Utility Company Digs a Hole at Your Property Entrance Then Dissapears for 10 Days / What to Do ?

[pmcgsmurf]

Who would think that with today's Health & Safety culture this would happen?




SP Energy Networks (one of their contractors) dug a hole on Monday of last week then disappeared.
They have put a barrier to prevent anyone from entering the property, not even the postman.
The gate you can see is the only access other than jumping over the metal fence.
Not sure how they expect me to put the bin out or one of my cars in the drive!

It's not my main residence and house is empty at the moment but to me that is no excuse.

Been on telephone since 09:00 this morning passed from pillar to post with no one prepared to understand there is a bloody big hole that needs attended to right now.
Last update is that someone will get back to me on Monday as they only work Mon-Fri.

Just for good measure even though I left the heating on at 25 there is no water, open services in street look to be frozen as the hole is full of ice.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Post this on their Twitter feed.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Post this on their Twitter feed.

Good idea, will try that.

I also tried the local council who seemed to have no concern that there was a massive hole outside.

 

[LTD]

Fall into it and sue them

 

[Smart320]

Ring your local ready mix concrete firm and have them drop a ton or so of quick setting concrete into the hole , a couple of hours and job done

 

[grober]

Think its all to do with statutory wayleaves which tend to give energy companies or their subcontractors carte blanche to do what they like. It possible to challenge these thro the courts but since these things are usually so temporary that by the time it would come to court the issue will have been resolved.
https://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/lexis...C-40PV-00000-00/Statutory_wayleaves_overview#
Going by recent gas mains installs locally the engineering subcontractor digs the hole then somebody ? does the repair/install at which point they tend to leave things for a few days to check for leaks or possible inspection by a "higher power"= the energy company's supervisor- only then will they fill it in and re-instate the road/pavement surface.
I expect a gesture to "elf n safety " is nominally taken care of by the temporary barriers round the hole.
I am not unsympathetic to your problem but unfortunately the utilities seem to hold all the cards on this type of situation.

 

[MCFastybloke]

Ring highways at your local council

They will have to have had a permit for the works, it will be time limited, they will be liable to a fine for any indiscretion, wrongly placed orinsufficient cones.signs,yellow board thing to cover hole,little yellow ramp for the kerb as well as time.

The contractor will be just getting sent to most urgent jobs is all and they honestly dont give a monkeys, highways will sort them out.

 

[addbuyer]

I agree with LTD, do an uncle Albert

 

[Petrol Pete]

If this happened to me I am lucky enough to enough builders and ground workers who would happily save the cost of a skip and fill it with hard-core/scrap and not far from me is a 'travellers camp' (although they don't seem to travel anywhere much..but I digress) and they will lay tarmac pretty much anywhere (even when asked not to !) for cash.

Fill it in 'properly' and deny all knowledge

 

[219]

Who would think that with today's Health & Safety culture this would happen?

View attachment 83192


SP Energy Networks (one of their contractors) dug a hole on Monday of last week then disappeared.
They have put a barrier to prevent anyone from entering the property, not even the postman.
The gate you can see is the only access other than jumping over the metal fence.
Not sure how they expect me to put the bin out or one of my cars in the drive!

It's not my main residence and house is empty at the moment but to me that is no excuse.

Been on telephone since 09:00 this morning passed from pillar to post with no one prepared to understand there is a bloody big hole that needs attended to right now.
Last update is that someone will get back to me on Monday as they only work Mon-Fri.

Just for good measure even though I left the heating on at 25 there is no water, open services in street look to be frozen as the hole is full of ice.

It might focus their minds that , since you have been unable to access your property , you have been forced to check into a hotel for the last 10 days , and want to know where to send the invoice , otherwise you will have no option that to take them to small claims court

 

[Deleted member 6183]

It might focus their minds that , since you have been unable to access your property , you have been forced to check into a hotel for the last 10 days , and want to know where to send the invoice , otherwise you will have no option that to take them to small claims court

And commit perjury.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Fall into it and sue them

Funnily enough I said to them on the phone, "if I fall into it and then call you would you then someone quicker?

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Ring your local ready mix concrete firm and have them drop a ton or so of quick setting concrete into the hole , a couple of hours and job done

That would cost me the price of the concrete though and I don't fancy also being financially worse off too.

 

[brucemillar]

Do you have any update on this? Fascinated of Kent here.

I’m not surprised. I had a car dumped on my entrance driveway once. Could I get it moved? No I could not. Despite it having a registered keeper and no tax (that caused a huge issue and was every-bodies get get out clause).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[m80]

Difficult to understand why they haven't plated over it to allow access.

 

[DSM10000]

I would be seeking a legal opinion on this ASAP.

Keep records of any conversations, telephone calls etc, check with your home insurance, you may have legal cover included.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Think its all to do with statutory wayleaves which tend to give energy companies or their subcontractors carte blanche to do what they like. It possible to challenge these thro the courts but since these things are usually so temporary that by the time it would come to court the issue will have been resolved.
https://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/lexis...C-40PV-00000-00/Statutory_wayleaves_overview#

https://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/lexis...C-40PV-00000-00/Statutory_wayleaves_overview#

Agree, I'd hope that by next week it's all sorted, I wont be here till 20th after 5th so not going to bother me other than putting a bin out before I go and getting a car round the back but then again I shouldn't have to have this inconvenience.

Going by recent gas mains installs locally the engineering subcontractor digs the hole then somebody ? does the repair/install at which point they tend to leave things for a few days to check for leaks or possible inspection by a "higher power"= the energy company's supervisor- only then will they fill it in and re-instate the road/pavement surface.

Exactly how it works around here, one company (SP Energy) has the contract then subs this out:

1. Someone to do the dig out
2. SP or other to do the works.
3. Someone to do the initial fill in.
4. A final company to do the asphalt and reinstatement.

I was talking to my brother who has worked on the roads for 40 odd years and he thinks the guys who did the work (he knows some of them) haven't been paid and that's why they are not back.

There are a lot of fly by nights around here that operate cash in hand, called ABC this week then XYZ next week and they get subbed to do these works on behalf of the main contractor then they sub it out to someone else.

I expect a gesture to "elf n safety " is nominally taken care of by the temporary barriers round the hole.
I am not unsympathetic to your problem but unfortunately the utilities seem to hold all the cards on this type of situation.

Yes, makes it nice and safe just doesn't allow me to get in or out.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

I agree with LTD, do an uncle Albert

I honestly almost slipped last night when a bit at the edge I stood on to get in the gate fell away.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

If this happened to me I am lucky enough to enough builders and ground workers who would happily save the cost of a skip and fill it with hard-core/scrap and not far from me is a 'travellers camp' (although they don't seem to travel anywhere much..but I digress) and they will lay tarmac pretty much anywhere (even when asked not to !) for cash.

Fill it in 'properly' and deny all knowledge

I do have a lot of spare rubble at work but sadly don't have the time before my holiday.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

It might focus their minds that , since you have been unable to access your property , you have been forced to check into a hotel for the last 10 days , and want to know where to send the invoice , otherwise you will have no option that to take them to small claims court

I could actually probably do this from now but given I'm off on holiday I've too much to get done before I go.

Why do women always have to clean the entire house before a holiday!