We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Guttering of semi detatched cut in half, no down pipe!
Options
SevenOfNine
Posts: 2,388 Forumite
Don't think this is quite the right place, apologies if not but can't find anything quite appropriate.
My mum has an ex council house semi, the adjoining house is also privately owned, rented with a management company handling the lettings - Inspired Sales & Lettings.
Over the weekend they have employed a roofing company to replace the rental half of the 60 year old concrete guttering. The rental now has uPVC bargeboards with plastic guttering.
At back & front the house they cut the concrete gutter & replaced it. At the back they sealed off the cut part of my mum's, she has her own downpipe so as long as the seal is good, no problem.
At the front of the house she has no downpipe. It all flows the whole length of the semi's into the downpipe at the far end of the rental. When they cut in the centre line they did not attach gutter to the new plastic gutter on the rental to my mums concrete one, & placed the plastic one higher than hers as well, leaving a gap between them of about 2 inches.
Then they knocked on her door (she's 88), to say she had a problem, no downpipe & if they sealed the end like they had out the back, rainwater would have nowhere to go!!!!***
It took a while for them to grasp that THEY had created this problem, they offered a "temporary fix" which they had not yet determined quite what they could do. We spoke with Inspire Sales & Lettings, totally disinterested, unhelpful & failed to call back with a suitable solution.
A builder friend came up with the solution, & to the best of their ability they have complied, because plan B for us was to leave my mums guttering unsealed at the point it should link with the plastic one, therefore water would pour out between the semi's - negatively affecting the rental as well as her own, while we seek legal assistance & redress.
Sorry, after all this waffle, can anyone advise on who we should ask a solicitor to write to (complaining, instructing no further work should be undertaken which negatively affects my mum's property etc). The numpty 'roofers' have said they have been employed by the management company & that is who they have been instructed to invoice for the job.
So ultimately should that be who gets the solicitors letter? I was planning on finding out who owned the property through Land Registry later & I'm not sure if it should be them instead.
Seems little point in targeting the two bit nitwit roofing firm (Seems little more than a young team with a van - roofers by trade).
.......apologies for wall of text, trying to give the full picture to get the right suggestion.
My mum has an ex council house semi, the adjoining house is also privately owned, rented with a management company handling the lettings - Inspired Sales & Lettings.
Over the weekend they have employed a roofing company to replace the rental half of the 60 year old concrete guttering. The rental now has uPVC bargeboards with plastic guttering.
At back & front the house they cut the concrete gutter & replaced it. At the back they sealed off the cut part of my mum's, she has her own downpipe so as long as the seal is good, no problem.
At the front of the house she has no downpipe. It all flows the whole length of the semi's into the downpipe at the far end of the rental. When they cut in the centre line they did not attach gutter to the new plastic gutter on the rental to my mums concrete one, & placed the plastic one higher than hers as well, leaving a gap between them of about 2 inches.
Then they knocked on her door (she's 88), to say she had a problem, no downpipe & if they sealed the end like they had out the back, rainwater would have nowhere to go!!!!***
It took a while for them to grasp that THEY had created this problem, they offered a "temporary fix" which they had not yet determined quite what they could do. We spoke with Inspire Sales & Lettings, totally disinterested, unhelpful & failed to call back with a suitable solution.
A builder friend came up with the solution, & to the best of their ability they have complied, because plan B for us was to leave my mums guttering unsealed at the point it should link with the plastic one, therefore water would pour out between the semi's - negatively affecting the rental as well as her own, while we seek legal assistance & redress.
Sorry, after all this waffle, can anyone advise on who we should ask a solicitor to write to (complaining, instructing no further work should be undertaken which negatively affects my mum's property etc). The numpty 'roofers' have said they have been employed by the management company & that is who they have been instructed to invoice for the job.
So ultimately should that be who gets the solicitors letter? I was planning on finding out who owned the property through Land Registry later & I'm not sure if it should be them instead.
Seems little point in targeting the two bit nitwit roofing firm (Seems little more than a young team with a van - roofers by trade).
.......apologies for wall of text, trying to give the full picture to get the right suggestion.
Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it.
0
Comments
-
Whilst I sympathise with the point of principle, a Solicitors letter and any follow up will undoubtedly cost more than installing a downpipe.0
-
Get a quote in writing then send it to the agents and landlod (get details for land registry). Then if no luck pay for the downpipe and sue via small claims for the cost.
Does she have legal cover with insurance? It neednt cost much to get it sorted.0 -
Not if it also involves installing a soak-away, as it shouldn't be allowed into the foul water drains these days, and even if someone is prepared to connect to one, it might not be conveniently located.Whilst I sympathise with the point of principle, a Solicitors letter and any follow up will undoubtedly cost more than installing a downpipe.
You have no contract with the roofers, so you go after the management co. who employed them, as above, via insurance..0 -
Well it would seem the rain is going to pour away from her house over onto the next door house so these incompetent fitters have scored an own goal against the landlord. I would start with a letter before action to the agents threatening small claims court if they dont reinstate and pointing out that they have achieved nothing by redoing the guttering if by that action, all of next doors rain will pour across the front of their house..0
-
mObov - of course, I completely forgot about her legal cover, she does have it. I arrange her insurance & always put it on one policy.
Dave & Joe - cheers, I'd hoped it would be the lettings agent & not the numpty roofers.
anselld - whilst I appreciate the answer, even as a female I'm aware you cannot just "install a downpipe"!Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it.0 -
You can, as a temporary measure. It would be better than having water pouring down the walls and form part of your claim, as it's mitigating a potential loss on both sides.SevenOfNine wrote: »numpty roofers.
anselld - whilst I appreciate the answer, even as a female I'm aware you cannot just "install a downpipe"!
We've had one temporarily...... for the past 7 years.:rotfl: It's caused no issues whatever, but we're naturally well-drained. The soakaway is planned for later this summer.0 -
Keep us informed! Might also be worth letting local Trading Standards know, esp if you have the name of the firm, could be a nice earner for them.0
-
You can, as a temporary measure. It would be better than having water pouring down the walls and form part of your claim, as it's mitigating a potential loss on both sides.
We've had one temporarily...... for the past 7 years.:rotfl: It's caused no issues whatever, but we're naturally well-drained. The soakaway is planned for later this summer.
Heavy clay area, about 3ft front lawn with public footpath parallel to it, so that's definitely not happening........though we could run it diagonally into the rentals front garden perhaps.
It is covered in the house covenants but 60 years old ex council houses, not sure if the council who drew up the initial covenants when they were built might not be keen to enforce it. :beer:
The Police suggested Trading Standards as well, I'll give that some thought.
http://www.1stcallroofingmk.co.uk/ Pity they didn't ask her if she wanted hers done at the same time, based on the website I might have said yes.....their problem was no experience with the 'overlapping concrete' style of gutter the old council properties have (they admitted they'd never worked with it before). No excuse, any moron knows you cannot cut guttering in half, leaving one property with no downpipe.Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it.0 -
SevenOfNine wrote: »anselld - whilst I appreciate the answer, even as a female I'm aware you cannot just "install a downpipe"!
True. It is definitely a man's job.0 -
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.5K Spending & Discounts
- 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.9K Life & Family
- 257.2K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards