Broken manhole cover advice

NorfolkBroad

Hi

Not sure if this is right place to post this so please move if not.

Just had a skip delivered and as the lorry exited our drive it hit the manhole cover and broke it. Driver just covered it with a bit of wood and drove off. I couldn't get out there in time to speak to him as I'm disabled and was on my own. Can I seek any redress from the skip company or will I have to replace it myself?

agrinnall

Yes, they will have public liability insurance that covers this sort of incident, although they'll probably find it cheaper just to pay themselves.

LilElvis

Is the manhole on your property or on the public highway?

NorfolkBroad

On the verge giving access to our property - done a bit more research and it seems like we don't have a leg to stand on so will have to fork out for a replacement

photome

NorfolkBroad wrote: »

On the verge giving access to our property - done a bit more research and it seems like we don't have a leg to stand on so will have to fork out for a replacement

If its on the verge why is it your problem, presumably it will be up to the council to claim from the skip company

Hintza

Are manhole covers not meant to be driven over?

I do see that OP said it was on the verge so possibly not in this case. OP just phone the council and report it it as broken.

NorfolkBroad

The council don't maintain the verge part in our road as far as I know (I have to cut the grass on the bit either side of our drive) it's a tiny rural road with no pavements or street lights

wealdroam

NorfolkBroad wrote: »

The council don't maintain the verge part in our road as far as I know (I have to cut the grass on the bit either side of our drive) it's a tiny rural road with no pavements or street lights

But is the verge your property, or part of the public highway?

I also cut the grass on the verge outside my property, but I know two things: 1) if I didn't cut it, no-one would, 2) the verge is definitely not my property.

tomnat

I would just report it to your local council. They have a duty of care once you have reported it, to pass it to the relevant utility company for them to replace the cover (whether it is within the public highway or not). As a rule it is not usually councils that replace these types of cover, they would only possibly temporarily make it safe if the broken cover constituted a hazard to pedestrians. If they come back to you and say the cover is part of your private drainage system then you can contact the skip company and request they replace the cover at their cost. I used to work for Lancashire County Council and this used to be part of my job. Im assuming the same principles would apply in Nofolk!

photome

NorfolkBroad wrote: »

The council don't maintain the verge part in our road as far as I know (I have to cut the grass on the bit either side of our drive) it's a tiny rural road with no pavements or street lights

And no gas and no public transport.;)

Someone owns the verge, whoever owns it should be claiming from the skip company IMO

what do you mean by

"done a bit more research and it seems like we don't have a leg to stand on so will have to fork out for a replacement "

NorfolkBroad

My son searched legal sites for similar situations and some said we would have to replace it (now I've looked at it's position again I think it's half on our property and half on the verge!) and others said the skip company was liable lol!

Thanks for all your replies my son is going to ring the skip company this morning (as he booked it) and see what they have to say, if they aren't forthcoming I'll get on to the council and/or Anglian Water and send the skip company the bill!!


UPDATE: Anglian Water are sending someone to inspect it this morning