Staffbull wrote:
Sylvain VAN DER WALDE wrote:
Hello all.

The occupiers of the next door house (it's been sold some months ago to a
property investment company, and is awaiting refurbishment) have been
leaving many bags of rubbish in the area that used to be the front garden.
I did speak to them once before about it; and also put a note through their
letter box a couple of days ago, because there was a bad smell coming from
it. Anyway, those bags of rubbish are still there.
P.S. They have a large van, and could easily take them to the nearest dump,
_as they have done previously_.

To come to the crux of the matter:

I got in touch with my local council to report a possible health hazard.
They informed me that they could do nothing, as it was a private residence,
and not a council-owned one.

So I got in touch with the fire department (fire brigade) to report a
possible fire hazard. I was informed that they could do nothing; as it was a
private residence, and the occupiers were at liberty to do as they pleased.
I suggested that they could just _advise_ these occupiers about a possible
fire risk; but no, I was told that "their hands were tied" and that they
coudn't even do that.
It was suggested that the nearest thing that could be done was to distribute
some leaflets locally, but that was unlikely to be done.
Have you tried to get your local fire depatment's phone number? I don't
think that it's listed (like the police stations).
I had to get in touch with their headquarters, in the first place.

Sylvain.

On a similar note, I live next door to what can only be described as
"Mr Trebus no2" very overgrown garden strewn with rubbish, and the
house is in a state of disrepair. I might sound a bit snobbish but it
looks very bad next to our house (semi) we live in a small village 50
or so houses and next door sticks out like a sore thumb, with most
people coming here for the first time asking "how long has next door
been empty"!!

I have heard in the dim and distant past that there is such a thing as
a local council order to keep houses in a certain state of repair,
anyone know of it?

No point in talking to the guy, as the wheel is turning but the
hamster is long dead!! and he is usually ****ed out of his mind half
the time. Window pane blew out four months ago and he got round to
replacing it last week!! Lucky I'm not thinking of selling as it would
probably knock a few thou off.

Ah..this is where you get canny.

Buy him regular crates of whiskey, and when he dies from cirrhosis, your
house will immediataly leap in value...