Opinions wanted

Hello everyone, this is a story that is a lot similar to another thread that has been running. I've posted it as this is very close to my heart. The daily mail link shows some really interesting pictures.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-21752014

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292086/Couple-forced-stunning-20-000-garden-husband-struck-brain-tumour-ordered-rip-face-5-000-cover-gravel.html

Since the story has been run the estate in question has now retracted the £5k bill

This is not the "council" but a private rural estate.

Hollie Hock - Heard this on the radio this morning and all I can say is words fail me.  Doesn't happen very often. I can see no sense or reason for destroying this magnificant garden that has been created but, no doubt, others will.  Heartbreaking.

It is sad but a salutatory tale, at the end of the day we are all just temporary guardians of our gardens. At the end of our days can we really expect someone else to maintain our gardens when we have gone?

This is NOT the same as our lovely granny with a pond, these guys have been renting the whole time, yes it's a shame that a wonderful garden is going to be trashed, but this public effort is trying to find someone to tend it. It is unreasonable for the landlord ask his new tennants to tend it, and he or she doesn't want it to die, hence the papers, bit of a non-story tbh.

I agree BB, it is not the same situation, but I feel very sad that such a beautiful garden has to go and why at a cost to the present tenants.  Let's face it, not many hard up landlords about!

The couple knew it was not their garden.  While the phrase 'life's work' does tug at the heart-strings, they have only been in the house 11 years.  The landlord was rather silly to let them put so much time, money and energy into a rented garden without warning they would have to restore it to the original condition when they left.

I am, though, full of admiration for the result they've achieved.

Another sad tale.  However, if for example, they'd chosen to paint the interior in shocking pink with black stripes (if they wanted to, and chose to do it) I don't suppose they'd imagine the landlord would be exactly thrilled if they left it like that, no matter how well  the paintwork might have been done.   I'm sure they'd understand, and would agree, that they'd have to re-paint it in colours which the landlord would find acceptable before vacating the property, so I suppose the garden can be compared with this.  Let's not forget that the landlord - during the whole of their tenancy - would have been responsible for the maintenance and insurance of the house and they would only have been expected to leave the garden in the same sort of state as it was when they first moved in, unless their tenancy agreement stated otherwise.

Thanks for all your comments. Have to say I'm surprised that generally that there is a consensus of agreement for the landlord on this case. The garden was part of the  national garden scheme of which the landlord knew about and actively promoted, even tarted up the property for the tv cameras. It just seems  crazy to me that a wild life haven that was created at no cost to the landowners was either ripped up or gravelled over at the cost of the previous tenants. The property hasn't been advertised as vacant or available for let yet.

I would have to correct you BB that this estate is not a public effort......far from from it. They are a private rural estate/landowners who have been renting out for 100s of years. I have no idea who "our lovely granny is" so wasn't trying to make any comparisons.

My final point would be that this landlord passes on the cost of maintenance and insurance on to their tenants.It's them that pays.

I do appreciate your comments, thank you

thats disgusting.having just lost someone to terminal cancer i can fully understand what the wife was thinking.all that effort and they didnt even have the decency to at least wait till the guy had passed away before destroying his lovely garden.couldnt the landlord at least try get tennants in with the garden in tact.not everyone wants a field of grass but a lot would love the garden that they made and lets face it if you could afford the rent on so much land and a big house ...could you not afford to pay a keen amateur to help maintain garden?

What a tragic story- this lady is losing her husband and her home and is having to destroy what was a labour of love and a wonderful creative effort. This landlord deserves all the adverse publicity possible. He may be within his 'rights' as a number of people have pointed out, but his (her, their?) actions are heartless in the extreme, given the circumstances. This is another case of infringing natural justice, whatever the law may say.

Apart from anything else, this seems an act of stupidity. The estae was being left an asset which could have been exploited and certainly deserved to be cared for.