Flytipping from previous house owners

Jamiep198 · 23 April 2020 at 10:44AM

Towards the end of last year when we purchased our property, we got in touch with the council to report some suspicious looking weeds growing behind our back fence. At first we thought it might be Japanese Knotweed, so someone from the council was meant to be coming over to inspect. After a few weeks no one had been to visit so I got in touch to chase up, but we still didn't hear anything.

In the end the weeds died back over winter so we weren't quite as concerned. However, now the Spring is here it seems to be growing back thick and fast, with a couple of shoots now coming through from under the fence and onto the property. We don't think it's Japanese Knotweed anymore, but it's still very fast growing and could take over very quickly.

Furthermore, when I looked over the fence last week I saw there's some decaying rubbish (old bit's of metal, plastic and carpets), which we couldn't see last year as it was covered in vegetation. I suspect previous owners of the property have left this as it's quite decomposed.

I've been in touch with the council again, but they're not taking calls - only emails to their generic email address. Beyond the back fence is a grass verge, which goes down onto the train tracks. Although it's clear the rubbish has been there for some time, it's also evident it's come from our property many moons ago. So, I'm slightly concerned we're going to be faced with a bill to have it removed. Other than on the stairs and landing, the house doesn't actually have any carpets (probably because they've been dumped!) and we do have pictures of each room from when we brought it showing there were never any carpets when we moved in.

Hope someone can help with what's best to do

FreeBear · 23 April 2020 at 11:03AM

Jamiep198 said: I've been in touch with the council again, but they're not taking calls - only emails to their generic email address. Beyond the back fence is a grass verge, which goes down onto the train tracks. Although it's clear the rubbish

It doesn't sound like Council land, so they won't be interested. Railway embankments fall under the remit of Network Rail, so it would be them you need to contact. Although... In London, some parts of the rail network are owned by Transport for London.

davidmcn · 23 April 2020 at 11:03AM

Not sure why you think you'd have a bill to remove rubbish which you didn't dump and which isn't on your land? You're not responsible for what previous owners of the property did with their rubbish.

(actually, are you sure it isn't your land? If it leads directly down to railway tracks then I'd guess it belongs to Network Rail, but it's possible the legal boundary might not follow the fence.)

jimbog · 23 April 2020 at 11:05AM

Once the local tip is reopened take a few car trips over to it and the problem is gone. Can't see JK on those pictures

Jamiep198 · 23 April 2020 at 11:22AM

Thanks for the quick replies

I'll send a message to Network Rail.
I spoke to our neighbour who's live in his house for aroun 60 years and he said people had been to clear it in the past and had been given a fine for whatever was behind their fence. He wasn't sure who issued it though (council or network rail).

davidmcn · 23 April 2020 at 11:25AM

Jamiep198 said:

I spoke to our neighbour who's live in his house for aroun 60 years and he said people had been to clear it in the past and had been given a fine for whatever was behind their fence. He wasn't sure who issued it though (council or network rail).

Network Rail don't have the power to issue "fines", so probably the council. But the photos seem to be persuasive evidence that it's been there longer than you have.

princeofpounds · 23 April 2020 at 12:16PM

Can't see any obvious knotweed in those photos. Mostly nettles.The one area I'd like to see closer is the plant above the green plastic trailer, and perhaps that in the preceding photo above the concrete.
If this is railway land, it absolutely is Network Rail or TFL, nothing to do with council.
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/communities/living-by-the-railway/litter-and-fly-tipping
You should probably report it. I think that if you let it go on, you run a higher risk of being blamed rather than the previous occupants, as it would be less credible to deny it was you. You shouldn't receive a fine as you weren't responsible... but the railways aren't always very consumer-friendly in the way they manage things. It might be worth asking the train geeks over at railforums if they have any advice on this sort of thing - it's amazing what they know (many work in the industry) even if it's probably not something they get asked about regularly.

Jamiep198 · 23 April 2020 at 2:54PM

A neighbour about 6 doors up have planted bamboo, which seems to have gone mad! Fingers crossed it won't get down as far as us. Here are some images of what it looks like last year...