Company director Robert Johnston, 51, and his wife Nicola, 48, were fined the maximum amount when they were found to have breached the terms of the order forbidding them from letting their conifer hedge reach 19ft.Ahhh, the ASBO. Truly, New Labour's finest contribution to the justice system. Keeping us safe from unruly
They are, amazingly as it may seem, still proud of them too!
The Johnstons say that the neighbours who made the original complaint moved out a year previously and claim they were not kept informed by the council of the court proceedings.A likely story?
Mr Johnston, a company director, today expressed shock at the fine.Who do we believe? I mean, it's not like councils are famous for incompetence, is it..?
'I asked the officer at the council if the complaint still applied because the neighbour had moved out and she said she would get back to me,' he said.
'I haven't heard anything since and that was about a year ago.
'We weren't told anything about a court hearing. I wouldn't have let it go to court. I really had no idea what was going on.'
Sorry, not got much sympathy on this one. Johnston has an order requiring him to keep his hedge below nineteen feet high. He ignored it. He's been fined.
ReplyDeleteHis claim the the original complainant has moved (to somewhere with daylight?)is irrelevant. It's between Johnston and the court, or Johnston and the council, not Johnston and his erstwhile neighbour.
Never believe anything anyone who works for the State says. Get everything in writing (which they probably won't do anyway, so assume the worst). Then you have some sort of evidence to fight them with. Your word against theirs - we know who'll get believed there don't we?
ReplyDelete"His claim the the original complainant has moved (to somewhere with daylight?)is irrelevant."
ReplyDeleteIs it, though? Once the original complainant has moved away, does that not mean that it should be reviewed?
"Never believe anything anyone who works for the State says. Get everything in writing..."
I always do, for just this reason!
"Is it, though? Once the original complainant has moved away, does that not mean that it should be reviewed?"
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but until such time as it HAS been reviewed, he should abide by the order. Or face the consequences. Possibly his new neighbour may have views that need to be taken into account during that review.