Next door guttering

smartdoodle

Hello

Wondering if anybody can help. I live in the middle of a row of terrace houses. The guttering at the front runs along the entire street for rain water etc and theres down pipes at intervals every few houses.

Next door has a down pipe but it has come away from the guttering at the top completely and the clips holding it to the wall have broken. We only noticed this with the wet weather a couple of weeks ago as we walked out the front door and got soaked through!

The house next door is empty at the moment with a letting agent sign outside and i don't know who owns it so rang the letting agent to ask then to pass on the message. Who's responsibility is it to fix this?

I'm not bothered if I'm partly responsible and am willing to help with costs but its on next doors property so dont want to do anything until i know for sure.

Any advice? It bouncing down outside and once again if i go outside i get soaked while locking my door.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for any help/advice

jayship

We lived in a terrace house with similar guttering. It was usually repaired or replaced by the owner of the property on whose building it was situated.
However if you are concerned about the legality may I suggest that if you have legal cover under your home insurance policy you ring them for advice.

keystone

If it were my house being affected and the offending one is empty then I'd be up a ladder like a shot and just fix it irrespective of ownership/responsibility. Nobody is going to complain if you do as its to their advantage its been done. Its not to your advantage to wait another six months whilst other people faff about. All you'll get is a case of penentrating damp. Thats far more a serious issue that getting a bit soggy when locking your door.

Cheers

cyclonebri1

Listen to him:T:T

At the same time bill the "owner" for materials and costs, you may just get lucky, but at least have a dry house.

theGrinch

ultimately the owner is responsible but in this instance it depends on the agreement the owner has with the agent. it is possible that the agent is responsible for all repairs under a certain level.

sounds like you need a quicker resolution. the disappointing thing a job like this is DIY

cootuk

Legally you shouldn't be fixing it as even drilling into their wall to repair fixings could be criminal damage. It's someone else's property, they need to get it fixed.

cyclonebri1

cootuk wrote: »

Legally you shouldn't be fixing it as even drilling into their wall to repair fixings could be criminal damage. It's someone else's property, they need to get it fixed.

Yes, legally you are right, but back in the real practical world it needs addressing sooner rather than later.

chris_n_tj

Send a letter via the letting agent and give them 7 days to sort it, or any damage to your property with be billed to them.
Send via registered mail, and wait. x

We did this for my friend and the damaged gutter was repaired by day 3. x

Dimey

If you're worried about the legal aspect, can you rig up some kind of temporary diversion system that re-directs the water back into your neighbours garden?

Tell the letting agent (in writing) that's what you're going to do if its not mended within a week. Then no one can complain.

ValHaller

cootuk wrote: »

Legally you shouldn't be fixing it as even drilling into their wall to repair fixings could be criminal damage. It's someone else's property, they need to get it fixed.

Thanks. Crime is not such a bad thing after all.

cyclonebri1

ValHaller wrote: »

Thanks. Crime is not such a bad thing after all.

Cause not, the death wish franchise wouldn't have existed it it were not so;)