Couple make neighbour pay in knotweed invasion furore
A COUPLE have won a landmark legal case against their neighbour, claiming their home has lost £50,000 in value because of her Japanese knotweed.
Adam and Eleanor Smith took Rosemary Line, 74, to court in a dispute over the invasive plant, with each side blaming the other for spreading it.
The Smiths, both 44, bought their three-bed detached home, in Maenporth, near Falmouth, Cornwall, from Mrs Line for £200,000 in 2002. Mrs Line retained some land alongside the house but the destructive weed began growing in both areas.
The Smiths, who run an electrical business, claimed the knotweed had reduced the value of their home, now estimated at £500,000, by up to 10 per cent.
The case was heard at Truro county court last October but the ruling in favour of the Smiths has just been released. Mrs Line, of Falmouth, has been ordered to employ contractors over the next five years to eradicate the weed, as well as pay court costs.
Mr Smith said: “We have been asking her for 13 years to sort it out and it could have been done without going to court.
“It has caused a lot of and I am glad it is over.”
Solicitor Mark Montaldo said: “This important decision should put people on notice that it will no longer be tolerated to allow Japanese knotweed to grow on your property unchecked.” stress