Responsibility for gulley between two properties

pineapple

My cottage joins onto a larger house at the rear and where the two properties butt on to each other there is a gulley which joins to a drainpipe,
Am I right in assuming that responsibility for clearing /maintaining the gulley is shared?
There is no dispute, it's just that my frail 84 year old neighbour likes doing these jobs himself and it frightens me seeing him up a ladder. Last year he was up on his roof replacing a chimney cowl!
I want to tell him that it's my turn this year - except I'm not capable so will have to pay someone to do it.

moneyistooshorttomention

Could you propose to him that you both share the cost of paying someone else to do it?

I know there's no way I'd ever contemplate getting up on a roof myself - and I certainly wouldnt want anyone I know doing so either. As far as I'm concerned = the only people to go up on roofs are roofers and they've taken that on as a job of their own free choice and that's up to them. I know it's a bit of a get-out of jail free card to pay the "professionals" to do it - but at least I'd not be at risk of injury or see someone I know taking a risk.

I'd be pointing out to your neighbour that if one of you goes through the roof and damages it - then the roof-owner would be out of pocket by the cost of repairs too. But roofers have insurance cover against any damage they do to peoples property - or they should do anyway.

pineapple

Thanks
I should have mentioned that to get to the join between our properties he first has to clamber along one end of my ground floor extension roof (which is that asbestos mix and waiting to be replaced :eek:). So I could just say I've been told the roof is unsafe and he can't go up).
I thought that when they do my roof they could check the gulleys etc. I think it is probably fair that I pay any extra this incurs as he has cleared the gulley since I moved in 2 years back.
For future though I will suggest we share the cost and hope this doesn't put him off (he is very careful with money). But even when I have a decent extension roof I don't particularly want him clambering round on it. He can barely stand without a wobble let alone go up a ladder but he is very stubborn. I've told him that '24 Hour A & E' is full of people like him and his answer is 'But I've always done it'

Le_Kirk

Ask him if he knows how Rod Hull (the one with Emu) died. He fell off his roof and he was 20 years younger!

martinsurrey

Le_Kirk wrote: »

Ask him if he knows how Rod Hull (the one with Emu) died. He fell off his roof and he was 20 years younger!

I do hope OP's neighbor isn't doing the roofing repairs with one hand up the rear of a flightless bird!

DaftyDuck

... Well, at least bung it up one that can flap effectively when needed...

Davesnave

Just tell your neighbour that you are going to pay someone to clear the gulley once a year at the end of autumn. He welcome to make a contribution if he wishes, because it's a shared facility, but it'll happen this year and every year henceforward.

The chances are, by the time next year rolls around, he'll have accepted the idea.

pineapple

Davesnave wrote: »

Just tell your neighbour that you are going to pay someone to clear the gulley once a year at the end of autumn. He welcome to make a contribution if he wishes, because it's a shared facility, but it'll happen this year and every year henceforward.

The chances are, by the time next year rolls around, he'll have accepted the idea.

Assertive but nice :T I know it is not the best time of year for it but while the builders were here this week I asked them to go up and check. They removed two big bucketfuls of cr*p from the gulley and some hoppers including a birds skull :eek: