do to stop them.

I would say your best bet is to make an appointment with the director of services for whatever outfit caused the damage, ie water services, roads etc and explain the problem and bring your letter. If there is no movement then, well a letter from your solicitor should get things moving along

pakalasa

vanderbadger wrote: »

anyone had those chaps in that cut trees branches away from from overhead lines, in my place a few years ago they cut back a good few branches from a line of old ash trees that run along a large stone wall.

They were in our place about 2 years ago. A day or two after they left, one of the young guys that worked for them, was killed by the high voltage wires. Really sad!

lakill Farm

They just used my place as a holding yard. There surely cant come in through a closed gate(unlocked) I dont think there is a wayleave for the council, and to be honest they were redoing the road not fixing pipes etc.

I have wrote to the manager, area engineer and director of services and absolute no luck. Even had a solicitor send a letter which they achknowledged the damage and tresspassing and agreed to fix all but they never did.

5live wrote: »

The council may have wayleave(?), some sort of right of way to enter property to fix eg. water leaks, blocked rivers etc. Iirc they can enter without permission to repair the problem but there is an onus on them to repair any damage caused while doing the work. Just be careful before going in hot and heavy, they can delay any compensation due for years and there is nothing you can do to stop them.

I would say your best bet is to make an appointment with the director of services for whatever outfit caused the damage, ie water services, roads etc and explain the problem and bring your letter. If there is no movement then, well a letter from your solicitor should get things moving along

bob charles

small claims court so I would think. they are quick enough to prosecute themselves so a taste of their own medicine wont hurt

5live

lakill Farm wrote: »

They just used my place as a holding yard. There surely cant come in through a closed gate(unlocked) I dont think there is a wayleave for the council, and to be honest they were redoing the road not fixing pipes etc.

I have wrote to the manager, area engineer and director of services and absolute no luck. Even had a solicitor send a letter which they achknowledged the damage and tresspassing and agreed to fix all but they never did.

Have you contacted an IFA or ICSA or any orginisation you may be in for help. We are paying for this service so we should make use of them.

I had an issue with the Dept a few years ago with them not releasing cards after a second clear test. I rang and called in and nobody was interested in giving me my cards. So i rang on a friday morning and asked for the ladies name who i was talking to and told her i was coming in to collect my cards. I got the usual person who does that is off and no vet. I said i would be in after lunch. Still no cards. So i said i was coming back at 4 to collect them. I went and got a few sambos and a bottle of water and came back at 4. No cards, no vet, no one to do it. I said i was staying till i got the cards and sat down and took out the sambos and the paper and settled in. At 4.55 i got my cards.

It would be a waste of a day but might be worth trying all the same. It would not look good to get the guards to remove a member of the public who the council owed money to. At the very least you should get an indication of when they expect to pay the money. Once you cause hassle by refusing to leave they cant lock you in and it does focus them on getting a solution

lakill Farm

That is a great plan. I will do that this week coming as im off for a few days. Nothing like a bit of getting to know the local authority.

5live wrote: »

It would be a waste of a day but might be worth trying all the same. It would not look good to get the guards to remove a member of the public who the council owed money to. At the very least you should get an indication of when they expect to pay the money. Once you cause hassle by refusing to leave they cant lock you in and it does focus them on getting a solution

reilig

My advice is to thread carefully. County Councils don't like getting solicitors letters. For example, a neighbour of ours sent a solicitors letter to our council a few years ago because putholes on our road damaged his car. It wasn't long until the council were out to inspect his farm for pollution, they gave him notice to cut all of his hedges - and he has received this notice every year since. They also made him take down a number of trees that were overhanging the road. It was the most expensive solicitor's letter that he ever sent.

On the other hand, an uncle of mine owns land which backs onto a council housing estate. The council went onto his land to put up a fence between the two and ploughed it up quite a bit. He got onto to his councillor who had a track machine in the field within 2 weeks and he got it all leveled and drained to a higher standard that it had been.

What I'm saying is be careful when you use leverage. The accepted method of leverage for councils is councillors. A solicitor's letter is a threat. I'd take up the issue with your local councillor and exhaust the councillor route to the last before I'd consider sending a solicitor's letter.

lakill Farm

Hi Reilig,

I contacted all my local councillors individually and then collectively in a single email. Only one of them bothered to contact me back and that was because he lived next door to an aunt of mine and about 3 mile up the road. He waffled on and no use or conclusion.

The annoying part is that the local authority have written to me to say they would fix the damages and thats 2 years ago. The engineer is a complete air head and they all think ill disappear.

I agree that they may try to make my life harder, but i get the hedges cut every year, knocked any dangerious trees last year and i say im the only 1 up my way that sweeps the road after the hedges get cut with the flail so no individual might pick up a punchure. i even collect the rubbish along my verge, back filled a gripe along a road bitch and piped it all out of my pocket so i have improved the road safety.

reilig wrote: »

My advice is to thread carefully. County Councils don't like getting solicitors letters. For example, a neighbour of ours sent a solicitors letter to our council a few years ago because putholes on our road damaged his car. It wasn't long until the council were out to inspect his farm for pollution, they gave him notice to cut all of his hedges - and he has received this notice every year since. They also made him take down a number of trees that were overhanging the road. It was the most expensive solicitor's letter that he ever sent.

On the other hand, an uncle of mine owns land which backs onto a council housing estate. The council went onto his land to put up a fence between the two and ploughed it up quite a bit. He got onto to his councillor who had a track machine in the field within 2 weeks and he got it all leveled and drained to a higher standard that it had been.

What I'm saying is be careful when you use leverage. The accepted method of leverage for councils is councillors. A solicitor's letter is a threat. I'd take up the issue with your local councillor and exhaust the councillor route to the last before I'd consider sending a solicitor's letter.