Cut-backs begin to bite

[crankedup]

We had cause to call out the fire service Sunday afternoon, living rural we are dependant on private drainage with open and some piped water-courses. Long story short our friendly neighbour opposite has not maintained his pipe work which we depend upon to shift water away as designed to. His denial and intransigence led to water flooding the road and our garden, backing up septic tank. We spent hours on the telephone to all the various agencies asking for assistance, only the highways service came out to pump water off the road, they also dropped off some sandbags to us out of sympathy, not because of their obligations.
With water a few inches off our door thresholds we dialled for the fire service as last resort, a fire officer came out to inspect the situation. He told us that reluctantly they could not assist, our home had to be under four/six inches of water indoors before they could attend. However, the service could pump water to save the property flooding at a cost of five hundred pounds an hour! He estimated at least eight hours pumping required and water would most likely find its own level coming back as nowhere to pump to. Not strictly true as open watercourse nearby! The officer was very apologetic and slightly embarrassed, telling me its not what he or his fire officers joined the service to do, that is refuse to assist. Not his fault and I recognise his awkward situation.
Couldn't use the fire service pump because house insurance wouldn't accept claim without house being flooded. All this owing to one idiot who refused to acknowledge his legal and sensible obligation to clear his pipe. I had tried to clear his pipe and spent two days without success, just trying to help ourselves six weeks ago when much less severe weather caused an overflow due to this blocked pipe.
We are not the only ones affected, eventually the County Flood experts came out, they felt sorry for our adjacent neighbour who by now she had broken down in tears on the phone to them. They quickly established the obvious cause of the flooding and instructed the owner of blocked pipe to clear it pronto. Failure to maintain pipe in future will result in criminal prosecution. Bad feelings living here now and so we are selling up.
So if your going to suffer a flash-flood or such like your be fairly on your own, as we found out.
Rant over! Breathe. Cut-backs affect ALL services.

[singlecoil]

Thanks for sharing that.

[TEKNOPUG]

Did the Fire Chief tell you when these rules came into effect?

[Bluebarge]

My sympathies but I don't think it's ever been the Fire Service's job to compensate for someone's failure to maintain his drainage. Selling up sounds like rather a drastic measure - have you tried consulting a solicitor? Your neighbour's failure to maintain his land has caused damage to your property which I should have thought is actionable, and if he gets a fright from a solicitor's letter he may be encouraged to take his responsibilities more seriously in future. By selling you are merely asking a buyer to inherit your problem, and you will be required to declare any incidents of flooding/neighbour disputes so I would have thought any Buyer would either decline to take your property on or knock a lump off the price to compensate. Might be better to sort the problem now, or at least take advice on it.

[Vaggingquick]

singlecoil said:

Thanks for sharing that.

[Oakey]

What does this have to do with cut backs?

[crankedup]

TEKNOPUG said:

Did the Fire Chief tell you when these rules came into effect?

Last year, but its all the other services involved as well, most are privatised agencies and unless they can clearly see within their contracts they will be paid they can only offer telephone advise. fking wonderful! I had a choice of pay the fire service 4/5K or watch my home flood. As it was a chap known to another neighbour resolved the blocked pipe issue.
I hope this thread will take on a wider debate - this is what we can all expect if we need certain support agencies.

[RSoovy4]

This is what happens when you cut bonuses in the City, so there's less tax paid.

Cruel irony, eh?


Just kidding - sorry to hear this - complete shocker.

[RSoovy4]

PS your neigbour is a c t.

[RedLeicester]

Bluebarge said:

My sympathies but I don't think it's ever been the Fire Service's job to compensate for someone's failure to maintain his drainage. Selling up sounds like rather a drastic measure - have you tried consulting a solicitor? Your neighbour's failure to maintain his land has caused damage to your property which I should have thought is actionable, and if he gets a fright from a solicitor's letter he may be encouraged to take his responsibilities more seriously in future. By selling you are merely asking a buyer to inherit your problem, and you will be required to declare any incidents of flooding/neighbour disputes so I would have thought any Buyer would either decline to take your property on or knock a lump off the price to compensate. Might be better to sort the problem now, or at least take advice on it.

This. Or next time pay the fire service for the pumping, and then bill the neighbour with a nice legal covering letter explaining why it's his cost.

[bodhi]

Only thing I can see that's been cut back is the OP's ability to create a readable post? Perhaps the odd space between the paragraphs may help?

Just a thought....

[singlecoil]

It's in the nature of cutbacks that there will be less services provided by those agencies that are cut back than previously. Every now and then we will find ourselves in situations where we are directly affected by this.

So, OP, what exactly is your point? That there should be no cutbacks? Public borrowing should increase?

[Burrow01]

Not sure how you are linking this to cutbacks directly

It happens all the time with outsourcing contracts - the contracts cover what should be done, and what the rate of charges for that work should be. If the work you are looking at is not covered by the contract, the private contractor is under no obligation to do it, or can charge the Council an exorbitant rate for it.

Previously this type of work may have been done directly by the council, but they presumably decided it was not a service they were prepared to pay for when outsourcing.

Fire and Rescue services have probably also been happy to do this in past, but if they keep getting called out because they are the only people offering to do it for free, thats where the charges kick in.

[TankRizzo]

So before the "cuts" began, the fire service would be quite happy coming out to pump out your garden if you asked them?

[crankedup]

Oakey said:

What does this have to do with cut backs?

Erm you kidding or what! The various former public agencies are now privately run, they will only carry out obligations within contracts. Our own situation was not covered within any agency contract. The water courses would have been under the legislative regulation of the river authorities, they were disbanded and now those water courses fall into the management of anyone who happens to have an open or piped watercourse adjacent to or on their property. Thats OK for me and any other responsible land/home owner and I take on and accept my responsibilities, its those that don't or can't causes problems for others. This is where these serious issues fall short and can cause implications miles from the source of the problem blockage.
Now I can sue the neighbour for negligent criminal behaviour, as can other neighbours affected. I could sue for devaluation of my home perhaps, I have to be prepared for this to cost tens of thousands of pounds possibly. If we win which I would expect fine. Hope the legal fees will be covered, but its not warranted.

[muffinmenace]

crankedup said:

Hope the legal fees will be covered, but its not warranted.

What like Legal Aid? LOL!

[RSoovy4]

crankedup said:

Oakey said:

What does this have to do with cut backs?

Erm you kidding or what! The various former public agencies are now privately run, they will only carry out obligations within contracts. Our own situation was not covered within any agency contract. The water courses would have been under the legislative regulation of the river authorities, they were disbanded and now those water courses fall into the management of anyone who happens to have an open or piped watercourse adjacent to or on their property. Thats OK for me and any other responsible land/home owner and I take on and accept my responsibilities, its those that don't or can't causes problems for others. This is where these serious issues fall short and can cause implications miles from the source of the problem blockage.
Now I can sue the neighbour for negligent criminal behaviour, as can other neighbours affected. I could sue for devaluation of my home perhaps, I have to be prepared for this to cost tens of thousands of pounds possibly. If we win which I would expect fine. Hope the legal fees will be covered, but its not warranted.

If his inaction causes direct loss to you, then you can sue for that loss. You would (if successful) recover some of your costs, perhaps 60% on the standard basis.

If you lost, of course, you would have to pay his costs as well as your own.

[sunbeam alpine]

Sorry OP, but I don't see this as a result of cut-backs. You are unfortunate to have a very inconsiderate neighbour who has failed to maintain his property, leading to a problem with yours.

This would appear to be a purely private matter between yourselves - although I note your comment about them pumping water from a public road, and I would hope that your neighbour would receive a bill for this.

[crankedup]

TankRizzo said:

So before the "cuts" began, the fire service would be quite happy coming out to pump out your garden if you asked them?

Simply put yes, if they had no other priority. Its not 'the garden' though that is the problem, it falls under public health issues with a septic tank being flooded and out of action for several days. For those who are not country dwellers you may say its not my problem, it is in one sense. Fire service used to use these potential flood to home/ risk situations as practice for new staff and equipment tests. Not every situation of course but where other issues were involved. The officer told me its now limited to home under water, electrical risks, life risks. As it is we are OK and fully insured and all the rest of it, not that I will claim. As open water courses are no longer maintained, the Farmers used to be paid for the job, for those living in rural areas can expect more home flooding before assistance is offered. Why should you care, it is increasing the insurance premiums for all.
I don't require sympathy, if I wanted that I wouldn't be posting in here No, I hope people will see the wider implications.

[crankedup]

RSoovy4 said:

This is what happens when you cut bonuses in the City, so there's less tax paid.

Cruel irony, eh?


Just kidding - sorry to hear this - complete shocker.

indeed, what goes around and all that. Always a lighter side.