Japanese Knotweed: a warning
Landlords are being warned to keep a close eye on the gardens of their rental homes after it was revealed homeowners will be able to sue their neighbours for damages if Japanese Knotweed grows onto their land.
In a landmark court ruling neighbours Stephen Williams & Robin Waistell were each awarded £15,000 last year after knotweed spread from Network Rail land onto their gardens. Although Network Rail appealed against the ruling the Court of Appeal ruled that the rail company was rightly ordered to compensate the pair.
The court ruled that Japanese Knotweed is a ‘nuisance’ and ‘natural hazard’ that landowners must keep under control or pay the price.
The RLA warned of the dangers of the invasive plant in a special feature in their Residential Property Investor magazine last year. To view the article please follow this link: https://news.rla.org.uk/japanese-knotweed-what-do-i-need-to-know/
