Builders liability (materials in road)

Michael229

Hi
I’ve hired some builders to do my driveway. Today they had pallets of bricks delivered and these were placed in the road outside my driveway. These are likely to stay all weekend.
I’m concerned they may not have a license to do this and have tried to contact them to ask. If a car should come along and hit the pallets would I be liable, or would they?

Mickey666

I doubt it, unless you told them to put them there.  Anyway, they're not even your property (unless you've paid for them already), so not sure how you could be liable.  You have hired professionals to do a job and it's reasonable to expect them to carry it out in a legal manner.  It's not reasonable to expect a layman to double-check what they are doing or if they have the required licences - have you checked for all the other things they should have?  Public liability insurance for example? RFD/Insurance and MoT certs for all their vehicles?  Qualification 'tickets' for any machinery they might be using?  

Just let them do their job, but if you're really worried why not park your car in front of the bricks?

DB1904

Mickey666 said:

I doubt it, unless you told them to put them there.  Anyway, they're not even your property (unless you've paid for them already), so not sure how you could be liable.  You have hired professionals to do a job and it's reasonable to expect them to carry it out in a legal manner.  It's not reasonable to expect a layman to double-check what they are doing or if they have the required licences - have you checked for all the other things they should have?  Public liability insurance for example? RFD/Insurance and MoT certs for all their vehicles?  Qualification 'tickets' for any machinery they might be using?  

Just let them do their job, but if you're really worried why not park your car in front of the bricks?

The OP being a layman clearly knows an obstruction exists and there is potential for an accident to occur. Would turning a blind eye to the obvious remove any liability they may have?

Rosa_Damascena

I'd probably make the council aware that this is the situation and await their advice (unlikely to get a response at the weekend but you can say you've tried). At the very least I'd get hold of some hazard tape to show some willing in zoning it off.

Mickey666

wouldn't that just acknowledge that the OP is taking responsibility for it though, when they don;t even know if their builders have already notified the council?
I'd just park my car in front of it - better than a few bits of non-illuminated tape.

Rosa_Damascena

Mickey666 said:

wouldn't that just acknowledge that the OP is taking responsibility for it though, when they don;t even know if their builders have already notified the council?
I'd just park my car in front of it - better than a few bits of non-illuminated tape.

No it's an appeal for help. It's about being a good citizen more than anything else. 

I had a similar scenario myself today, got home and had a load of building materials delivered - but in my case on my driveway with nothing to complain about. If they had dumped it indiscriminately I wouldn't get very far shifting anything!  If this has happened I'd be on the phone to the builders stat to let them deal with it. Advising the council would put me in the clear if all reasonable measures had been taken.

twopenny

A pleasant phone call to the builders asking them to place some sort of hazzard warning. Then you are doubly covered and not your fault.

I take it that you are somewhere round a corner or unlit roadway. At this time of year it doesn't get truely dark.

Mickey666

Rosa_Damascena said:

Mickey666 said:

wouldn't that just acknowledge that the OP is taking responsibility for it though, when they don;t even know if their builders have already notified the council?
I'd just park my car in front of it - better than a few bits of non-illuminated tape.

No it's an appeal for help. It's about being a good citizen more than anything else. 

I agree, hence why I'd park my car in front of the bricks and mitigate the danger.

EssexExile

We had a tree fall in the road one evening. The council sent a crew round, they had a look, phoned back to base to request someone to come and remove it. As they were leaving we asked if they were going to put any warning lights or barriers up. They said that on a 30 limit road nothing was required, and left. So if it's a 30 limit road I wouldn't bother the council about it.