Since 2011, national rail company, Network Rail, has received 11,000 complaints about the invasive weed. According to The Times, this includes more than 6,000 complaints of the plant spreading to private land.
With the plant believed to be spreading across Britain’s railway lines, British homeowners are showing increased awareness of the plant and the potential risks to their property.
What is Japanese Knotweed?
An invasive, fast-growing weed, Japanese knotweed is highly aggressive and can cause damage to your property and grounds. It is extremely difficult to remove and comes with regulations for its removal to avoid spreading.
Although the plant dies back to ground level in winter, by early summer, the bamboo-like stems shoot up to over 7ft.
What are the legal conditions for Japanese Knotweed?
As an invasive plant, Japanese Knotweed is covered by laws including the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. This doesn’t mean having the plant on your property is illegal, however, poor management, is.
If you own a property and the plant spreads to you from neighbouring land, you could be eligible to make a claim. Similarly, if you have purchased a property and you don’t believe the plant was declared, you may also have a claim.
With Network Rail receiving over 6,000 in regards to private property that means there are over 6,000 properties who could be eligible to make a claim. Neighbours suffering from an invasion of the plant could band together and make a group claim (and did you know we do a £200 referral fee?!) against the state-owned firm.
Should I bother making a claim against Network Rail?
100% yes! If you have found Japanese knotweed on your property and you believe it has come from nearby railway lines due to lack of maintenance, you could be eligible for a claim. We run on a no-win-no-fee basis, which means if you don’t win, we don’t charge. With compensation for damages on Japanese knotweed claims reaching the thousands, why wouldn’t you make a claim? Not only can we help get you compensation, but we’ll also send out an expert to your property who will map the growth of the plant and advise the necessary steps for removal – all at the cost of the defendant.
Give us a call for some free legal advice to see if you’re eligible to make a claim and then sit back while we manage your case for you.
