When landlord and tennant fall out:

[ProDave]

Near to us was a farm. The farm owner is pretty much retired, so he lives in the farm house, and rents the farm land and the cottage.

The last tenant who was there, as well as farming, ran a builders firm, so had set up some workshops in a barn. I fitted a new CU and wired various sockets for him in conduit.

Now the tenant and landlord have fallen out, so the tenant is leaving.

It's got so bitter between them, that the tenant does not want the landlord to benefit from any of his "improvements" that he paid for.

So he turns up on my door today, and asks if I will go and remove the new CU I fitted nearly 2 years ago, and put back the old rusty metal clad wylex rewireable that was there before, then produced a very dusty cardboard box, still with the old fusebox inside it. :slap Needless to say, I declined.

Still feeling bitter, and not able to remove "his" new CU, his latest "plan" is he's going to rip out all the new sockets and conduit. Again I advised against this. But he's going ahead anyway.

So I've got to go there tomorrow to make sure it's all safe, and that in ripping out all his sockets he's not left any live wires or anything else dangerous.

The lengths people will go to further a dispute are beyond belief. You would think this was an old married couple in the middle of a bitter divorce.

 

[NozSpark]

TBH I would not get in the middle of this..... It will get very messy

However, If you know the landlord I would limit my involvement to telling him what the tenants plan is

 

[Andy™]

as above, id keep out of it as much as possible

 

[ProDave]

Yes. Very Tricky.

Even more so because I'm doing a job next week for the builder (now working from new premises). But also want to keep the landlord sweet so I pick up any work from him and the next tenant.

One has to put on two faces for this job. It will be a case of tell the landlord "I told the silly tw@t not to do that"

 

[steptoe]

do you 'know' what the tenant is going to do?

how could you know.......

 

[NozSpark]

I think I'd limit my involvement to telling the tenant not to do what he's planning,,, could it be criminal damage?? And telling the landlord after the fact that you told the tenant not to!

 

[ProDave]

I think I'd limit my involvement to telling the tenant not to do what he's planning,,, could it be criminal damage?? And telling the landlord after the fact that you told the tenant not to!

Is it criminal damage?

When the tenant moved in, there was an old metal clad rewireable fuse box, feeding just some lights in the barn. I fitted the new CU to enable me to fit some sockets so he could use it as a workshop. If the tenant removes the sockets that he paid to have fitted, then I can't see what the landlord can caomplain about. As long as it's left safe and the lights are still there.

I drew the line at putting the old fuse board back, and will check tomorrow that it has been left safe.

But I'll bet the cost of me checking it and putting anything right, will make the half a dozen 13A sockets he has recovered look rather expensive and rather childish.

 

[batty]

I think I would make it too expensive for him to want me to remove consumer unit so he would rather leave it.

 

[ProDave]

I think I would make it too expensive for him to want me to remove consumer unit so he would rather leave it.

Don't worry, I've flatly refused to re fit the old fuse box, just told him it would be illegal as it does not comply with current regulations.

 

[NozSpark]

TBH I didnt know if it would be criminal damage or not,,, was just a thought

 

[Badger]

Don't worry, I've flatly refused to re fit the old fuse box, just told him it would be illegal as it does not comply with current regulations.

:Applaud :Applaud

 

[Bacon]

TBH I didnt know if it would be criminal damage or not,,, was just a thought

If i'm right willfull damage of your own property can be classed as criminal damage.

And you can be charged with such an offence.

Intent and recklessness

The mens rea of all offences in the Act is direct or oblique intention, or subjective recklessness as defined by the House of Lords in R v. G (2003).[31] Bingham L.J. stated that a person acts "recklessly" with respect to

(i) a circumstance when he is aware of a risk that it exists or will exist; or (ii) a result when he is aware of a risk that it will occur;

and it is, in the circumstances known to him, unreasonable to take the risk.[32] In Booth v. Crown Prosecution Service (2006)[33] the Divisional Court upheld the defendant pedestrian's conviction on a charge that, by rashly dashing into the road, he recklessly damaged the vehicle that hit him because "the appellant was aware of the risk and closed his mind to it".

 

[nsbs]

Highlanders what they like

 

[ProDave]

Just back from the farm. Took me 2 hours to unravel this idiots doings.

Sure enough, every single new socket or light installed in the barn had been ripped out. Trouble was there were still half a dozen wires still connected to the CU, so I had to remove what was left of them and disconnect them from the CU. That leaves just 2 original lights, and one original socket still connected in the barn.

I made my peace with the owner, and made sure he knew I had advised the tenant against his actions.

It turns out, the really daft bit was the owner recognised the improvement of new wiring in the barn, and had offered to pay the tenant his costs to leave it there, but the hatred between them was such that the outgoing tenant would not even accept payment to leave it there, but was adamant to make life as inconvenient as possible for the landlord.

It looks like in a couple of weeks the landlord is going to pay me to go and rewire the barn again.

It's sad to see two people with such hatred for each other.

Still, I got a really good trailer load of fire wood while I was there.

 

[NozSpark]

It's always good to get paid to do a job twice

 

[ProDave]

It's always good to get paid to do a job twice

3 times

Once to put it in for the first tenant.

Second to take it out for the first tenant.

Third to put it back in for the landlord.

 

[batty]

Just back from the farm. Took me 2 hours to unravel this idiots doings.Sure enough, every single new socket or light installed in the barn had been ripped out. Trouble was there were still half a dozen wires still connected to the CU, so I had to remove what was left of them and disconnect them from the CU. That leaves just 2 original lights, and one original socket still connected in the barn.

I made my peace with the owner, and made sure he knew I had advised the tenant against his actions.

It turns out, the really daft bit was the owner recognised the improvement of new wiring in the barn, and had offered to pay the tenant his costs to leave it there, but the hatred between them was such that the outgoing tenant would not even accept payment to leave it there, but was adamant to make life as inconvenient as possible for the landlord.

It looks like in a couple of weeks the landlord is going to pay me to go and rewire the barn again.

It's sad to see two people with such hatred for each other.

Still, I got a really good trailer load of fire wood while I was there.

Worse when it arguments in families I personally try to get on with everbody. I hope you loaded the wood while he wasn't looking.

 

[ProDave]

I hope you loaded the wood while he wasn't looking.

No, I loaded the wood with his permission.

This was the remnants of the outgoing tenants firewood pile. He had already taken as much as he could load onto his truck and didn't have room for any more.

And it was a case of ANYONE could have it EXCEPT the landlord, so he just wanted somebody, anybody, to take it. I was happy to oblige.