Bennett Griffin Blog

Change of Ownership to Private Sewers

Many property owners were unaware that prior to 1 October 2011 they owned, and had the legal responsibility for maintaining and cleaning the private sewers and lateral drains (sewers and drains serving more than one property) connecting their property to the public sewers.  This was causing a lot of confusion and disputes between neighbours as to who should be responsible when problems arose with their drainage systems.

The Government wanted to simplify the position and, as such, passed legislation the effect of which was to automatically transfer the ownership (and thereby the responsibility for maintenance and cleansing) of these private sewers and lateral drains to the sewerage authority.  The automatic transfer took place on 1 October 2011.

The drawback to this is that the sewerage authorities will be increasing their charges in order to fund their new maintenance obligations for thousands of extra miles of sewers.

It is important for home owners to note, however, that private drains (drains connecting a single property to the main sewer) are still in the ownership of the property owner.  As such, the property owner is still responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of any private drain serving solely their property and not any others.

For more information on this and other property related issues please contact Darren Edwards, Associate Solicitor at Bennett Griffin LLP on 01903 706971 or de@bennett-griffin.co.uk.

Bennett Griffin Awarded for Contribution to the Community!!

We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded an Adur & Worthing Business Award for our contribution to the local community.

Whilst our main role is to provide expert legal advice to individuals and businesses, we believe that our business plays another important role in our local community.  We are committed to supporting the communities in which we work and live, and we would like our presence in those communities to create a positive and lasting effect.

As a firm, we support many local and national initiatives that promote equal access to justice and legal services for all members of our local community.  These include the Citizens Advice Bureau in Worthing, the Lawyers For Your Business scheme, and many charitable Will-writing efforts.  In fact, this week we are participating in the St Barnabas free Will week!

Our efforts for the community are not limited to the provision of legal services.  We also help to raise money for local charities, such as the Build a Dream campaign for St Barnabas, and national charities, such as our Bennett Griffin Bowling Bonanza for Children in Need.  We get involved in local events, such as the Ferring Village Fair and the Worthing High School Careers Fair.  We also sponsor local events for the community, such as the Full of Life Festival.

We are very proud of the effort that our staff members put into our various community and charity projects, and this Award is a great recognition of their contribution.

In addition to the initiatives mentioned above, many of our staff members participate in their own charity, community and sporting events, with the support of their colleagues.  Examples of these events include charity volleyball and rounders tournaments, the Race for Life, the Dragon Boat Race, and the London and Brighton Marathons, among many others.  Click here for more information.

We have developed a specific strategy for our community work, and we plan to maintain, and hopefully increase, our current level of commitment over time.  We hope that this Award will motivate our staff to become more involved, and increase the public’s awareness of our efforts so we can gain more support in the future.

Bennett Griffin Shortlisted for two Business Awards!!

On Saturday, 8th October, television celebrity Fred Dinenage MBE will arrive in Worthing to present the annual Adur & Worthing Business Awards.

These prestigious Awards celebrate the success of the very best local businesses, and we are honoured to be recognised as one of the best by being shortlisted for two Awards this year; the Business in the Community Award and the Medium to Large Business of the Year Award.

For the Community Award, the judges are looking for a business that gives something back.  Whether it is charity work, or helping schools, colleges, or community groups, this award is designed to say thank you to a business that takes time to care.  At Bennett Griffin, we believe this is an important part of our business, and there is plenty of information on our website about the various initiatives we are involved in.  We hope that our nomination in this category will raise awareness and support for our charity events, such as the upcoming Bennett Griffin Bowling Bonanza for Children in Need.

The Medium to Large Business of the Year Award recognises a locally based business that enhances the reputation of Adur and Worthing as a great place in which to do business.  The winner of this Award will have a skilled, educated and motivated workforce producing a quality product to their chosen market place.  We are delighted to be considered worthy of achieving this accolade.

See what others are saying about Bennett Griffin by clicking here.

We are absolutely thrilled to have been shortlisted in these categories, particularly in view of the quality of the other shortlisted businesses.  It will be difficult for the judges to choose a winner, and we wish all the shortlisted businesses the best of luck!