Rat Rights (warning - a bit grim)

ellymoo

I am in a bit of a state. Over the last 2-3 years we've had a problem with rats which has got consistently worse. One got into my flat, gnawed a hole into my fridge and set up camp under my spare bed. Another appeared in my neighbour's loo while he was sitting on it. Last year we caught 5 in humane traps and took them a long long way away (which is apparently far more cruel than killing them outright so now I feel huge guilt on top of everything else). I also caught/injured one in a trap which was distressing for all concerned.

I thought the problem was my fault for feeding birds and having decking so I've been trying to save up for a patio but I have been trying to find a full time job for over 2 years and it's been impossible.

Drain and rat men came out on Monday to sort things and found out via a camera that Nat Grid contractors had basically dug a hole in the wrong place four years ago and chipped a sewer pipe letting the rats run riot. NG came out today to sort it and had to stop because the ****s who dug the hole years ago basically broke the sewer pipe in half. They just covered it up hastily and dug in the right place, leaving raw sewage floating just under the concrete! There are gullies cut into the ground which particles can get out of! My porch flooded a couple of times (and now i know why) and there will have been sewer water in that and I just cleaned it out with Flash. 😖

The blokes had to leave it to specialists because they need hazmats suits and stuff. All I needed doing was a tiny piece of electric cable sorting between my flat and the one upstairs; this has turned into a literal sh*t show! I went a bit weak at the knees (in a bad way) when I realised my dad had helped clear gutters of SEWAGE and rats swimming in SEWAGE have been in my house and in my FRIDGE! I can't afford a new bloody fridge either.

I was going to ask them to compensante for the rat and drain man bills but am I out of order to ask them to buy me a new fridge? I am in absolute bits. I've had guests here, children, my niece and nephew, my dog has been all over the place, we've been breathing in bits of sewage. 😣The NG guys were also worried that rats would now chew the exposed cable and we'd lose power. Sorry for the dramatic words but I am in a bit of shock and I'm so angry that because people didn't own up to making a mistake and fixing it easily we've had years of dealing with this and have had our health endangered.

jaybeetoo

I think you have a valid claim against NG to repair the damage they have indirectly caused (which includes a new fridge). I assume other flat owners will be impacted as well. Do you have legal cover on your flat insurance? If so, I’d use it to get advice. There’s also environmental health concerns so you should also alert the council if NG haven’t already done so. Do you own or rent the flat? If you rent, get onto your landlord.

Grumpy_chap

Is the sewer shared? If so, you could report it to the water company as the sewer is their asset so they are responsible for the maintenance of the sewer. The water company may pursue NG.

elsien

Just to give a little bit of perspective, despite having your niece, your nephew, and your dog around the place it would appear they have not been ill or affected by the rats.

It’s of no use focusing on what might have happened but didn’t; you have to focus on what actually has happened.

ellymoo

Thanks all very much for your posts. I have just called Env Health and Severn Trent as suggested, so thank you very much for that. NG said they are currently investigating the circumstances and contractor who broke the sewer. The sewer is for myself and my upstairs neighbour (who literally got the !!!!!! scared out of him) - we both own our properties.

The stress of this on top of trying to find a job has blown my mind a bit but now I am angry and armed to the teeth. I will call my insurer but am loathe to get them involved because I made a claim for a camera worth about £200 years ago and my premium went up about 276%!

Ergates

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81991078#Comment_81991078

The rat that your neighbor "encountered" came up through the toilet, which means it climbed up the soil pipe, which is connected to the sewer. So probably not related to the break in the sewer pipe.

ellymoo

I don't understand the ins and outs (literally) - can you explain please? Thanks

Ergates

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81991219#Comment_81991219

The rat problem that you experienced seems to be because the NG engineers cracked a sewer pipe under your property - giving the rats that live in the sewer an easy route to your home. i.e. the rats escaped the sewer via the break, and entered your home.

The rat that your neighbour "met" entered his property via the toilet. The toilet was always connected to the sewer via the soil pipe (hopefully!!). The rat was from the sewer, climbed up the existing pipework and out through his toilet. i.e. it didn't escape the sewer via the same hole as "your" rats, and could/would have happened anyway even without the break. Which means it's probably an unrelated incident - and not a result of the NG engineers actions.

ellymoo

Right, thank you… Fortunately I've only had one rat in the house.

I experienced 4 today. One dead in the garage (I didn't see it until I lay down next to it); a live baby under the pond; a dead baby in a humane trap; a live adult in a humane trap. I tried to give it something to eat to calm it until the rat man comes but it was so distressed it was chewing off its own tail so I tried to get a neighbour's dog to give it a quick end, but it ran away. I'm in absolute pieces. I don't know if it is worth asking them to put me up somewhere, but I don't want to leave my home.

Grumpy_chap

I'm not sure who you would ask to "put you up somewhere" but I can't see any prospect of any third party meeting a hotel charge.

When are the water company attending to fix the broken pipe?

ellymoo

The water company came out today and did some flushing through of things themselves, but didn't do anything. The blokes who did the work were vague but it isn't their job to know all the ins and outs of how it will be sorted, I guess. They said that they will liaise with NG to get the work done as if they do it they'll charge NG, but NG may say they will rectify the fault themselves to save money. Not wise given who they used last time!

Anyway NG have given me a "contact" so I will call them on Monday to chase. Rat man came out today to bait more and told me that rats have between 7-14 babies… so I will see him again in a few days. I want the cowboys they used prosecuted.