damage to personal property

lupylucy

hoping this is the correct place to put this! i rent a house. have lived here 3 and half years. our boiler broke down. the landlady arranged for someone to come and fit another. a week on they are fitting it. I have a car on my drive. it does not move. we have even put a fence up round it, as it it getting restored so is not drivable, startable and just doesnt moove!
the workmen need to knock a hold in the wall for the new boiler. and have told me i have to move it. so at 30 weeks pregnant, they want me to take down a fence, and push a unstartable, undrivable car, on my own off my drive, onto the road.
After doors slamming all day, back gates just about snapped off there hinges, now this!
They say if it doesnt get mooved, is it ok if all the bricks fall down ontop it! i dont think im being unreasonable saying no i dont want house bricks knocked down ontop of a classic restoration car, that so far has had alot of money and time spent on it!!
What are my rights if any if any damage is caused to my car? as in bricks through window, convertible roof torn ect?
I really dont need this stress!!
thanks in advance, Lucy

Fire_Fox

I think the builders are being as reasonable as possible, they are experienced in what can go wrong (they are human, things get dropped!) and have asked you to move the car so that they don't damage it. Why don't you simply get the car towed off the front drive by a friend?

chappers

I have to disagree, to cut a hole for a boiler flue shouldn't mean bricks falling out of the wall, I assume there is some space between the house and the car.
I have cut holes in walls over conservatories with little more than a bit of dust and the odd small chips falling out.

poppysarah

Move it or risk getting it damaged. No bricks might fall on it (Just how close to the house is it?)

RobertoMoir

I don't think you're unreasonable in not wanting the car damaged. However they're also being perfectly reasonable in saying that therefore it shouldn't be near the hole they are making. I agree with Chappers that making a hole for a flue should not mean that bricks go flying around the place but we're all worldly wise enough to know that stuff sometimes happens.

I'm not sure what the legal position is, but with regards to your "rights" if the car does get damaged where it is after the builders asked for it to be moved, I'd say that you've got to be reasonable about this - if you don't want it moved (against their advice) and you want the work to go ahead then you've got to take some responsibility for whatever happens next.

maninthestreet

The threat to damage you car should be taken seriously - report it to your landlady stating that she will be responsible for any damage caused by workmen he has employed.

tbs624

You perhaps need to get things in perspective. The boiler has broken down and, in line with her legal obligations to you as a T, your LL is arranging for a new boiler to be fitted. Many Ts would be pleased that their LL got on with such work.

If the vehicle is on a SORN you can't put it on the public highway without running the risk of a hefty fine. However, is it really not possible to roll the car a few feet backwards or forwards on the drive or create some sort of protective screen around it? Do you have no friends or family who could help you?

lupylucy

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

Do you have to move the car today so the work can be done today? Were you only told this morning?

Otherwise, can't your partner move the fence and car?

wasnt told this morn, was told to move the car there and then, as they needed t do it right that minute. partner at work.

tbs624 wrote: »

If the vehicle is on a SORN you can't put it on the public highway without running the risk of a hefty fine. However, is it really not possible to roll the car a few feet backwards or forwards on the drive or create some sort of protective screen around it? Do you have no friends or family who could help you?

car is sorn, drive isnt long enough to move car its very short!its up against house, and other side is fence, leading to path at road edge. there is no one at short notice to help

have also just found out the lad thats fitting our gas combi boiler is an apprentice, and not corgi registered. so we have an apprentice, a handy man, and landlord(whos an accountant) currently fitting boiler.

tbs624

Now you've given a bit more info - your LL should have given you 24 hours minimum notice (written) that the workmen would be coming to the property.

See also http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/ - if none of them are GasSafe registered they are working illegally. report them to the HSE, to GasSafe and to the the Environmental Health officer at the Council.

bobby-boy_2

Hi Lucy

Seeing as its after April 2009 none of the people fitting your boiler will be CORGI registered. Hate to be pedantic but if your going to complain someone is not registered at least know who they should be registered with!

Gas Safe replaced CORGI as of April this year. Having someone bolt a boiler to your wall and having some one registered by Gas safe are not the same thing.

Before everyone harps on about reporting the landlord etc perhaps it is prudent to wait until the Registered gas fitter comes along and check the work of his apprentice, connects the gas (assuming a registered installer disconnected the gas prior to removal of the old boiler) tests it and certifies it and issues the Landlords and tenants Gas safety cert which you MUST Have.

lupylucy

hiya, thanks for your reply. could the landlord not get funny with me if i report him, and give me my notice? or be p***ed at me and go out of there way to find fault with me and to kick me out then? thats one of my main worries.

the only notice that they were coming was a fone call the evening beofre saying they would be there at 9am. I asked them about not being corgi registered, and was told someone who is will pop over and sign it off tomorrow. surely this cant all be right?? what if a mistake has been made, how would anyone signing it off know if there was any of the work done wrong?!