The current weather conditions have resulted in literally hundreds of trees being uprooted or splitting in my area (Wrexham county). In the valley where I live, many of these have fallen onto the highway, causing a potential hazard. As small woodland owners my neighbours and myself have done all we can to clear those trees and branches from our own patches, however the scale has been so large that lots of the clearing has been carried out by the council's own contractors.
I'm aware that owner's liability is to deal with this, but given the scale and urgency it has not been practicable to deal with all of the problems speedily, hence the council's involvement. My concern (shared by my neighbours) is that the council may charge us for the work they have performed. If anyone has experience of a similar situation,my question is, is this likely to be considered a force majeure i.e. beyond the control of small landowners to deal with urgently, or are the council fully entitled to levy a charge? One point to note is that most of the timber was taken away by the council contractors.
