Coping Stones Theft - ongoing problem

robgoingcrazy

jellie wrote: »

And if someone steals all of them, they won't be doing their job then either but you'll still have some left to put back on later.

Later being when?

I think I am plain unlucky. On my block of terraced houses, and the next one, everyone has alley gates apart from the section where I am, so at some point everyone must have agreed to having them.

On my section, of the 14 houses that are accessible by the unprotected alley, 10 haven't paid apparently.

But I am getting a shed alarm and some other free stuff.

I tried to go down the legal route via my home insurance's legal advice line but they said I would need to speak to the owner about getting the wall repaired, so I am back to square one as I don't know who the owner is, I had to pay another £3 to download the land registry info again, which still states my neighour is the registered owner, yet the property is being sold by a "corporate client" after the neighbour was evicted and the locks changed, I still don't really understand why the repossessed neighbour is still showing as the legal owner.

The legal advisor suggested I contact both Nationwide and Natwest Bank to confirm whether they are in fact the owners or not, but I don't know where to begin, I really can't see me getting anywhere ringing their call centre? Does anyone know if they have a contact number for this sort of thing.

This seems to be a problem with no easy solution at all, I seem to have more than my fair share of those lately :mad:

mttylad

If the mortar is not very secure then remove the stones, clean off the mortar and mix a new stronger mix (more cement/less sand) and re attach them with plenty.

then perhaps if your still concerned drill some oles using a masonry bit on the side you cannot see and put long bolts into the wall.

A bit OTT but more secure.
New mortar should be sufficient though.

By the way - ditch the bubblewrap - its a wall and doesnt need it.

robgoingcrazy

mttylad wrote: »

If the mortar is not very secure then remove the stones, clean off the mortar and mix a new stronger mix (more cement/less sand) and re attach them with plenty.

then perhaps if your still concerned drill some oles using a masonry bit on the side you cannot see and put long bolts into the wall.

A bit OTT but more secure.
New mortar should be sufficient though.

By the way - ditch the bubblewrap - its a wall and doesnt need it.

There are only about 4 slabs left now anyway, the main issue is fixing the wall where the stones are missing, which I have been quoted £250 for and, I have the £250 but it is to cover my next gas/electric bill. I have no idea how to mix mortar or how to attach stones. Some people are good at that sort of thing, I am not one of them my skills lie elsewhere.

I can either spend the money getting the wall fixed, or ensure I don't go into debt with with British Gas and ruin my currently marvellous credit rating.

It seems darned ridiculous to me that whoever owns this property seems to be able to be just invisible and do or not do whatever they like and just leave me with all the costs and consequences and there's not a thing I can do about it.

The bubblewrap is my only source of amusement in the entire mess so it will probably stay for now

mart.vader

robgoingcrazy wrote: »

which I have been quoted £250 for and, I have the £250 but it is to cover my next gas/electric bill. I have no idea how to mix mortar or how to attach stones. Some people are good at that sort of thing, I am not one of them my skills lie elsewhere.


I can either spend the money getting the wall fixed, or ensure I don't go into debt with with British Gas and ruin my currently marvellous credit rating.

Rob, a bag of mortar and a few bags of sand - costs £10 or so

http://www.wikihow.com/Mix-Portland-Mortar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOc6unN6AoA

robgoingcrazy

mart.vader wrote: »

Rob, a bag of mortar and a few bags of sand - costs £10 or so

http://www.wikihow.com/Mix-Portland-Mortar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOc6unN6AoA

I have no transport, and would also need the new coping stones, and by the time you factor in my diabolical practical skills it's going to be more cost effective to pay someone who knows what they're doing. Also I can't see myself lifting those things without doing myself some kind of injury.

I think seeing as the law is useless and I don't actually seem to have any rights (there's plenty about me NOT doing work without the other joint owner's permission and getting a surveyor in and serving them formal notice blah blah blah) but seems nothing about this situation.

I think all I can do is wait until the sale goes through and hope the new owner is more cooprerative. That is if it goes through - I saw the property advertised last week, saying they have an offer at £64,000, would anybody like to make a higher offer. This is after I was told the owner wanted as quick a sale as possible, I doubt the debts are more than the value of the property so that also seems a bit odd, as the estate agents have obviously been instructed to hold out for more, I would have thought they would snap up a cash offer in today's market?

robgoingcrazy

Update on this, apparently the house has been sold as some men have been here today and cleared all the stuff out, they even cleared all the stuff out of the garden, including MY stuff that I had put against the wall on the opposite side to keep the bubblewrap in place - thus rendering it useless and removing some of my stuff in the process. Idiots.

I've also spoken to someone at the Property Ombudsman Service and they say I have ground for a complaint against the estate agent branch, and have given me a named contact at the branch I need to complain to formally in writing. If they do not reply to me within a certain timescale, in line with their official complaints procedure, TPOS will assign someone to investigate them.

All I wanted was a reply to a couple of emails and some cooperation while I was already experiencing stress and fear after being a crime victim on 2 occasiona, it will be nice to get my own back even a little bit!

And hopefully the person who has bought the house will have to fix the wall if they want to do it up and sell it on, maybe this time I shall be the awkward one!