Network Rail Sued Over Japanese knotweed

Rodger Burnett, Director and founder of Charles Lyndon, has successfully sued Network Rail over a case of Japanese knotweed. He represented Mr Waistell who was trying to sell his property but couldn’t due to the presence of the Japanese knotweed on the Railway Embankment.

As Mr Waistell was unable to sell his property, he had to seek legal advice from Charles Lyndon. The Japanese knotweed was growing on the railway embankment next to Mr Waistell’s bungalow, in which the roots had spread into his homes foundations.

The roots of Japanese knotweed can grow through brick and concrete and without expert treatment from a company like ourselves, the Japanese knotweed can damage a walls foundations with ease.

There was a four day hearing at Cardiff County Court and the court ruled in Mr Waistell’s favour and ordered Network Rail to pay £10,000 in compensation for the affect the Knotweed has on the valuation of his property and £4320.00 to treat the Japanese knotweed on their land. If Network Rail do not eradicate the Japanese knotweed then Mr Waistell can then claim for the full loss in value of his house.

 

Network Rail have also been ordered to treat the invasive weed and until this happens, Mr Waistell is still unable to sell his house.

 

If he appointed a company such as Japanese Knotweed Expert Ltd then we would have been able to provide all necessary paperwork, insurance backed guarantee and carried out the work so that he could have sold his property and the new buyers would of then been able to raise a mortgage on the bungalow.

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