Friend has found she has Japanese Knotweed

moneyistooshorttomention

Arthog wrote: »

We used to make great peashooters from the stems!

I had read that some children do that and wonder whether it is one of the routes whereby JK is spread around?? - ie Ohmygawd..courtesy of childrens' games?

trollopscarletwoman

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

There is a name "pea shooters" for it in a part of Wales I believe and that told me instantly that sometimes children play with it:eek: and will admit to being curious as to whether they are taught not to at school (in case the parents aren't doing so). I certainly wonder how on earth it managed to get into some locations I've spotted it in....

That's correct.

In the south wales valleys it is known as 'pea shooter.'

I sold my house in the valleys in 2003. We had it in the garden and the neighbour also had it. I dug at it for about 2 years.The adjacent hillside (about 30 metres away) is infested with it.

The buyers surveyor never asked about it. But times change. I have to wonder how people in the same street manage to sell in current times-but they seem too.

Mankysteve

antrobus wrote: »

The answer may well be 'no'.

See Sykes v Taylor Rose (2004). The vendors failed to tell their buyer that a previous owner of the property had butchered a 13-year-old girl there, and hidden her body parts around the house and garden. The buyer sued the vendor and lost.

What's worse, dismembered body parts or japanese knotweed?

You would have to prove the vendor knew about the Knottweed which may prove to be difficult.

But as others have said it can treated DIy wise. Burn anything thats cut off get a blunt needle and carefully inject weedkiller in the base of any plants that pop up.

moneyistooshorttomention

trollopscarletwoman wrote: »

The buyers surveyor never asked about it. But times change. I have to wonder how people in the same street manage to sell in current times-but they seem too.

That's one question I'd not thought to ask my friend yet, ie "How come your surveyor didn't spot it?" By now, from having lived in Wales for a while, I now know what sort of areas it might be found and what it looks like and can spot it a mile off and I'm no surveyor. So for a trained surveyor not to spot it seems very odd, particularly with there being a blimmin' big clump of it at one point (think that surveyor "shoulda gone to S********s" to have missed that) or maybe he did go to said optician, but has a darn good solicitor on speed dial to "protect his (negligent) little backside".

Its quite understandable my friend didn't spot it, because she'd never come across it before in her life and wouldn't have had the foggiest idea what it was and just assumed "some sort of ornamental plant or other" if she saw it (same as with the other plants in her garden when she moved in and she has been finding out what they are since).

COOLTRIKERCHICK

you can not solely blame the surveyor, as it depends on what type of survey you friend paid for, PLUS depending on what time of the year it is, it would die back to nothing. it could also have been far enough away from the house not to cause any concern to the surveyor..




it also might not have been there when the surveyor was there.
when you buy a house it is also up to you the buyer to look into things too


I remember playing with JK, used to have great fun... its not poisonous to us, infact you can eat the young shoots, it tastes like a lemony rhubarb..so don't be alarmed, or disgusted children used to paly with it.. back in the day when children were aloowed to play outside without neighbours complaining


Just read your post again.. must admit.. you are always quick to blame other people in your posts... and I am sorry but unless we know what the surveyor was paid for etc, then it is totally unfair to bad mouth him on this, it could have been he was only there to see if it was actually worth the asking price ( basic survey) for all you know, your friend or one of her friends, could have brought it into the garden on their shoe etc..

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Mankysteve wrote: »

You would have to prove the vendor knew about the Knottweed which may prove to be difficult.

But as others have said it can treated DIy wise. Burn anything thats cut off get a blunt needle and carefully inject weedkiller in the base of any plants that pop up.

or just get some pigs in the garden ( make sure you fence it well, and have the appropriate licenses etc) as my pigs love knotweed, and have really knocked it back, when the odd bit grows back it is soon snuffled up and eaten lol

Davesnave

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

or just get some pigs in the garden ( make sure you fence it well, and have the appropriate licenses etc) as my pigs love knotweed, and have really knocked it back, when the odd bit grows back it is soon snuffled up and eaten lol

Y'know, I have a sneaky feeling that some people might still prefer the JK, bacon butties, or not! :rotfl:

COOLTRIKERCHICK

Davesnave wrote: »

Y'know, I have a sneaky feeling that some people might still prefer the JK, bacon butties, or not! :rotfl:

very true Davesnave... me I look at it as free food for my boglins lol.. but I must admit I do prefer pigs to some people...

moneyistooshorttomention

I believe my friend had a medium level survey on the house. Also, some of the JK is pretty darn near the house, and a rather big/rather tall stand of it is further down the garden, so readily spot-able by a halfway decent surveyor if they'd "waded through the undergrowth" just a little bit.

At the time the surveyor came in I would estimate it would be at quite noticeable height.

Doesn't look like any potential let-offs for a surveyor there.

kora_2

My surveyor noticed some JK outwith the boundaries of my garden down by the river bank. They have categorized it as a 2 on the home report. The factor have got a contractor ready to do the eradication and treatment plan of it - so right now i'm not sure what i'm supposed to do or how it will affect me trying to sell my property. I read online that mortgage companies refuse to lend to potential buys if its stated on the home report.

Any one know what the next best step to take is?