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up and relaid and the third for repairs to a dwelling house, to comply
with a statutory notice served under Section 9 of the Housing Act,
1936. In each case tenders were invited from local builders, the
lowest was accepted and the work was duly carried out. The
expenses of the redrainage works, amounting to £23 8s. Od., and
£32 respectively, were duly repaid by the owners concerned, and
as regards the expense of repairing the dwelling house, amounting
to £74 5s. Od., arrangements were made to repay by quarterly
instalments.
The vexed question of who should provide the dustbin was
very much to the fore during the year and was settled in one case,
by an appeal to the Barnet Magistrates Court.
The Public Health Act which authorises notices to be
served states that the notice requiring the renewal of a defective
dustbin may be served on either the owner or the tenant, and
leaves the matter to the local authority to decide. The local
authority's decision, however, is not necessarily final, as whoever
is served with the notice has a right of appeal to a Court of Summary
Jurisdiction. In the past the owner has always been required to
provide the new bin, unless there are exceptional circumstances,
but owing to the very large increase in the the price of dustbins—
from about 4/6 to 27/6 or 30/ property owners were objecting to
providing this essential article, and were appealing against such a
requirement.
Conflicting decisions have been given in such cases in various
parts of the country, some Magistrates holding that it was the
owner's duty and others the tenant's. The Croydon Magistrates
decided that it was the tenant's duty to provide the bin, and this
case was quoted in an appeal which was made by an owner who was
served with a notice to renew a dilapidated dustbin at a house in
Longmore Avenue. Both owner and tenant repudiated liability.
The Magistrates, however, after hearing all sides, the owner's, the
tenant's and the Council's, decided that the tenant should provide
the bin, giving as their reason that what was equitable in 1939
might not be so today, and they felt that the bin should be provided
by the tenant.
Rat Destruction.
One hundred and nine complaints of rat infestation were
received (134 in 1946), all of which were investigated and advice
given as to the best methods of dealing with them. All the premises
affected were repeatedly visited until finally cleared of rats. Many
cases were also visited by the staff of the County Pests Officer at
our request, and I must again acknowledge the valuable assistance