Really difficult situation

Hissing_Fauna · 20 June 2018 at 8:34PM

Hi,

I am completely despairing of the situation we’re in and wondered if anyone would be able to offer some advice.

We put our house up for sale a few weeks ago and on the same day the for sale board went up, our next door neighbours came round and advised us to cut back the knotweed growing on the back wall of the garden.

We went into a bit of a panic and paid £360 for a company to come and produce a survey and management plan. They came and said it’s affecting 5 properties. With four of the properties, it’s growing along the wall. It’s more than 7 metres away from the house and the surveyor doesn’t think it’s caused any damage to the wall. The other one, it’s actually in the garden. Treatment will cost £6k and they will be able to provide a 10 year insurance based guarantee.

I have been talking to the neighbours and most don’t want to know. The worst affected one was sold subject to contract but the sale fell through this week due to unrelated circumstances. We’ve been hoping that at the very least, they will go halves if no one else will contribute but i’ve been finding it really difficult to make any headway. The estate agent has said that he will ring me to discuss it but this hasn’t yet happened.

We had a decent offer on the house that we accepted but it’s now been withdrawn due to the knotweed. We desperately need to move as our house is too small for us but I feel like we’re trapped. I’m getting no where with the neighbours, we can’t afford to pay all the £6k and no one will want the house anyway.

Does anyone have any advice?

Hoploz · 20 June 2018 at 8:43PM

I suppose if the value of your home is reduced / it's unsaleable / unmortgageable then you don't have much choice if you want to sell it.

Are you able to get another quote to clarify it'll definitely cost that much? I'm a bit unsure how they do this kind of work but I wonder how they can guarantee for 10 years, if the neighbouring houses may not co-operate and could refuse to have it removed.

Hissing_Fauna · 20 June 2018 at 9:17PM

We have got a another quote which was more expensive. I’m awaiting a quote from a smaller, locally based company that I think will be cheaper. They have said they provide insurance guarantees. I’m not sure if there are differences between the guarantees or not?

I think most neighbours will be ok with the treatment as long as they don’t have to pay for it. The ones i’m most worried about is next door who have been cutting it back and seem very particular about their garden.

moneyistooshorttomention · 20 June 2018 at 10:02PM

Do you know who the "culprit" is - ie the house that had this first out of them?

There are - recent - laws now allowing anyone that spreads JK to be fined with noticeable size fines.

Don't know what the chances are of identifying the original culprit? You might be able to put pressure on them - of "Deal with it - or I'll use the law to belt you one with fines" on them maybe?

MysteryMe · 20 June 2018 at 10:41PM

Hissing_Fauna wrote: »

We have got a another quote which was more expensive. I’m awaiting a quote from a smaller, locally based company that I think will be cheaper. They have said they provide insurance guarantees. I’m not sure if there are differences between the guarantees or not?

I think most neighbours will be ok with the treatment as long as they don’t have to pay for it. The ones i’m most worried about is next door who have been cutting it back and seem very particular about their garden.

Make sure it's an insurance backed guarantee and not just one offered by the company as if they went bust next month the guarantee is worthless

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Really difficult situation

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