Openreach Destroyed my garden in a rented van and won't do anything about it

MX5huggy

I thought they had careered across the croquet lawn. Forget it, fill it in if you want or just leave it. 

cgfw201

Greatgimp said:

Seems to me it's not a problem. Fill it in with a sack of topsoil and forget the compensation. Destroyed my Garden? Hardly.

As I say, it's not the end of the world, it's the fact they're refusing to accept any responsibility for it. The principle that they can get away with anything if they do it in a rented vehicle is one that should be challenged. 

Sure I can got and get a ton bag of topsoil and fill it in, get some grass seed and fix it, but I really shouldn't have to.

Mickey666

"Openreach Destroyed My Garden"

Really?  Firstly, it doesn't look like a garden to me, more like a field.  As for 'destroyed', the photo seems to show that a tyre simply dropped off the concrete roadway and has made a bit of a muddy rut the width of the tyre.  The rut doesn't even extend into the field and arguably has made the edge of the roadway neater by not having the grass encroaching over it, as it does further along the road way.

The grass will soon grow back and the 'destruction' will be invisible in a few weeks time.  Please post a photo in April - my bet is that the rut won't be visible.

Total over-exaggeration.  Not surprised about Openreach's reply - they probably though the OP was having a laugh.

kazwookie

Ring up / email the rental company with the details and ask who they hired the lorry / van to, ask them also if they are aware it was driven off a concrete plinth and had to be pulled out by tractor.

cgfw201

Mickey666 said:

"Openreach Destroyed My Garden"

Really?  Firstly, it doesn't look like a garden to me, more like a field.  As for 'destroyed', the photo seems to show that a tyre simply dropped off the concrete roadway and has made a bit of a muddy rut the width of the tyre.  The rut doesn't even extend into the field and arguably has made the edge of the roadway neater by not having the grass encroaching over it, as it does further along the road way.

The grass will soon grow back and the 'destruction' will be invisible in a few weeks time.  Please post a photo in April - my bet is that the rut won't be visible.

Total over-exaggeration.  Not surprised about Openreach's reply - they probably though the OP was having a laugh.

It's a matter of principle. If that was your garden and they'd done that, and taken no responsibility for it and told you to get lost, you'd be annoyed too. Doesn't matter if it's a field, a garden, a driveway, your house, it's all private property and it's all their responsibility. 

Holes don't fill themselves in, and grass doesn't magically start growing. 

Norman_Castle

Cars often get stuck in our front garden, curved path which blind motorists think is a driveway. To avoid trying to drive back up the steps they've just driven down they try and cross the sloping grass. If its wet they really struggle and trash the grass. It recovers on its own.

"grass doesn't magically start growing" Actually it does, not sure if magic is involved.

"One of their contractors crashed on our road on 8th Jan, did a load of damage."
Real story, A van drove on the grass, some mud was displaced, cancel the COBRA meeting.

matelodave

I feel your pain, they are an unsympathetic bunch on here. I'd be devastated if someone had done that to my garden and then brushed it off as inconsequential.

Why don't you go and see a solicitor or the CAB and get them to write you a strongly worded letter and then, if you don't get any joy then I suggest you take them to court .
You could also claim for the mental stress that it's obviously putting you through during this difficult time. 

Mickey666

cgfw201 said:

Mickey666 said:

"Openreach Destroyed My Garden"

Really?  Firstly, it doesn't look like a garden to me, more like a field.  As for 'destroyed', the photo seems to show that a tyre simply dropped off the concrete roadway and has made a bit of a muddy rut the width of the tyre.  The rut doesn't even extend into the field and arguably has made the edge of the roadway neater by not having the grass encroaching over it, as it does further along the road way.

The grass will soon grow back and the 'destruction' will be invisible in a few weeks time.  Please post a photo in April - my bet is that the rut won't be visible.

Total over-exaggeration.  Not surprised about Openreach's reply - they probably though the OP was having a laugh.

It's a matter of principle. If that was your garden and they'd done that, and taken no responsibility for it and told you to get lost, you'd be annoyed too. Doesn't matter if it's a field, a garden, a driveway, your house, it's all private property and it's all their responsibility. 

Holes don't fill themselves in, and grass doesn't magically start growing. 

No I wouldn't.  My lane to my house is about 1/4 mile long and vehicles occasionally drive off the tarmac and onto the grass.  A week later and there's nothing to see, especially in the summer when the grass is growing.

If you want to make a fuss over an insignificant event as a matter of principle then I guess you have that right, but my bet is that by the time you've sorted out what to do or have resorted to legal action, the grass will have grown back naturally and the 'destruction' will be invisible.  Good luck in court btw - I hear they take a dim view of frivolous actions wasting their time.


PS:  FWIW, I agree with you that Openreach should not be ducking this issue on the basis of the damage being done by a contractor.  OR must have hired the contractor to work on their behalf so OR has the responsibility for the work.  Also, the fact that they self-insure is also irrelevant.  It is simply their (legitimate) choice to run their business that way but it cannot absolve them of their responsibilities.    But really, try chilling out instead of getting all 'Victor Meldrew' - it's a trivial thing that will heal itself in a few weeks and stressing out will do your blood pressure no good at all.

cgfw201

Mickey666 said:

cgfw201 said:

Mickey666 said:

"Openreach Destroyed My Garden"

Really?  Firstly, it doesn't look like a garden to me, more like a field.  As for 'destroyed', the photo seems to show that a tyre simply dropped off the concrete roadway and has made a bit of a muddy rut the width of the tyre.  The rut doesn't even extend into the field and arguably has made the edge of the roadway neater by not having the grass encroaching over it, as it does further along the road way.

The grass will soon grow back and the 'destruction' will be invisible in a few weeks time.  Please post a photo in April - my bet is that the rut won't be visible.

Total over-exaggeration.  Not surprised about Openreach's reply - they probably though the OP was having a laugh.

It's a matter of principle. If that was your garden and they'd done that, and taken no responsibility for it and told you to get lost, you'd be annoyed too. Doesn't matter if it's a field, a garden, a driveway, your house, it's all private property and it's all their responsibility. 

Holes don't fill themselves in, and grass doesn't magically start growing. 

No I wouldn't.  My lane to my house is about 1/4 mile long and vehicles occasionally drive off the tarmac and onto the grass.  A week later and there's nothing to see, especially in the summer when the grass is growing.

If you want to make a fuss over an insignificant event as a matter of principle then I guess you have that right, but my bet is that by the time you've sorted out what to do or have resorted to legal action, the grass will have grown back naturally and the 'destruction' will be invisible.  Good luck in court btw - I hear they take a dim view of frivolous actions wasting their time.


PS:  FWIW, I agree with you that Openreach should not be ducking this issue on the basis of the damage being done by a contractor.  OR must have hired the contractor to work on their behalf so OR has the responsibility for the work.  Also, the fact that they self-insure is also irrelevant.  It is simply their (legitimate) choice to run their business that way but it cannot absolve them of their responsibilities.    But really, try chilling out instead of getting all 'Victor Meldrew' - it's a trivial thing that will heal itself in a few weeks and stressing out will do your blood pressure no good at all.

dont worry im not losing any sleep over it! 

(but it has been 8 weeks. it won't fix itself.)

Pete99

Look up online for the "Openreach Certificate of Public Liability Insurance" which will give details of their insurer, I would take it up with them as it was their contractor that caused the damage.