what constitutes a garden???

[neil_loves_marie]

me and the wife moved into a council property just over 9 months ago.
the rear garden is just mud with 1 row of slabs directly outside the back door to the entry.
i have had the tenants handbook out regarding garden maintenance and i have a legal duty to look after this garden (mud).

i have been asking the council to put some grass or give me a basic garden that i can work with has i tried digging it up and once you go about a inch deep you hit brick, clay etc...

its a garden thats undoable by an amateur thats never done gardening.

the council state "the row of slabs we put down are all in good condition so the garden is complete to our satisfactory standards"

i have asked various times for a meeting with the cheif executive to discuss the word "garden" as the council have given me a pathway to maintain yet they still say the pathway is actually a garden.

should i carry on arguing that a path isn't a garden or should i just leave it or could anyone help with some legalities of the word garden and path.

[bednobs]

If you want a garden, put one in yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. In the meantime, maintain the path as required

[boxtops]

A garden is any area where you can plant things. If you are provided with a path and bare soil, you can put what you want in it. If it's really awful soil, put it down to slabs or gravel, and have loads of trees and plants in pots - that's what we did.

[neil_loves_marie]

but shouldn't the handbook say path in respect of garden.

its not that the garden is big or anything, its just undiggable without machinery.

this is the same council that allowed us to move in with a garden 1/2 full of rubbish which my puppy actually got poisoned off before they removed it.

[neil_loves_marie]

i have done the front garden as it was soil, not bricks and clay.

[sherrardk]

Did you view the property before you accepted it? If so, you knew the state it was in. The council probably uses the term 'garden' to keep things simple for all of its tenants.

[neil_loves_marie]

my wife viewed it while i was at work, the garden was full of rubbish which we was told was due to be moved.
after collecting keys we rang to be told 6-8 weeks on the rubbish which when i went ballistic at them for my dog getting poisoned by something in there it was moved the following day.

i just feel that me and my friends are helpless to do anything with it as it cant be dug up and its really uneven.

i'm only asking them to give me something i can work with (which isn't being unreasonable)

[BRIGHT SPARK]

Neil i'm afraid the council have great difficulty in keeping pace with their health and safety obligations ie heating, roofing,electrics, windows, etc so your garden will be low priority.Hire a digger for a day and have some fun!

[neil_loves_marie]

bright spark---
i hear exactly what you're saying as i know sandwell council are proper rubbish,
i have just filled a compensation form in about the days me or the wife had off work for waiting for repairs when repairers never came. (probably about 8 times).

i doubt i would trust myself on a digger mate, i wouldn't wanna dig and hit fences or hit a wall or dig to close to foundations if you understand what im saying.

[bednobs]

then get a professional to do it.

[neil_loves_marie]

its not as easy as that as professionals want top money which i would have if csa weren't taking 25% of my wages and then about 35%-40% going on solicitors fees to fight to see my kids which leaves me with very little to pay for such help.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

The spade's looking like the best option then Neil..:-D

[bednobs]

yep, or just don't use the garden i suppose

[sherrardk]

Are you moaning about supporting your children? I think you are very lucky to have secured council housing (we rent privately and it is not a very secure position to be in). Stop whinging and get it sorted, it's only a garden, your not contemplating building one of the wonders of the world.

[bednobs]

lol say it how it is then sherrard!

[douglas9401]

Get it as flat as you can then turf it. It'll establish in no time, it's fairly cheap and easy to maintain.

[BRIGHT SPARK]

Come on Sherrad give the lad a break at least he's out there earning a living,facing his obligations and trying to get his house nice...I know quite a lot in his position who would settle for a life on benefits ...I wish you well mate.

[sherrardk]

His wife saw the house before they moved in, he wants some sort of compensation for having to wait in for repair people who didn't show (do you get compensation if someone doesn't show up at your house?). As for 'facing his obligations', big deal, they are his children!

[neil_loves_marie]

sherradk, we were in private rented housing and when landlord hit financial problems he had to sell the house we was in, so we was homeless.

my wife viewed the house on a "non refusal" basis, we had to accept the house or we wouldn't be offered another one so looking at all the problems wasn't an option.

this is the council that also allowed the house to pass safe to move in with the following problems---
hole in bath so couldn't bath as water just ran out
stair railing not secure to wall
garden full of broken glass, food waste and god knows what other rubbish was there
no gas for a week
doors that dont close

all this with 3 kids that i have to support that aren't my kids as there dad is a junkie and can't even afford a birthday card for them

the compensation claim was advised by c.e.o secreatary for all the booked days off work as time slots for repairs are 8am-6pm and they fail to turn up to between 10-15 slots so i have now put a claim in as its holiday i have used unnecessarily.

expensive machinery and tooling is out of the question as you can see but i could easily quit my job go on benefits, claim depression (get my garden sorted by council as i've gt illness through it) pay solicitors for my childs access battle on legal aid, and for it all to be funded by your'e taxes which wouldn't be right

[neil_loves_marie]

sherrad -
if my ex allowed me to see my kids rather than use them as weapons i woul be able to afford expensive machinery and get people in but paying over £300 a month to solicitors and £325 to c.s.a a month, doesn't leave much for me, my wife and the 3 kids that aren't mine does it.

i would be better off on benefits, as i have to pay full rent, council tax and all the bills on top off the csa/solicitors

[boxtops]

Neil, gravel it. That's not expensive - then get some pots when you can afford it. That'll do to see you over until the spring, and at least you'll have somewhere to sit.