Greenwich council complaint

mart77

I had a visit from a Greenwich council official today saying that a neighbour had put in a complaint against us for leaving bins out. This is completely false and when I asked who made the complaint and what evidence they had to back up the the claim, he simply said he couldn't say who it was and they didn't have any evidence. Can people simply go around making baseless complaints against neighbours without evidence? This has really irked me.

Brendan_O_Connell

They will fine you if you do it again. A friend of mine had similar issues with Greenwich Council a couple of years ago. He lives in Eltham if that is any help.

cafc999

No evidence equals no case

Lincsaddick

This country gets more like a police/bureaucratic dictatorship every day ... I blame The Queen, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Benn and Ant n Dec.

Karim_myBagheri

had the same issue with lewisham council. I left the bin out for one night longer than i should because i was out. the complaint came from someone with a buggy. the pathway on my road is rather large, (easily get a buggy through, even those double ones) and that trees in other areas take up more room. i know it was my fault if you are being pedantic about it.
Being in a flat one of the others at my address had done something similar so we got a fine of £50 per bin.

TelMc32

No pun intended Mart, but that's rubbish! They need proof Of some sort, either photographic or "tagged" bins. The law actually changed today with regard to fines...Note the comments on fining being a last resort and for repeat offenders.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hEp9EoygyfSxaWTpzuHoWUR7-PwA?docId=N0039071338354991661A

Best of luck, but personally I would front them up and tell them to prove you have done what you are accused of.

Clem_Snide

Council Officers really cant win. They are bound by policy and proceedure which will have been brought in by elected members.

If you complain you'll be told that they are duty bound to investigate every complaint. I assume they said they were following up and didnt make any direct accusations?

mart77

I'm in Eltham too Brendan. Really annoyed as how can you take in a bin if you're both not in from work till around 6??? If I get fined I will definitely fight it. Can't see how they can fine me without any evidence.

soapy_jones

Take a flame thrower to your neighbours, i'd say 3 or four houses either side. Decimate them, make them EAT pain. Then if ANYONE wants to complain let them !

MuttleyCAFC

Can you not find out who made the complaint using the freedom of information act and go and really give them something to complain about!

SilentAddick

This country gets more like a police/bureaucratic dictatorship every day ... I blame The Queen, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Benn and Ant n Dec.

Freddie Mercury - what has he done here?? ;-)

mart77

Can you not find out who made the complaint using the freedom of information act and go and really give them something to complain about!

I love to think I could do this but I doubt it!

Soapy that made me lol!

Stig

Can you not find out who made the complaint using the freedom of information act and go and really give them something to complain about!

I suspect that the Data Protection Act trumps the Freedom Of Information Act in this respect.

Karim_myBagheri

i reckon its those goggle map cars.

Crusty54

until today you could be fined more for overfilling a bin than for shoplifting first offence

Bournemouth Addick

I had a visit from a Greenwich council official today saying that a neighbour had put in a complaint against us for leaving bins out. This is completely false and when I asked who made the complaint and what evidence they had to back up the the claim, he simply said he couldn't say who it was and they didn't have any evidence. Can people simply go around making baseless complaints against neighbours without evidence? This has really irked me.

Cards on the table mart, have you left them out on the past perhaps if not on this occasion which has led to your neighbour complaining? I would be surprised if an enforcement visit was generated on the first complaint tbh, normally it would be very much an advisory approach to start with in my experience and maybe this was what they were trying to do but did it badly and didn't make it clear. The last thing councils want to do is start issuing fixed penalties for this sort of thing imo as it probably costs them more to process the things than they ever get back and it's a world of grief. They would normally only consider going down that road as a last resort.

mart77

I genuinely haven't Bournemouth. The only time they leave my drive is when they are pulled out by the bin men to be collected. The bin men then leave them on the path and when we get in, we take them in. Today was bin day and it was my first day off in ages. When the officer called, even he acknowledged that the bin that had been collected before I took the kids to school, was already back down by my garage door. I just find it hard that they think they can send me a letter (which I never got) and call at my door just on the comment of a neighbour, without any evidence.

guinnessaddick

Mart, you have two choices:

First one is to insert your neighbour into your wheelie bin.

Second one is to insert your wheelie bin into your neighbour .

Which one gives you the most satisfaction ?

mart77

Lol, I'm not sure who made the complaint G!

guinnessaddick

Ok, wait until you find out, then do the inserting. If you do it on the day that the dustmen are collecting, then you won't be in trouble with the council.

paulbaconsarnie

respond in writing to the council explaining how unfair the accusation is and lay it on about getting stressed out.
make sure you copy in your ward councilors and the relevant director of the department. (As a greenwich employee myself, i know doing this will get it noticed ).
oh, and don't do it again.

MuttleyCAFC

There are sad people in this world who are just nasty and complain for the sake of it. You'd know if it was your neighbour I suspect. Could just be a vindictive passer by.

Macronate

sorry mate but you can't blame the neighbour;

daveaddick

mart77 you have my sympathy there is a lot of unnecessary meddling in peoples lives these days. I live in Bexley and my experience of the bin collection is less that satisfactory. I have my own drive so on collection day I put my bins at the end of the drive but still off the pavement yet when I come home they are strewn all over the place because the bin men just leave them anywhere. A couple of weeks ago I came home and found my wheelie bin almost in the middle of the road so in my opinion the council or at least their contractors are at least culpable as the public for this inconvenience.

DRF

I imagine they must have had enough evidence to warrent a visit, that just don't share evidence as that probably gives away who complained.

mart77

DRF, the inspector said they were acting on the complaint, rather than having evidence to support the claim. I genuinely wouldn't mind if I was getting a slap on the wrist justifiably, but I have a real issue that the council are visiting me on someone else's word.

DRF

But you didn't get a slap on the wrists did you? Didn't they just ask you the question, which you refuted and they left it at that?

If you did get some kind of punishment I would understand they anger but I read your comments to imply that they just made the inquiry?

mart77

Sorry it's obviously not clear enough. He said they'd already sent a warning letter (which we didn't recieve) and this was the second warning. Any follow up from now could be fines, which will obviously take it up a level.

DRF

Sorry it's obviously not clear enough. He said they'd already sent a warning letter (which we didn't recieve) and this was the second warning. Any follow up from now could be fines, which will obviously take it up a level.

Right I see. Sorry I thought it was just that they had turned up and talked to you about the complaint and then gone away when it was unfounded.

Tell them to send letter recorded delivery if they want to use them as proof as this is what they would do to you.

tangoflash

I find it quite sad that a neighbour can't come to you with their concern/gripe first. If it were me doing the complaining, I'd have a word with you, telling you of my concerns and then calmly walk back indoors to put my shotgun back in the cupboard.........................

Cordoban Addick

I used to work for a London Council and the rule there was that the binmen had to return all bins to your Curtilage. This was partly to stop people from complaining that the bins were not put back exactly where residents wanted them!