'effin neighbours!
Simon - 23/6/13 at 04:11 PM
We decided to get rid of our old manky conifers at the front of our house (3 metres high, 1.5 wide 30 years old), which happened yesterday.
One of the conifers had a root which went under nextdoors drive and it lifted it a bit, cracking up a bit on concrete covering a rainwater pipe
(2" under concrete). So, being good neighbour, went straight out, bought some ballast and cement and relaid the bit that broke.
They've been around today and "Don't want to fall out, but...."
Their house front was extended and the drainpipe in bottom left of pic goes under concrete to manhole. The diagonally cut bit is the bit that cracked
up and I relaid. Take a look at the rest of the driveway, and bear in mind the house seems to have been extended by Bob the Bodger, and they're
criticising my repair - which was like that anyway.
Don't want to fall out? Too late!
ATB
Simon
theduck - 23/6/13 at 04:36 PM
I don't see what your problem is, they have an immaculate drive and you have ruined it with your slap dash repair. 
[Edited on 23/6/13 by theduck]
Peteff - 23/6/13 at 04:42 PM
Should have chucked some muck on it and trodden it in well and they'd never have noticed it.
coozer - 23/6/13 at 04:59 PM
Theres just no pleasing some people is there..
At my old house I had a big garage size shed in the yard.. when I took it down my neighbor complained that when the rain was coming down at an angle
he was getting more rain in his yard cause my garage wasn't catching it anymore.. it got to the point where he threatened me and sent his son
round to sort me out... after the 'sorting' I never had any more trouble
I would build a 6 foot brick wall down the boundary... nice little arch over the manhole cover
RK - 23/6/13 at 05:21 PM
Anybody with good neighbours has to count themselves very lucky. We have great ones all round here, but it hasn't always been like that. The
problem is, you can't really vet them before you move in.
Simon - 23/6/13 at 05:28 PM
Going to put a new fence up to replace the conifers but it'll have a laurel hedge on our side. I have now decided to plant more conifers at the
back of the house to block out the sun to their garden but mainly to prevent a) the birds from their feeder crapping all over our washing (which they
never seem to have) and b) so I won't have to talk to them again.
Anyone know how deep the pipe should be under the bit on concrete as I may have to get council planning people out to inspect it. Then they may need
to dig up their driveway properly!!!
Cheers all
ATB
Simon
number-1 - 23/6/13 at 05:40 PM
What have they said was wrong?
ashg - 23/6/13 at 05:52 PM
Looks like a pretty reasonable repair to me. What is their suggestion to improve it?
To be honest you have done then a favour the tree roots would have been breaking up their house foundations next
[Edited on 23/6/2013 by ashg]
ReMan - 23/6/13 at 06:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by ashg
Looks like a pretty reasonable repair to me. What is their suggestion to improve it?
To be honest you have done then a favour the tree roots would have been breaking up their house foundations next
[Edited on 23/6/2013 by ashg]
+1
What was the "but" that the cnuts didnt want to fall out about?
r1_pete - 23/6/13 at 06:11 PM
I'm pretty sure the foul drain needs to be at least 18" below surface.
But,
If that is rain drain going into a foul drain, your local water authority would be interested, as they could charge additional 'water rates'
as it should be going into a soak away and back into the water table. It should also have a trap in to prevent sewer gas escape, and looking at the
height of the top of that drainpipe sewer gas could enter open upstairs windows!!
[Edited on 23/6/13 by r1_pete]
spaximus - 23/6/13 at 06:12 PM
At the side of everything else the repiar is fine, in hindsight all you needed to do was to drag a brush across the finish and it would blend in
better.
The temptation is to go to war but remember, if they were okay before is it worth the hassle? If you start a war when either they sell or you sell any
bad feeling or issues must by law be made public which could be worth a lot to the legal profession and devalue your homes.
As ash says, ask them what they would like you to do and if reasonable do it, life is too short.
Simon - 23/6/13 at 06:21 PM
quote:
Originally posted by spaximus
As ash says, ask them what they would like you to do and if reasonable do it, life is too short.
They seem to think it's not as good as it was - bear in mind it's had a huge conifer hedge over it so it couldn't be seen. I think they
think the diagonal bit wasn't there before.
To keep the peace, I've already agreed to redo half the slab around the manhole - but only when we have the concrete lorry around to do the
footings for the rest of the extension. Will let them know that a) I'm going to get the council round to inspect beforehand and I'll also be
draining into that system and b) if the drainpipe under concrete gets broken while I break up the recent cut out, they'll be responsible for it.
It's a rainwater drain, foul sewers are all at the back of the houses.
It's not very clear, but to give you an idea of the quality of the building work, look at the pointing under the roof tiles - it's 99%
sand!
ATB
Simon
[Edited on 23/6/13 by Simon]
ReMan - 23/6/13 at 07:03 PM
I see they scrub and cherish the rest of their concrete acreage on a regular basis too, no wonder their upset
ashg - 23/6/13 at 08:19 PM
hindsight is a beautiful thing but it may have been better if you had just knocked on their door and explained what had happened before fixing it that
way they would have seen the before and after.
either way life is too short. its a pissy little bit of concrete, two of you could have that whole path broken up and re-laid in an afternoon.
Simon - 23/6/13 at 09:05 PM
They saw it broken - bit irritating as they went out 10 mins after it happened - could prob have fixed without them noticing
I just think they
don't get the bit about the pipe being laid under the path. I'll fix that 4' of path and ignore them in the future.
ATB
Simon