Negotiations with corporate neighbours about a field! HELP!

[spookypony]

I'm next door to a branch of a large chain commercial enterprise. They own one of the fields adjacent to my paddocks.

They have no particular interest in this field: it just happens to be attached to the property on which their business is located. The field is partially fenced, and has been sitting there in a state of neglect for the last 10 or 20 years.

It's not a fabulous field. About 1/3 of it is scary bog, and there is a lot of ragwort. Nevertheless, sections of it might be usable, either for grazing or for muck heap storage.

There's also a burn that is badly needing dredged (could explain why the field is so boggy).

I approached the local manager many months ago to ask about the possibility of using this field. She appeared sympathetic, but had no idea who in the corporate structure would be able to decide such a thing. She emailed the Area Manager (who to my knowledge hasn't responded), and was talking about asking the solicitors.

Since then, the local manager has left; a new one is due to arrive in a few weeks. I have a feeling that my enquiy will need to start at the beginning, and that once again, it will get stuck in some manager's office, since no-one in this company appears to know who would make a decision about letting someone use a field. I think most of their branches are in cities, so it doesn't exactly come up in their training!

How do I go about finding out who it is that I actually need to talk to? Surely, it shouldn't take 6 months and more just to find out who has the ability to make a decision?

Looking on the company website is useless. There's not even a phone number for their administration, and the only online contact form is a complaints and comments form that presumably gets sent to some poor schmo in India who won't have the foggiest what to do with it.

Help! It's doing my head in! Even if I can't use the field, I'd at least like them to get on top of their ragwort and drainage issues!

 

[smellsofhorse]

Can you say who the company is and where?
Someone on here may be more help.

I would call any number, just so they call is logged, email any address that's on the site including comments forms plus any postal address aswell as speaking to the new manager.
Someone will then get the message and hopefully help!

 

[WelshD]

Local managers wont have a say in this

Find the head office of the company (or the uk head office if its a very large company) try Companies House website for this. Every big corporate company will have an Estates/Facilities department and thats who you need. If the last manager did the job right they should already be aware of the query

Having worked for such a company i doubt they will rent it - they just wont want the paperwork and dont need your money BUT you may have luck getting them to maintain the land at least

Good luck!

 

[spookypony]

smellswithhorse, I wonder if that might irritate them rather than incline them to let me use the field?

WelshD, from what I understand, they subcontract the grounds maintenance to a company located away down in England, who further subcontracts it out to local people. That's not what you mean, is it?

If they don't want the paperwork, all they need to do is let me use it for free!

 

[FfionWinnie]

We did a similar thing with a woodland strip owned by an investment banking company (why I don't know as it was a tiny useless bit of ground). If I remember correctly, my boss pointed out as there is a right of way on it, the liability for all the dangerously unkempt trees would be (literally) on their heads . They gave us it lol.

I would inform them of the issue with injurious weeds and offer to bring the land into good repair in return for a minimal payment long term lease.