On 2 Jun 2015 at 12:24pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
It's been months that the house on the corner of Rotten Row and opposite LOGS has had some frankly iffy looking scaffolding holding the wall up from falling on cars and pedestrians.
Does anyone know the story of what happened and when it's getting fixed?
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:21pm Not pretty situ wrote:
It's not a nice situation. A drunk driver ran into it, knocking down the pole and battering the wall. The owners are in a 'Brazil'-like situation, shuffled between council planning and insurers. What's really rankling is that the insurer for the house and the drunk driver's car (who fled the scene, btw...) are the same company! What are they on about? Are they fighting their own claim against themselves? Bizarre and sad as the owners of the property cannot do a thing until it's sorted. Believe me, they are fully conscious of the possible (the scaffolding is actually quite solid) danger and unsightly nature of the area involved--just powerless to do anything about it.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:26pm Smart Alec wrote:
No doubt the owner of the property knows - unless he/she is waiting on their insurer to sort out a claim - you could try knocking on the door and politely asking, especially if you believe the scaffolding poses a risk to passers-by.
That way you'd be sure you knew the truth, and were not at risk of believing second-hand hearsay, guesswork, or gossip.
But that's far too obvious a course of action I guess.
Alec
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:28pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
How annoying for them but regardless of the insurance wrangle the owner is still responsible for their property. Insurance is only there to cover/recover cost it doesn't remove one's responsibility to fix and maintain their own property.
How do they know the drunk driver has the same insurance company if he ran off? Did he leave the car there for the police to pick up.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:35pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
Thanks SA but as this is a problem that impacts upon local people on the street it's not unreasonable to discuss it on a forum set up and run for local people to discuss local issues.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:37pm Not pretty situ wrote:
Yes, the drunk driver left the car there. Are you suggesting they go out of pocket (and this is money they might not have, you certainly are not privy to their financial situation--unless you make that part of your inquiry when you knock on their door as Alec suggests) for hugely expensive damages that were clearly not their fault or due to their neglect. I should hope not. That would be unreasonable. I'm sure no one on this forum is unreasonable, are they?
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:52pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
I'm sure none of us would say we're unreasonable but it is their wall and therefore their responsibility to maintain it regardless what happened to it. If it was mine I would be very concerned that unless a structural engineer has examined that current set up and cleared the scaffold to be a suitable long term solution it could easily deteriorate further and cause even more problems. I can't imagine they have insurance that would cover them in the event of a large damaged wall crumbling further and falling onto LOGS school children who can often be seen having a shifty fag there.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:53pm Reasonable person wrote:
I have no idea why anyone would be so bothered by this. We live in a beautiful old town, and sometimes , when irresponsible drunk drivers damage it, we have to tolerate the inconvenience of delays if we want the quality repair this building, the owners, and we deserve. Rather than making the owners feel bad, one could just walk or drive a different way. It has not been a problem for that long. One could even ask the owners if they need some help.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:56pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
It looks terrible and is likely dangerous. Why on gods green earth would anyone ask if someone living in one of the towns most expensive areas if they need help to build a wall. Honestly call a builder and it will be fixed within a week for a reasonable cost. From what I heard on here it seems they are trying to avoid the upfront repair bill while leaving a dangerous eyesore.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 1:58pm RP wrote:
Notforthelikesofus. You are clearly an expert in structural surveying, and scaffolding safety, so why don't you raise your concerns with the appropriate person? Lewes Forum users can't do anything, can they? What you don't seem to be aware of is that the Scaffolders have to be insured, and many insurance policies do include cover for the kind of incident you describe (mine certainly does) It does sound a little like you have a bee in your bonnet, and want to blame the home owners for things which are the professional responsibility of others. I am sure LDC would love to hear from you, about your concerns and can advise you accordingly.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 2:04pm Lewes Resident wrote:
I see the original poster's true colours are gradually creeping out. It is an opinion based on gossip ("what I heard") and prejudice (why is living in what is now an expensive area proof of being awash with spare cash?). Yes, any builder could throw up a nice sturdy wall with modern bricks and we would have someone just like you complaining about that instead. This is in a Conservation Area, and may also be Listed. It is not easy repairing old buildings, is it? For starters perhaps you could tell the rest of us where you would get a whole load of the old style bricks from?
On 2 Jun 2015 at 2:10pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
I think it is unpleasant and unneighborly of the owner to leave their property like this for so long. Pay the bill to get a builder to rebuild the wall and claim it back from your insurance company.
It's not my problem but if someone is injured from this the owner is going to seriously regret not fixing it sooner. Whether or not a scaffolding firm has PLI is not the point the owner should maintain their property to prevent it injuring others. In this kind of wind and rain it could weaken the remaining brickwork and internal garden area and potentially cause sections to fall where plenty of local people pass through. It is inherently mean to not fix this sooner.
But thanks for your replies it has helped shed a bit more light on the types of people who own that property. If they lived in council house I bet they'd be getting a lot more grief from the well to do!
On 2 Jun 2015 at 2:15pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
Dear LR I'm not a builder so I have no idea currently where they'd buy bricks. Why would I care that's why we employ people who do know these things. Being awash with cash is immaterial if you own a property it's your responsibility to maintain it. Indeed my opinion is based on what I've heard that's why I asked the question in the first place and following the knowledge passed on I have formed an opinion, is that wrong in some way?
On 2 Jun 2015 at 2:54pm NAPS wrote:
Oh dear. The class wars all over. So THAT was the point of the OP. I actually know the 'kinds of people' who live there. A kinder, more civic-minded, more generous and all-around lovelier family cannot be found in this town, I assure you. Why are you choosing to shame and rather vilify them? What sort of agenda is really at the heart of your 'concern'? Please, they would be happy to accept your help and assistance if you really are worried about them, the property and the wee darlings smoking 'round there. You might possibly make a friend by being one. It beats being a judgemental busy-body every day of the week!
On 2 Jun 2015 at 3:04pm Ben wrote:
That scaffolding, is a structural support. The wall is not going anywhere.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 3:06pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
Nothing to do with class war, what a strange thing to say, I simply stand by my assertion, which i'll reiterate. That to leave a potentially dangerous eyesore for a prolonged period on an area used by lots of children and elderly people for the sake of waiting for an insurance company to cough up is not a neighborly thing to do.
If that had happened in a poorer area the owners would be castigated as chavs with no respect.
My agenda was to see if any other residents knew what had happened. Now thanks to these responses I have found out that the owner has chosen to wait for a complex insurance claim to pay out rather than foot the bill to repair their own property regardless of the inconvenience and potential danger they are putting their neighbours in.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 3:13pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
Thanks Ben. Do you have anything to support your claim or is that just your opinion?
On 2 Jun 2015 at 3:29pm cassis wrote:
I think u will find that this wall is subject to council planning as it is very old wall , which would also involves closing to both sides of the fork to provide a safe place to work for the builders and the police and the council were involved in getting the wall supported. there is also the issue of the electric which have been damaged for the council owned pole which has also not been fixed as this to is subject to the insurance claim that is outstanding, may be people are really concerned they could offer some real support to the owner who was a victim of very dangerous crime and just be thankful that no one was injured in the process of this criminals actions
On 2 Jun 2015 at 3:34pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
There has been a planning notice there for ages so logically if no one has given a decent reason why they object to the rebuilding work then it should have begun by now.
To be fair the owner wasn't really a victim of a horrific crime someone just crashed into a garden wall, they weren't taken hostage at gunpoint!
Indeed we should be grateful that no one has so far been injured lets hope that remains the case.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 3:39pm cassis wrote:
the fact remains if the insurance has not be agreed and the family do not have the funds to start work till the insurers agree to the work and planning stipulations then we will have to be patient until the family have the funding available and the council and insurers have fixed the electric and road closure issues , I have not checked the planning notice status on the councils website to see if the planning was approved
On 2 Jun 2015 at 3:54pm notforthelikesofus wrote:
Not knowing the owners I'm not privy to their finances but this is one of Lewes most expensive areas and yet they can't pay to fix their wall without waiting for the insurance pay out first seems a bit far fetched to me.
The street furniture is a council issue so I wonder what their excuse is for taking so long to get the light replaced.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 4:00pm Annette Curtin-Twitcher wrote:
I think it's reckless to advise someone to pay for repairs out of their own pocket and then to try and recover the money form their insurers. Insurance companies will find a gazillion reasons not to pay and take an aeon or two to fork out even when they have.
Afaiaw, all building insurance includes third party cover, so if the wall fell down and caused damage or injury because of the insurer's tardiness in settling a claim, they would rightly be exposed to a greater liability than if they had settled more quickly.
It makes me sick the way insurance co's will argue among themselves rather than meet their responsibilities. Imo, when there's a dispute between insurers they should pay out on a 50/50 basis and settle which company is liable afterwards.
Repairing a listed building involves getting the work approved by the council and English Heritage before you start, and that's not going to be quick either.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 4:11pm Tipex wrote:
Have driven down rotten row dozens of times since the scaffolding went up and it doesn't pose any difficulties at all.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 5:44pm NAPS wrote:
@notforthelikesofus. Hmmm. Not a horrific crime? I have a feeling you yourself might feel quite victimised if someone crashed into your (very close to house) garden wall full speed at 5.30am, as was the case here. And you also might have felt rather at risk when you went outside and found the perp fleeing the scene--who knows when he might have chosen to come back and at that point he was indeed a criminal. Thank goodness this town does not depend on your sense of mercy, compassion and patience. And thank goodness the occupiers of that house possess all three of those qualities in abundance--but not enough money to suit your needs. Big sorry for that. Do try try to find it in your heart to forgive.
On 2 Jun 2015 at 8:06pm local wrote:
Good grief! Have folk nothing better to do?
On 2 Jun 2015 at 11:10pm another local wrote:
handy information for all: is that 'like for like' repair does not need Listed Building or Planning consent. What would need consent is the use of different material (bricks) or changes, like height or inserting a door in the wall.
On 3 Jun 2015 at 6:58am Trompe L'oeil wrote:
Even a fake door painted on the wall ?
On 3 Jun 2015 at 8:46am cassis wrote:
update , having read the planning process for this wall , it has taken 2months and 21 documents to get approval and adhering to a vast list of planning laws , they have got approval and the materials will have to meet the specifications, they 3 yrs to do the work, and the scaffold has had to signed off as appropriate by the planning department during the early part of this process.
On 3 Jun 2015 at 8:54am cassis wrote:
I should also add , the scaffolding structure was designed by a consulting civil and structural engineer firm and approved by the planning teams
On 3 Jun 2015 at 1:53pm Thankyou cassis wrote:
And if there is a need for some red 19th century bricks I know where load are laying from a 18 inch wide wall x 8 foot tall x 500 yards long. It blew over some years ago and it's an obscure yet accesible location 
On 3 Jun 2015 at 2:14pm Old Bloke wrote:
Well done notforhtelikesofus you landed a huge net full there
Finished up like the busy body version of Speakers Corner
Attractive looking town in a few parts is Lewes but otherwise much the same as any where else
On 3 Jun 2015 at 3:16pm Localbod wrote:
...and it would look increasingly less attractive if every time a wall, door or window was replaced it was done badly. Some people just see the problem, get wound up by ignorance and gossip about the reality of the solution, and then are surprised when not everyone agrees with their point of view.