Rodent issue

[hertslady80]

............... harsh baiting regime..........

Is that your words or your neighbours?

My neighbours choice of words would be murder in the most inhumane and painful way goes on. I'm not a fan of poison, but at least that appears to be working.

MacadamB53

Thank you for your answer, to be fair it could of been viewed from the RSPB centre as some of their walkways overlook her garden. So could be done, if it happens again, i no doubt believe that she will return to the old ways when she reinstates feeding, especially her ground feeding when she throws pint jugs of seed down.

[MacadamB53]

Hi hertslady,

it could of been viewed from the RSPB centre as some of their walkways overlook her garden.

share you concerns with the RSPB site team and ask them if rats pose a threat to eggs/chicks (hint, hint... )

Kind regards, Mac

[hertslady80]

But these people advocate bird feeding don't they, stand up in court and give evidence that theres no proof pigeons and other wildlife cause damage to buildings etc.

I see where you coming from

[arborlad]

............ if the rats that are entering her home come into our loft eat the bait but then go back into her house and die as most rats succumb in their nests, then they will rot and cause a horrible stench has she got any recourse against us as she knows we have used bait in our loft and garden (lock up boxes) because there is a possibility of at least 10 rats that could die somewhere in the property. Lets say she has to do remedial to get rid of the bodies because of the smell is she going to come at us to seek redress for either the smell or the costs for having this work carried out, purely hypothetical.

..............time to remind your neighbour of the unavoidable side effect of having to use bait (which I am not a fan of for that very reason) it may even get her to review her bird feeding regime.

[hertslady80]

Lol, she wont do that she has told us she wont be bullied or told what she can do on her private property, fair enough if it doesn't affect anyone else. This is the very reason we didn't want to use bait, because unless you know for sure where they nest they could die anywhere. Also the risk of secondary poison, and the fact i do own pets myself it really was the last straw.

[arborlad]

See if you can find a couple of these locally: http://www.solwayfeeders.com/products/s ... -c202.html

[hertslady80]

Ok thank you arborlad.

[hertslady80]

Thank you guys for all your advice.

My main aim was to get a legal stand point on all this due to next doors attitude regarding the whole situation, she even tried to blame us that we should of told them about hole in the property when they moved in.

We wasn't aware the hole was still there until we heard noises along the wall, saw the rats ,then we told her the very next day , shouldn't a survey have picked up this fault?

She also says shes inherited the problem, if that is the case why feed the way she was, the whole thing is ridiculous.

[arsie]

It sounds like an open shared loft space. Can you not divide up the loft with fire resistant rat-proof blocks?

edit:
I am no lawyer but I don't think she is doing anything illegal, as such. All you can do you have: which is, to notify the appropriate authorities and let them pursue her. The legal situation I would expect any solicitor could confirm very quickly. It's a shame this could not have been resolved by her taking sensible measures, I agree, and now you have got to loggerheads - but "there's nowt so queer as folk"

[hertslady80]

It sounds like an open shared loft space. Can you not brick up the loft with fire resistant rat-proof blocks?

edit:
you want legal advice. I am no lawyer but I don't think she is doing anything illegal, as such. The only illegal act was you blocking up a hole on her land. All you can do you have: which is, notify the appropriate authorities. The legal situation I would expect any solicitor could confirm very quickly. It's a shame this could not have been resolved by her taking sensible measures and now you have both got to loggerheads but "there's nowt so queer as folk"

There is a brick wall in place between the loft and their property, Its down to the previous owner knocking out some bricks in this wall when carrying out building work (loft conversion) that's right in the apex of the roof though.

I wasn't talking about whether anything illegal had happened, we are talking hypothetical, should damage be caused to the property because of rodents and they have come from her home etc.

As i said we know it was wrong to cover not block the hole with a piece of wire guard, would you want rats accessing your property, and this being the possible way they could be getting in, try to prevent it. Also re that she is trespassing with her traps, they are on our boundary not hers, but i'm not petty and haven't mentioned it.

[arsie]

I would think it would be hard to prove rats caused, or were culpable in, a house fire.

But as I said, if you are worried it might be worth restoring the fire retardant nature of the loft party wall. I know that modern building regs don't apply retrospectively but, in the unlikely event of a fire and a claim from your insurance company against next door, you will be seen to have done all you can. And will have gained precious time to save lives. I would get the fire department round to inspect if you are worried. My bro in law is a fireman and I know they do this sort of thing.

[hertslady80]

So we should basically have to pay for someone else's mistakes. Not that we blame the current neighbour, its the previous owner.

[arsie]

Yes it does seem like that but I would prefer to see it as paying for my own safety/peace of mind.

[hertslady80]

So what if you don't have the money then being retired etc, that is not likely to be cheap is it.

Anyway this is digressing now.

[hertslady80]

The next door neighbours household consists of three adults, which we assume all viewed the property probably more than once before purchase, and considering the paid in excess of £400,000 you would think they would of had a survey carried out.

You would also think that between 3 adults and possibly a surveyor that they would of noticed this hole in the wall, as it's quite noticeable in daylight as its right next to where the newly built extention butts up to the main existing external wall. It makes sense when paying out a substantial amount of money for a property you would of thought that where any home improvements have been carried out they would of checked that the finish was carried out to the required standard.

As i have already stated, there is more to this than just the vermin issue, if you saw the correspondence she has been sending, you would probably see that we are not exactly dealing with a rationally thinking person, note i say person it doesn't mean the household all think this way. This person almost thinks that vermin and wildlife have more rights than her human neighbours

So I put this to you, if as you put it we committed trespass, does she not do it every time she crosses our front lawn to post these inflammatory and defamatory letters by hand. Considering we have only responded to one letter she sent about the rodent problem, and we have now received 4!