Allotment politics

[Graye]

As we are planning on spending a lot more time in the UK now and have a friend who will help out when we are not here we have just signed up for a half plot allotment.

We have just been to sign the paperwork and were immediately plunged into a political wrangle which would seem to make the House of Commons look like a teaparty. The problem is a substantial shed on a concrete base and adjoining breeze lbock and glass panel "greenhouse" for which the leaving tenant wants a rather extortionate price. The secretary had already primed us to offer him no more than a derisory amount as she says he inherited them with the plot and can't physically take them down without wrecking them. They will then revert to the committee who will give them to us anyway. He duly refused our offer. Battle lines were then apparently firmly drawn between him, the tenant of the other half of our plot and the secretary. Seeing the serious squabble that was about to take place we said we'll come back on the first of next month (when our contract starts) and beat a hasty retreat! Hopefully by then the whole plot will have been cleared of the shed/greenhouse and resulting rubble. Or I suppose he might have a rethink about our offer once he realises he will have to work his socks off and be left with nothing but a pile of wood and glass on his hands and no chance of reconstructing them for their original purpose. Otherwise we might well even inherit a shed and greenhouse if we are very lucky...

On the plus side, the soil looks lovely, the committee have tools available to borrow, there is water on the site and the plot has been quite well cared for until very recently. Manure and soot are delivered free on a regular basis too. I'm still looking forward to the project but hope we don't have to get involved, especially as the ex-tenant still has a plot on the site. I didn't realise these places could be quite so incestuous though!

[Green Aura]

I'm learning, albeit slowly, to keep out of the politics of small communities.

Hope it gets sorted out to your satisfaction. Sounds like he's pulling a fast one, wanting money for something he didn't even build. Cheeky git

[JulieSherris]

Graye, if I was over there still, I'd be saying 'Welcome Back to the UK!'

But hey, well done for getting a plot though - woohoo!! Happy growing, & I hope it gets sorted - especially if the ex-tenant is still going to be around....