Hello,

I'm sorry to say that I have run into some trouble with my allotment
committee. Please can anyone tell me in such disputes to whom do I
have the right to appeal? I do not think the land is council owned, so
I am not sure that the council can intervene. Other than the allotment
act, what other rules govern allotments? Where can I get hold of a
copy of the allotment act?

Thanks,
Stephen.

Stephen wrote:
Hello,

I'm sorry to say that I have run into some trouble with my allotment
committee. Please can anyone tell me in such disputes to whom do I
have the right to appeal? I do not think the land is council owned, so
I am not sure that the council can intervene. Other than the allotment
act, what other rules govern allotments? Where can I get hold of a
copy of the allotment act?

Thanks,
Stephen.AFAIK, there are3 kinds of allotments. Council owned/run, Council
owned, but run by a commitee elected by the tenants and privately owned.
If the first, speak to the Council (Parks and open spaces dept?). If
either of the others, usually the committee/owners woed is law.
What exactly is your problem?
--
Pete C
London UK

"Stephen" wrote...

I'm sorry to say that I have run into some trouble with my allotment
committee. Please can anyone tell me in such disputes to whom do I
have the right to appeal? I do not think the land is council owned, so
I am not sure that the council can intervene. Other than the allotment
act, what other rules govern allotments? Where can I get hold of a
copy of the allotment act?


If you have ignored the rules of your allotment site then I'm afraid you are
in trouble.
What is it that has caused the problem between you?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:10:53 +0100, "Pete C"
wrote:

What exactly is your problem?

Last year I arrived at the allotment to find it had been destroyed by
a man with a petrol-powered strimmer. The man was still there and said
he had been told to clear all overgrown plots. I complained to the
chairman who said that he knew nothing about this man, and the man
agreed that he was working independently of the chairman but all this
was verbal. Incidentally after we confronted him he went and there
were many overgrown plots he had not touched.

We dispute that our plot was ever overgrown and if it was, they should
have had the courtesy to tell us and give us notice to clear it before
they did. They should have taken photos to show the alleged weeds but
they did not, so it is there word against ours.

So we had complained to the chairman, who was on our side but the
damage was done and there was nothing more we could do, so we carried
on at the allotment for the following months without trouble or
comment. Last month there was an AGM. I complained about this
vigilante cutting down my plot without notice nor authorisation.

I was then told that the committee had authorised this, contradicting
what they had said at the time, and that since I do not respect the
authority of the committee I would be summarily evicted. No right of
appeal, no notice, nothing except they would pay half the costs of me
hiring a rotavator to clear it.

"Stephen" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:10:53 +0100, "Pete C"
wrote:

What exactly is your problem?

Last year I arrived at the allotment to find it had been destroyed by
a man with a petrol-powered strimmer. The man was still there and said
he had been told to clear all overgrown plots. I complained to the
chairman who said that he knew nothing about this man, and the man
agreed that he was working independently of the chairman but all this
was verbal. Incidentally after we confronted him he went and there
were many overgrown plots he had not touched.

We dispute that our plot was ever overgrown and if it was, they should
have had the courtesy to tell us and give us notice to clear it before
they did. They should have taken photos to show the alleged weeds but
they did not, so it is there word against ours.

So we had complained to the chairman, who was on our side but the
damage was done and there was nothing more we could do, so we carried
on at the allotment for the following months without trouble or
comment. Last month there was an AGM. I complained about this
vigilante cutting down my plot without notice nor authorisation.

I was then told that the committee had authorised this, contradicting
what they had said at the time, and that since I do not respect the
authority of the committee I would be summarily evicted. No right of
appeal, no notice, nothing except they would pay half the costs of me
hiring a rotavator to clear it.

I posted a link to the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners
website in a response to your uk.legal post.
From what they state, it sounds as though they may be able to help.
http://www.nsalg.org.uk/index.php

"Stephen" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:10:53 +0100, "Pete C"
wrote:

What exactly is your problem?

Last year I arrived at the allotment to find it had been destroyed by
a man with a petrol-powered strimmer. The man was still there and said
he had been told to clear all overgrown plots. I complained to the
chairman who said that he knew nothing about this man, and the man
agreed that he was working independently of the chairman but all this
was verbal. Incidentally after we confronted him he went and there
were many overgrown plots he had not touched.

We dispute that our plot was ever overgrown and if it was, they should
have had the courtesy to tell us and give us notice to clear it before
they did. They should have taken photos to show the alleged weeds but
they did not, so it is there word against ours.

So we had complained to the chairman, who was on our side but the
damage was done and there was nothing more we could do, so we carried
on at the allotment for the following months without trouble or
comment. Last month there was an AGM. I complained about this
vigilante cutting down my plot without notice nor authorisation.

I was then told that the committee had authorised this, contradicting
what they had said at the time, and that since I do not respect the
authority of the committee I would be summarily evicted. No right of
appeal, no notice, nothing except they would pay half the costs of me
hiring a rotavator to clear it.

First you need to get in writing whether the action was taken with the
approval or at the request of the commitee, and who authorised it, and
identify who carried it out. Then you can start going through the procedure
of finding out whether the correct procedures according to the committee's
rules, bylaws or whatever were observed. Only then can you decide what if
any, action can be taken.

Your last paragraph there is somewhat confusing. Are they evicting you, or
offering half the cost of a rotavator? It seems unlikely that they would do
both.

Steve

On Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:35:04 +0100, "shazzbat"
wrote:

Your last paragraph there is somewhat confusing. Are they evicting you, or
offering half the cost of a rotavator? It seems unlikely that they would do
both.

Thanks for all your help. I have sent a few letters and will let you
know how I get on. The problem is they don't appear to have any rules
or byelaws and just do whatever they want. They have offered half the
cost of the rotavation.

On Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:25:26 +0100, "OG"
wrote:


I posted a link to the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners
website in a response to your uk.legal post.

Thanks, I did read your post there and have contacted them. I thought
I would also post here to see what I could do before/without going
legal.