Search This Blog

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Drains, pipes... heaps of dirt and mess...

Yes it's time for another update on the building site next door. Remember the owner of the company told me in October last year that all building work would be completed by early December, then the site would be closed for the Christmas break and the landscapers would be at work in the New Year...well it hasn't really worked out quite that way...
A few weeks ago DH and I were visited by a 'man with a clipboard' and he obviously had a can of spray paint as well...
 This fellow was from the company who were going to connect up the houses next door to the sewer line in the street. You know what's coming don't you...access was needed to our property which we gave but under the proviso that he change the plans to pile up soil in our property.
The side boundary
So at the start of the next week all the mess and mayhem was to start...
Our street was closed at both ends for a few days...but residents could get in and out at the eastern end when the man on barrier duty would move the witches hats...








 This had been my garden bed at the side front of our property...

I trimmed the pentas shrub and the geranium as I knew they would get a battering...but I didn't realise how much of a battering...my edging in this garden bed is those interlocking brick type blocks...an area of approximately one square metre has been removed and the edging blocks that have been removed are stacked under the front veranda. This garden bed was slowly built up by me over many months in 2007...a lot of compost and a lot of purchased garden soil went into this bed...but as you can see the a lot of the bed has been flattened back to the original ground level.

 The young man driving the excavator dug up this poker plant and replanted it in a pot, when it became obvious that it would be uprooted...I appreciated that even though the plant looks a bit sad...




 The preceding photos deal with the drainage work towards the front of the 6 terrace houses and the connection to the street...now here are some photos of the line being dug along our side boundary...remember the temporary fence is on our land...

 Now the fencing is resting against our house...we preferrred this to what the engineers had wanted which would see huge mounds of dirt in our yard against the battens of the area of under our house...this photo was taken while I was sitting at our PC...

 The next photo was taken from the front bedroom which is my sewing room...
Taken from just near our back door looking down towards the front...

Just before I left for Melbourne the previous week, a load of fencing timber was delivered...

 By the time I got home, some fencing had been built...
 What a narrow little house this one is...


 And during this last week, work has continued with the drainage at the back of the property......


I have been promised full restoration of my garden bed by the engineering firm...however I will be away when this is supposed to happen. Am I being a cynic when I suggest that 'I won't hold my breath'...as to whether the missing soil is returned and damaged plants replaced???? And they still have to construct the new fence on the boundary line...will this be a further chance for the contractors to wreak havoc... ?

12 comments:

Dorothy said...

That all looks like a terrible mess to me and I'd be hopping mad if I were you. Why couldn't have they done all that sewerage work before the houses were built? I think you should ask for monetary compensation for all the damage done to your garden and property so that you can repair their damage to your own liking. And they should get you the biggest box of chocolates they can find when they're finished. Enjoy the rest of your weekend Maria xox

Anonymous said...

Oh no Maria,what a drama all this has been.xx

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Oh no Maria,what a drama all this has been.xx

Noela said...

They certainly don't care what they do as long as there part is done. Hope someone can keep on to them while you are away Maria. Hugs.....

Vireya said...

It seems outrageous that they are still digging up YOUR property after so long. Why didn't they put in the drainage work as part of the digging of the foundations, I wonder?

I hope eventually it is sorted out to your satisfaction, but like you, I wouldn't be holding my breath. Enjoy your trip, and we will all hope that you get a pleasant surprise on your return.

Justjen said...

Just dropped into blog land,it's been so long, Maria. What a nightmare, but don't give in to them. I think they draw these things out hoping residents will just give up xx.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Oh dear, I hope you will have restoration of your garden from all of this havoc. Workers just don't understand how much of our hearts are in our gardens.

FlowerLady

Susan said...

You've been very amenable to those developers next door and it's to be hoped they do the right thing by you.
Not wishing to be pessimistic but, just in case they don't, you know what they say "a picture is worth a thousand words" ... hang on to every photo you've taken in this regard Maria.
All the best :D)

Unknown said...

Oh Maria, how sad to see all you hard work has been destroyed, and what for. Ah ... that's right. Progress. You know what you can do with progress. Oops sorry. It makes my blood boil. Sue

Unknown said...

plumbing services in Sydney, including blocked drain clearing, hot water plumbing, gas fitting, complete renovation services, emergency plumbing and much more.
http://goo.gl/6iuvoA