Unenviable task!

[Snadger]

I have been an Allotment Association Secretary for less than a year now and have so far avoided any unpleasantries.
We have not until this year had a waiting list so no one has ever been given an eviction notice as long as they payed their plot rent. This has now changed and we have a healthy waiting list.

I have been given the unenviable task by the Committee of contacting plot holders who aren't pulling there weight and serving an eviction notice. I realise in light of Tricky's problems this may not be a popular topic but unused allotments and prospective plot holders who would dearly love to 'Grow their Own' are not synonymous.

Anyway............here is the main wordage I intend sending to three plot holders! Let me know what you think?

Dear Sir




There has been a notice on the notice board for some time now asking plot holders to make use of their vegetable plots or lose them.

We now have a healthy waiting list of prospective plot holders who would like to grow their own vegetables.

A recent visit by the Council Allotment Officer has highlighted a need for the Allotment Committee to contact plot holders who are in breach of the tenancy agreement and terminate their lease.

You have defaulted on the tenancy agreement now by not using your plot for its intended purpose and allowing it to fall into disrepair

Unless there is a substantial improvement in plot condition (and this is not deemed to be just strimming weeds or spending an odd day or two there!) the Committee will have no option but to terminate your lease and re-let your plot to the next person on the waiting list.

The next inspection will be mid December giving you time to take any of your personal possessions from the plot or of substantially improving it.

The plot will be re let in January 09 if the stipulations are not met.





The Committee

[OverWyreGrower]

Sounds good

Slight spelling mistake though - on the first line, the second "there" should be "their"

[BrideXIII]

well it sounds pretty fair to me.
certainly gives them over a month to do something about their condition. and plenty of time to reply, if only certain councils did as much.
it is not a nice thing to have to do, but as a person waiting for an allotment myself, some one has to do it, and i think you have done it well.

[piskieinboots]

fair and proper - not a nice task but a necessary one, we'll back ya

[lynda66]

wot owg says

yeah gives them plenty of time to get a wriggle on ........ and get something done, though there might not be much growing this time of year, they can certainly do something

[Snadger]

Sounds good

Slight spelling mistake though - on the first line, the second "there" should be "their"

Thanks OWG...........I aint no beurocrat? and never did know which 'there' to use!

Sorted now though!

[zazen999]

it’s should be its...but it sounds pretty fair to me.

I like the bit about it being not strimming and spending an odd day or two down there.

[Capsid]

You may need to specify the intended purpose more clearly and restate the exact words of the agreement. There will be differences of opinion in the interpretation. When I had an allotment I had to maintain the plot by good spade husbandry and keep it weed free. If it just says "to grow plants and vegetables" then a weedy plot would still be OK but not what the allotment committee has in mind.

[zazen999]

Good point Capsid - is any allotment actually 'weed free'???

[Snadger]

it’s should be its...but it sounds pretty fair to me.

I like the bit about it being not strimming and spending an odd day or two down there.

Ta Zazen999............noted and edited! Cheers

[HeyWayne]

I don't think you can be much fairerer.

I'm in a bit of a situation myself - having not been able to get to the plot for a few weeks now - I reckon it looks like it's in a bit of a state. An inspection now would probably include me in a potential evictee list.

I still want to grow my own though.

Can't be an easy thing to do though. Good luck to ya dude.

[Snadger]

You may need to specify the intended purpose more clearly and restate the exact words of the agreement. There will be differences of opinion in the interpretation. When I had an allotment I had to maintain the plot by good spade husbandry and keep it weed free. If it just says "to grow plants and vegetables" then a weedy plot would still be OK but not what the allotment committee has in mind.

I see where you are coming from Capsid but I have mentioned the Tenancy agreement (which is 12 pages long btw) and is also stapled to the noticeboard.

In the interests of brevity, is that not enough? I don't know, can you give an example?

PS I don't think the Committe have anything against rotavators.

[Capsid]

I see where you are coming from Capsid but I have mentioned the Tenancy agreement (which is 12 pages long btw) and is also stapled to the noticeboard.

In the interests of brevity, is that not enough? I don't know, can you give an example?

PS I don't think the Committe have anything against rotavators.

Well if the tenancy agreement is there and available then that's fine.

But there must be certain parts of it you could highlight that reflect the main concerns of the committee which is usually that the plots look unattended, have weed growth indicative of several months lack of attention, poor condition of structures. Stuff like that.

It's fairly obvious but people like it spelled out.

[tricky]

must be a hard situation snadger ,but their has to be a fair system.
ive often thought what i would do under the same situation.
i think i would use photographic evedence to see if anything changes on the plot
and allso a point system 1 no weed and crops growing
2 a few weeds and crops growing
3 ground prepared for crops
4 evedence of work done
5 weeds at ground level

This would give clear definitions that everybody would understand
maybe we should have a 6 brambles 4 foot high

5 would mean a warning

after 2 warnings a date given to you for the plot to be relet

as long as everything is fair and everybody knows the system then i would agree
i believe on the site i was on the allotment officer goes around with the site rep , ive never seen our site rep yet and i had mine over 1 year i use to go around 3.30pm every other day when nobody else was there but thats just me ,i wanted to be alone .
i allso think that an allotment office needs to walk down the plot to see if activity took place , i started mine from bottom up which meant people coudnt see what i was done from looking at the top untill summer came offcourse
best of luck

[jackie j]

Could you include a copy of the original agreement with certain bits highlighted ?