[Pimento]

Thanks again… That last point is really interesting, that’s the first time I’ve come across any suggestion of that  - will try and check it out.

The National Allotment Society have been very clear with me that s.146 applies. They have told the committee that the law has been broken, but they’ve just ignored it.  That will definitely be part of the case, whichever way I go about it.

I know about the 12-month eviction rule, but at least then I could dispose of things on my own terms - I have a lot of property, structures and valuable plants  on the site. And perhaps if I create enough difficulty now they just wouldn’t dare. The eviction is purely vindictive, they have no genuine grounds at all.

I’m fairly optimistic. The NAS and local federation think I’m well-placed to win a court case  and I spoke to someone else today they’ve evicted illegally  - they only gave them three days’ notice.

[jerry111]

I was given 7 days to vacate an allotment I had cultivated for over 10 years ... you were given loads of time Pimento 

[Pimento]

Totally illegal. Actually, they gave me a fortnight but locked me out straightaway, so it was zero notice effectively… Idiots.

[Goosegirl]

Wow, you've really got some good friends on here with excellent advice. Nil carborundum etc and good luck.

[Pimento]

Thank you, Goosegirl!

[wildlifefriendlygardener]

I'm sorry to hear about this, but also interested because we have the same problem on our site.  Our allotment secretary operates like a mafia boss: helps certain people so they feel indebted; bullies and harasses other people so they feel intimidated to the point that some have left. 
I raised my head above the parapet and spoke out about it, because other people were afraid to and now I am being defamed by the secretary to the point that some allotment holders must think I'm the worst person ever! 
I think our secretary is an extremely insecure person who needs the power of their role as secretary to feel good about themselves.  As mentioned in a previous post in this thread, nobody wants to get involved in this (eg. council, NSALG rep etc) and some have referred to is as "just allotment politics", but it really isn't: our allotment secretary is dangerous and people are afraid of them.  In fact, people are too afraid to arrange an EGM to deal with this and people just keep their heads down and try to keep on the right side of the secretary. 
One of the things we have been told by the council, NSALG etc is that because allotment associations are "unincorporated organisations", they are not able to intervene.  This seems to translate as: if your allotment secretary is a despot and a bully, there is no higher body you can appeal to for support or arbitration.  Sorry for such a long post, but I was wondering if anyone else has experience of dealing with a situation like this? I really hate bullying and think you should always stand up to it, but am exhausted by this.
Thanks for reading!

[Pimento]

Wildlifefriendlygardener,

Your experience mirrors mine exactly and I’m afraid it’s ended very badly for me - please see my other thread about appealing against eviction. The harassment and defamation I’ve been subjected to has literally made me ill. Apart from losing my treasured allotment, lies have been told to former friends/acquaintances on the site to cause them to shun me completely. They’ve been persuaded, through outright lies, that I’m actually dangerous.

The council has refused point-blank to act, despite me months of making complaints about the committee and providing evidence. There have also been previous complaints so they know I’m not the first to be treated this way. The police have also confirmed they’ve received a number of complaints about the secretary over several years.

I’m sorry to say that, ultimately, court action has proved to be the only viable option, but having spoken to several solicitors they’ve all advised that I don’t proceed because even if I win, it could still end up costing me several thousand pounds.

The committee has illegally disposed of a lot of my property, so the Small Claims Court remains an option for that - but my valued possessions and allotment have gone now, so there’s no compensation for that. Sorry I’m not able to give you more positive news. Has your councillor helped at all, and have you tried the local media?  Definitely worth a go if not. I’m really sorry to hear what’s happened to you.

[Pimento]

Wildlifefriendlygardener,

Just another thing - do you have a copy of your council’s leasehold contract with the allotment committee? If not, ask them for it.

In my case, the agreement (which is pretty standard) contains very specific clauses prohibiting the committee/trustees from breaking any laws currently in force and from subjecting anyone to harassment.

I have reams of evidence proving the committee are guilty of both. The council has still concluded it has no remit to intervene - but if that’s true, then the contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.

This is the argument I’ll be making to the ombudsman. You never know, your authority might actually own up to its contractual responsibilities.

[mumofstig]

It seems there has been some terrible behaviour by individuals on some allotment committees, but apart from providing the links to people or associations who may be able to help, as we have done, there is nothing more this Site can do.

In view of this, I am now locking this thread - it will remain, available to view, for anyone else in a similar situation.