Greedy Businessmen.

[Stormswift]

We have a situation here, or more aptly a potential situation but has almost being very real recently.

 

Tom and I live in a part of Wanganui called Springvale - now that very name gives one a clue as to the type of environmental soil we have.  Springvale is full of underground springs. ANd it's a vale running along the base of a hilly suburb.  In fact ... when Tom was a boy this area was known for its vast strawberry fields and marshlike conditions.

 

There are in fact three very large sections ... 2/3rds of an acre or thereabouts ... near town which makes them as residentials quite large ... we are the middle one.  I would never live at ground level in our area, because of the bogginess of the ground - knowing there's an underground stream right through the front of our section which runs the length of our three sections and that of others.  Now our house if just fine because the three houses are all on a rise so no problem.

 

(It takes ONE shovel load of soil to hit the very high water table here)

 

Up until oooh lets see five years ago maybe ... we enjoyed a field scene to our right, which sometimes had horses in it and sometimes cows it was a lovely atmosphere. And as man does, they decide to build a cul-de-sac featuring new expensive homes. But do they build them level with us? Ohhh no ... they build them so the top of their fence is level with my neighbours driveway ... so the only thing that goes above our ground level are the roofs of the houses built well below the water table.

 

On more than one ocassion Tom wandered over to the council blokes, and tells them how bad the flooding gets here ...  that we get lakes of water (as you will see in the pictures below)  they said oh its okay we've been monitoring  this for something like three years now and we have put drainage to manage the situation.  Okay they've been told.

 

A young family moves into the one directly under us. We happened to be doing territory in the new cul-de=sac introduced ourselves to our neighbour seemed very nice, and we explained to them that if they ever had problems that we had already informed the council and the contractors how severe it gets here.  He was confident that the contractors had put enough drainage in place, so we presumed he had done all his homework. It was lovely speaking with him - a lovely chap. 

 

In effect these houses in the wet seasons we get here, are living under a waterfall in slow motion if that makes sense.

 

Sure enough along comes the flood (pictured below)  It starts to run into our section from my neighbour on my left, then from us over to our neighbour to the right ... and then ... the waterfall happens  (Ohhhh did i mention these flash houses are on very low concrete slabs? They haven't even bothered to raise them!) 

It apparently was only a few centimetres away from entering their new home before it subsided. 

 

So everytime it rains as it is today, and another lake develops all of us are sitting on tenterhooks, because none of us want to see this family flooded out, but none of us are able to change the terrain as it's all natural springs.  Even the supermarket further into town has the same problem with the same springs ... and we have been advised by staff never to park in the underground parking down there. 

 

I am just flabbergasted at the extent of greed, that they just don't care about the well being either financially or emotionally of their clients who have young families.  Anyway thought this would make an interesting read ... and I hope this family stays safe and secure in their new home. This broken old system certainly needs the wisdom of Jehovah's kingdom and Jesus' rule.

 

I guess im a bit of a mother hen, I worry too much about other people.

 

Anyway so that's my wee story ... and I just have to hope we don't get another flood like the one below.

 

 

[Stormswift]

Not sure how to resize using my tablet, so i can show you our front yard in flood.

 

Aaah its okay I've done it ... now in that bottom photo you'll see a white house that is above the new houses ... the tops of the windows of the new house is level with that flooding in my neighbours section. Just can't see it in the picture I have.

Edited October 21, 2016 by Stormswift

[tekmantwo]

It does this every year? ...like, several times a year? 

I hope the family actually know about and are prepared for rising waters.

[Stormswift]

Several times a year, we've got a wee pond right now and my neighbour has said the bottom neighbour is getting quite anxious.  But not quite to the extent of the event above.

 

Well they know after the fact. But I do wonder if they knew prior. They were actually from Springvale, so one would think they would know what it was like before moving to a section that is below other sections.

Edited October 21, 2016 by Stormswift

[tekmantwo]

He's getting anxious. ..maybe not as sure about the drainage as he used to be..

Gonna be a tough lesson. ..hope he has his ducks in a row...

[Stormswift]

We are quite used to the flooding and how it affects our section, usually once or twice a year we get a temp lake, and ducks fly in and come to our front door to get bread.

 

One year we had a mother duck with 12 ducklings we called them the 12 apostles.  The mother duck even let me lay on the grass with her and her ducklings snuggled into me and went to sleep. So marsh type birds are quite common in our section, esp after a rain.

[Stormswift]

6 minutes ago, tekmantwo said:

He's getting anxious. ..maybe not as sure about the drainage as he used to be..

Gonna be a tough lesson. ..hope he has his ducks in a row...

Yeah I think you are right. We told him if he needed us to say that the contractors were told prior that we would help out. Really really important to make wise decisions when it comes to buying houses and properties for your family.

[tekmantwo]

2 minutes ago, Stormswift said:

Yeah I think you are right. We told him if he needed us to say that the contractors were told prior that we would help out. Really really important to make wise decisions when it comes to buying houses and properties for your family.

For younger people it is difficult to make decisions based on experience because they don't have any. Some are fortunate in that they are likable enough that folks will help, other times,  if they are pretty snarky know it all types they can learn the hard way. 

When I would get a new guy on the job I would work with him for the first day or so. If they ask questions and show an inerest in learning,  that's good. 

If they act like they know it all,  I don't help and most times I'd send them home early. I do not like a haughty attitude. 

[Stormswift]

That is why my thread is headed greedy businessmen becauseee I feel they are taking advantage of the inexperienced ones. Yes, as to how much we help is dependant on their attitudes ... just feel sorry for them.  I don't like haughty either.