Young people and odd jobs

[Ethel]

I could have done with help clearing my driveway and paths of snow recently and realised young people no longer clean cars, clear snow, mow lawns or do other 'odd jobs' for a small payment.

Why is this? I can understand it maybe isn't wise for a youngster to knock on a stranger's door offering his services, and maybe it wouldn't be wise to give an 'odd job' to an unknown person who knocked on the door.

But surely it would still be all right in some circumstances, such as neighbours?

Can anybody shed any light on this? I would willingly pay for those sorts of jobs which I can no longer do.

[Octavius]

Private landowners are not obliged to clear snow or ice from the pavement/highway, even if the road or pavement passes over their land since this is the responsibility of the local authority. From a legal point of view it may be risky for private individuals to clear these areas. By sweeping snow from one part of the pavement you can create a danger in another area and if someone is injured, you will be liable for negligence or nuisance.

On your own land, it is a different matter. You owe visitors (refer to legal definition in the Act) a duty under the Occupiers Liability Act 1984 to take reasonable care to ensure that they are reasonably safe. This means that if you know someone (such as the postman) is likely to walk up your garden path, and you also know that the garden path is slippery, you must take reasonable steps to clear the path of snow and grit it if necessary.

Best thing to do, would be to put a big warning sign up. The above duty would also apply if you have dodgy paving slabs or steps, or any trip hazards at all on your path.

[Lonnie]

I like Octavius's idea about the warning sign, that might be the way out of it.

On the legal side of it, if you clear and salt. you are admitting the hazard.

Very few people are sued for slpping on a cleared path or drive, but it has happened.

[Octavius]

Maybe we should all install a permanent.....

http://www.thesafetysupplycompany.co.uk/pictur es/890/0/666560-1.jpg

[Oneeyedvic]

Actually, I believe that if you clear and salt you are attempting to carry out your duty of care.

If you put up a sign you are admitting the hazard but neglecting your duty.

Still, what do I know?

[johntywino]

Hi Ethel....Apparently they are out in Coventry trying to clear snow from pensioners drives at �50 A TIME!!!!!!! Mind you, I'm not sure if theyr'e YOUNG people or just con-men!

[Ethel]

�50! Good grief


Vic - as I said in my earlier post, the snow clearing applies equally to private drives. Snow is an Act of God.

Just as a pedestrian could not sue the council if he slipped on a well maintained but snow covered footpath, the householder cannot be sued if the same happens on his path.
If the snow is hiding hazards that the householder can be shown to have been aware of but failed to rectify or barricade, that could be different.

My thesis was on negligence and I covered this very aspect.

[Oneeyedvic]

Sorry Ethel, but by your theory, if a council grits a road and then snow and ice recover the surface, I could sue the council if I was involved in an accident for clearing it (but couldn't sue them if they neglected to clear it).

This is patently absurd and if true, no council would clear the roads just stating that it was an act of God (and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7883133.stm these councils will be bankrupt before the end of the year!)