Should we pay?

Aylesbury_Duck

djbakez said:

The company name, I can only find it in Australia not UK.

that's a very deep blockage.

sheramber

How did your neighbour contact them?

Where di he find their details?

outtatune

Unless your deeds say otherwise ...

If this is a shared sewer - one that contains sewage from more than one property - then it is the responsibility of the local water company who will repair it for free. You are only responsible for drains that are on your property and only channel sewage from your property and nobody else's.

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-and-waste-help/sewer-flooding/sewer-pipe-responsibility#:~:text=Water company's responsibility,under your garden or driveway.

If he wants to waste his money paying for a service which he's not responsible for that's his lookout.

Don't pay.

Okell

outtatune said:

Unless your deeds say otherwise ...

If this is a shared sewer - one that contains sewage from more than one property - then it is the responsibility of the local water company who will repair it for free. You are only responsible for drains that are on your property and only channel sewage from your property and nobody else's.

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-and-waste-help/sewer-flooding/sewer-pipe-responsibility#:~:text=Water company's responsibility,under your garden or driveway.

If he wants to waste his money paying for a service which he's not responsible for that's his lookout.

Don't pay.

I think this ^^^ is the correct answer and I'm sure it's a question that has come up here before.

If it's a shared sewer containing sewage from more than one property then it's the water company's responsibility and nothing to do individual householders.

Tell your neighbour that he needs to go to Thames Water for reimbursement.  (Of course TW may not be interested if he didn't refer the problem to them in the first place, but that isn't the OP's fault)

Out of interest, what is the name of the company?

GrubbyGirl_2

That sounds a hell of a lot for unblocking.  I had to have mine done last year just after I moved into my house.  It cost £90 and I'm in the expensive South East

Okell

To add to my previous post this thread from a couple of years ago seems to confirm that unblocking shared drains is the water company's responsibility  Home insurance claim rejected because I used drain cleaner — MoneySavingExpert Forum

The water company there unblocked the drain and provided a report on the condition of the drains all for only £108.

There is a link to Anglian Water in that thread that no longer works but I'm sure the position is the same as in the Thames Water link.

littleboo

I have an inspection chamber for a shared sewer in my front garden.On the occasions it has been blocked, I have called the water company responsible for waste water and they come out the same day and fixed it, no charge. Despite my disdain for the water industry, this service had always been excellent and the technician has always been remarkably cheery.

Grumpy_chap

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

That sounds a hell of a lot for unblocking.  I had to have mine done last year just after I moved into my house.  It cost £90 and I'm in the expensive South East

It does rather depend which company was called out.
£90 is very cheap, TBH, even if this was a local plumber or handy person who was able to clear the drains with some drain rods.  
If the company called out was one of the large business such as Lanes for Drains, and it was a call out response out of hours, the response will be to achieve a successful outcome so they turn up with a two- or three-person crew and a super-sucker tanker and it is a cost that they guarantee to resolve so they will get the job done whether they turn up and clear the drain in half an hour or takes them all night.  All that service level and equipment comes with a cost, which seems to be £900.
As a comparator, with all the equipment, I have just paid (for work) for a drain unblock and the cost was £1.4k and the outcome was not even fully successful so there will be further costs to come.  I understand that commercial companies may pay more than private individuals but I'm not sure in this scenario / industry tat is necessarily the case (particularly when the large companies are employed).

Obviously, comment about the price is rather moot as this was a shared drain and the responsibility if Thames Water (or whoever the statutory sewerage undertaker is in the location) to resolve.  There are very few exceptions.

caprikid1

Have to say I would have expected, a cleared drain full video survey, jet wash and root trimming etc for that price. 

Have to be honest, I have various sets of drain rods and rarely bother paying a penny, rarely takes me more than 1 hour to resolve even freezing / raining I don't get close to £150 an hour in my day job, quick bath after,  that's a nice meal out for me and my partner !.

Jumblebumble

Okell said:

outtatune said:

Unless your deeds say otherwise ...

If this is a shared sewer - one that contains sewage from more than one property - then it is the responsibility of the local water company who will repair it for free. You are only responsible for drains that are on your property and only channel sewage from your property and nobody else's.

https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-and-waste-help/sewer-flooding/sewer-pipe-responsibility#:~:text=Water company's responsibility,under your garden or driveway.

If he wants to waste his money paying for a service which he's not responsible for that's his lookout.

Don't pay.

I think this ^^^ is the correct answer and I'm sure it's a question that has come up here before.

If it's a shared sewer containing sewage from more than one property then it's the water company's responsibility and nothing to do individual householders.

Tell your neighbour that he needs to go to Thames Water for reimbursement.  (Of course TW may not be interested if he didn't refer the problem to them in the first place, but that isn't the OP's fault)

Out of interest, what is the name of the company?

I am quite amused that you think that there is the remotest chance what ever that Thames Water are going to do anything except toss any request for reimbursement into the nearest dustbin.