Is it unreasonable to ask?

[Jessey]

The back acre of mine is always wet but this year it totally flooded just after Christmas and is still underwater, not a huge issue in itself as I don’t put the horses on there anyway but there will be loads more mozzies from the standing water.

The problem is this is making the middle acre very wet, I’ve taken several fence posts out recently and there 6” of water in the bottom of the holes! And I squelch and sink with every step down there, so currently I can’t use half of my normal turnout/grazing area and the gang are shut on about 1 acre

There’s a ditch between my back acre and middle acre that isn’t draining (my place is in blue), it’s meant to drain out through my neighbours property (in red) to the river, but it’s blocked on his side.

My quandary, He’s a lovely chap and has a digger but he’s developed Alzheimer’s I’ve been desperately trying to avoid asking his wife but it’s been almost 3 months since the flooding and it doesn’t seem to be drying up and I can’t afford to loose that much space permanently.......

Do I ask his wife to get it sorted, my only other option is to manually (any machinery would just sink right now on my side as it’s under a ft of water) cut another drain in on my side of the fence?

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

could you ask her gently if she would allow you to send in a machine on their side to fix it as it is too wet on your side and you hate to ask but it's causing real loss of use on your side. and when the land dries dig another trench on your side as a back up

 

[Jessey]

could you ask her gently if she would allow you to send in a machine on their side to fix it as it is too wet on your side and you hate to ask but it's causing real loss of use on your side. and when the land dries dig another trench on your side as a back up

I can’t afford to pay for it to be done, if I did it I’d have to do it myself.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

I can’t afford to pay for it to be done, if I did it I’d have to do it myself.

do they have any family that could do it? if you can't afford to pay for someone to do it then you don't have much option but to ask, as driving a digger isn't easy - we hired one, and the guy took one look at us and did the job for us as he feared coming back to a wrecked digger and dead bodies

 

[Jessey]

do they have any family that could do it? if you can't afford to pay for someone to do it then you don't have much option but to ask, as driving a digger isn't easy - we hired one, and the guy took one look at us and did the job for us as he feared coming back to a wrecked digger and dead bodies

I think they have some kids but I’ve never met them, I think one son stores stuff at their house as works away but I don’t know any more than that.
I can drive a digger, I learnt many years ago.

 

[Mary Poppins]

Who do you rent the land from? I would be speaking to them about it because surely this must be their responsibility?

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

I think they have some kids but I’ve never met them, I think one son stores stuff at their house as works away but I don’t know any more than that.
I can drive a digger, I learnt many years ago.

ok didn't know that, so maybe ask if they would lend you it and you will do theirs for free and can you do yours when it dries out and maybe offer if there is anything else she needs help wit?h?

 

[Jessey]

Who do you rent the land from? I would be speaking to them about it because surely this must be their responsibility?

My landlord won’t do anything, they will simply say leave if you can’t sort it (as they have before when I had issues with kids going in), they only want easy cash out of it. I don’t really think it’s their responsibility anyway as the blockage is on the neighbours land.

 

[chunky monkey]

It could be blocked land drains. Which could be a nightmare to sort s its finding the blocked ones.
Our neighbours land is getting more wet fortunately we are high enough up and where the stream surfaces in our field its not affecting us. He wondered whether we had done anything to cause it by redirecting the water. He didnt realise there were land drains underneath. One day he will have to dig up his field to sort his ever bigger swamp.

 

[Jessey]

It could be blocked land drains. Which could be a nightmare to sort s its finding the blocked ones.
Our neighbours land is getting more wet fortunately we are high enough up and where the stream surfaces in our field its not affecting us. He wondered whether we had done anything to cause it by redirecting the water. He didnt realise there were land drains underneath. One day he will have to dig up his field to sort his ever bigger swamp.

What do you mean by land drains? Like big French drain type affairs?

 

[MrA]

I'd talk to her and ask if you could drive the digger to sort it? Explain what a real problem it is causing for you

 

[chunky monkey]

I think french drains and land drains are slightly different, but along similar lines.

Land drains years ago where a series of clay pipes buried underground. Could be as much as a metre down. Running in parallel 2 to 3 metres apart. Maybe even be across the whole field.

 

[Frances144]

Shy bairns get nowt. I would ask. xx

 

[Jessey]

I keep making excuses to myself, but I really think I'm going to have to at the very least ask to go down there and have a look if I can see anything, then hopefully we can come up with a plan between us

 

[Frances144]

That is exactly true. You've just got to do it. xx At worst they say no, and at best she might want her husband (with Alzheimers) to have a job he can do.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Honestly @Jessey it won't hurt to ask. You are such a sensible and resourceful person, I would have thought you would be the very best person to speak to the lady. And you can drive a digger! Wow!