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Rights when marching out of a married quarter. Questions.

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hmm_user_name

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Rights when marching out of a married quarter.

I've just had a pre-marchout from my married quarter, and was told that my garden was unacceptable, and that I will be billed for new lawn unless I fix it before my move (I move in 4 weeks).

IMO my lawn is in a better condition now, than it was when I moved in.

Do I have any right of appeal if I am billed?
Can I refuse to pay for a new lawn?

Surely it cannot be as cut and dry as them saying "You owe us this, for this, this & this" without any position for me to fight my corner.

Any knowledge on this would be appreciated.
 
If you are billed for anything you will receive a written bill from the Fincancial Management Services people, you can dispute this and will not have to pay anything until the dispute is settled.
If you have pictures of the lawn when you moved in and how it is now then you shouldn't have a problem, or you could show them to the person that does your march out.
 
Unfortunately this is my first house, and I was very naive when I moved in 3 years ago. I did not take any photos of the Garden, I just learned to live any faults that I found with the property.

A potentially costly mistake, but one I will not make again.

If I am billed, does anyone know how much it could cost for a new lawn to be fitted by the cost ineffecient contractors that the RAF have a tendency to use? The lawn is approx squared.
 
Hi, don't know if it different nowadays, but I seem to recall that any bills that you incur are capped.

Pretty sure that a shiney will be along soon to give you the gen.


TW
 
Can you provide more details as to what they are claiming is wrong with your lawn?

If it just a matter of chucking some grass seed down then is that really a big chore? Despite the fact that in hot weather the grass seedlings will most probably perish before they are established, it might get DHE off your back.

You can get a big bag of loose grass seed from Wilkinsons for not a lot of cash.

I suspect I will be in the same boat when we move as our lawn was incredibly uneven, so when we installed our shed we had to dig a load up to level it out so the back of the shed sits 6 or 7" lower than the grass level. Thats going to be a big hole to fill when we leave!
 
Should be in the gardening corner. However, this is what you can do.

I have no idea how big the lawn is, but it cannot be too big, so.

Get to the local B &Q and get:

1. One box fast acting lawn seed, about 7 quid.
2. One large bag of general purpose peat moss for every 3 square metres of lawn. About 4 quid for a bag.

Spread the peat moss evenly over the lawn and rake it in pretty hard to rough up the surface underneath

Soak it.

Rake it again roughly get the stuff in.

roll the surface or tread it all in (it'll look like crap incidentally).

sperad the grass seeds liberally over the surface and rake in gently.

Water every evening as a minumum

Accelrate the process with a multi purpose liquid feed (it looks like rasberry sugar when unmixed - it isn't). 4 quid for a box.

You will see the change in 2-3 weeks.

(lawn all prepared is 3 quid a square metre - no saving as you still need to prepare and use the peat moss plus sand)
Good luck.
 
I have had countless fights with the *******s that are Defence Estates since moving in and out of quarters.

I have found however, that if you think you are in the right, stick to your guns. When I moved out of my quarter at Wycombe they said that I left the grass too long and would have to pay for a gardener. It was ****ing December so how was I supposed to cut the grass when it was constantly ****ing down. I first complained to the local office, then when I got nowhere with them, I asked to speak to the boss their. I emailed him regularly, keeping all corrspondence and read reports, and also informed him I would be going to see the Welfare Officer on camp. Eventually they relented about the grass and a load of other **** they brought up. You need to stand up to them, stay civil, keep a record of anything and see if you can speak to your Welfare Officer.

Good luck.

PS: They also said, as there was a chip out of the TOP of one our cupbaord doors, that our dog had chewed it. Our dog is a Chihuahua, says it all really.
 
Find a neighbour with a lawn worse than yours, and photograph it. Then tell them that was it when you moved in.:PDT_Xtremez_14:
 
On your march in form did you state that the garden was in crap order? If you did them tell them to F$%K OFF AT THE HIGH PORT, if you didn't then do as others have said and get some grass seed , I had a run in with one when we moved out of our quarter to our house about grass in the fence line I told the fat tW£t that I was not going to pick the grass out of HIS chain fence and after a bit of a one way conversation about the standard of quarter's he came around to my point of veiw.
good luck
 
I can't believe St Domingo admitted to owning a Chihuahua.

I got billed when I left my last quarter. I tole 'em to shove it up their arse$ and heard no more. I was leaving though.
 
The problem with the lawn is that it is patchy. I have spent all weekend gardening, and have thrown lots of compost down in an attempt to even out the surface, which I was my main worry about the garden. My garden is fairly small (10m x 8m at a quick guess), I live in a mid-terrace with no access to the garden without going through the house.

I have a medium sized dog, and although the lawn was uneven when I moved in, they seem to think the dog has done it. The uneven area is blatantly in line with the shed, and runs in a straight line through the centre of the garden. I'm not sure I left my set square out that day for the dog to use. Clearly DHE think I did.

I'm going to attempt to grow some new grass as best I can in the weeks that remain. Unforunately my next door neighbour is a keen gardener, and his lawn would have made the cut at Wimbledon, which only helps to make my reasonable lawn look worse.
 
hmm_user_name said:
The uneven area is blatantly in line with the shed, and runs in a straight line through the centre of the garden. I'm not sure I left my set square out that day for the dog to use. Clearly DHE think I did.
Click to expand...


Genuine suggestion ---- Have you thought of 'finding' a few paving slabs to lay a path from your door to the shed?


Failing that, let 'em bill you, wait for the hastener, contest the original bill... When they revise it, delay till hastened again... contest it again. It'll cost them far more in admin effort and either it'll prove too difficult for them, or they'll recognise that it's such a pitiful amount as to be more effort than worth.


I played this game with the Watton Families Officer years ago, over four small drill holes in the wall (not being tight - just fcuking awkward!) The c0ck wanted over twenty notes to fix them, only to sell the quarters off later that year.

Great fun and worth every penny of the 50p that I finally handed to OC Accounts at Cottesmore (one year later) - should have seen his face, wish I'd took a photo!

I know it must be different with the wankerwanker who run SFA nowadays, but it's still worth a punt!
 
Sounds to me like an argument of 'fair wear and tear', might suffice in this case. Point out that although the garden wasn't completly bare when you moved in, it certainly wasn't perfect and has only deterieated 'slightly' during your tenancy.

Tell them you've been too busy fighting fcuking wars to be bothered with the lawn anyway...........cnuts!!
 
Dave-exfairy said:
Ask them where is the documentary proof of the state of the lawn when you marched in?
Click to expand...

When you sign the license you are stating that the house and garden are at March-in standard....so unless you then mention it on the 2 week fault form, that argument is null and void unfortunately..
 
You've already said that you are going to try to grow some grass, but have you spoken to the bloke next door with his Wimbledon standard grass. Maybe if you talk to him he will help you improve your lawn and if you get on with him, on the day of the march out he could leave his grass a bit longer or you both could come to some agreement to improve the look of your garden. Plants in tubs or some other distraction.
 
Failing all the above you could borrow a rotavator and dig the lot up and swear black is white you went green and it was your Veg Patch - no one says a garden has to be all grass
 
hmm_user_name said:
Rights when marching out of a married quarter.

I've just had a pre-marchout from my married quarter, and was told that my garden was unacceptable, and that I will be billed for new lawn unless I fix it before my move (I move in 4 weeks).

IMO my lawn is in a better condition now, than it was when I moved in.

Do I have any right of appeal if I am billed?
Can I refuse to pay for a new lawn?

Surely it cannot be as cut and dry as them saying "You owe us this, for this, this & this" without any position for me to fight my corner.

Any knowledge on this would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Well if they want to bill you for a new lawn, how about suggesting to them that you will take the old lawn with you!? Afterall, you have paid for it! It might make them realise that they are being pathetic?
 
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