Blog2023 ≫ Easy go, easy come

The day started badly with a letter from Fell Reynolds, who are the freeholder of the estate we live on, or represent them, or something. It's about that wall that has fallen down, and that we're all supposedly responsible for. Original estimate was about £200k and that means me having to stump up 1/100th of that, so two grand. Well there's new information in now, they've got four quotes in, the cheapest comes in at £260k and with fees and vat and another £20k for the emergency repairs done so far it comes to at least £360k. So that's £3600 I have to find, as long as nothing else goes wrong.

There is always the chance that one of the neighbours is cleverer than me and has read the small print and can find a way that actually we don't have to pay and it has to come out of the estate's insurance or something. But that is a slim chance, I'm resigned to having to pay. Sell premium bonds or something. Or, hope against hope, do Holiday Extras actually still owe me money for shares? I have always thought they do, for the shares I agreed to sell before I left, before covid. The arrangement was we fixed a price, and they would pay it when they could, probably an amount per year over five years. Then covid hit and the bottom fell out of the business, and I thought I'd lose everything. But, I got more than I thought for the remaining shares I did own when I left the company, and in theory they still owe me for the other shares I already agreed to sell? I always had half an idea that the previous payout was bigger as it was a final settlement and I was all done. But, just in case they do owe me some money should I email and find out what is going on with these extra payments..?

Before I got round to emailing them, they emailed me! The time has come, they're in a position to make a payment, so can I sign this form and I can have the money. It pays for the wall and gives me some left over. How good is that timing? I hope that wasn't my one lucky wish and I used it up.

20k: Twenty km, just over twelve miles.

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Paul Clarkeʼs blog - I live in Hythe, Kent. Wed to Clare + dad to two, I am a full-stack web developr, + I do javascript / nodejs, some ruby, python, php ect ect. I like pubs, parkrun, eating, home automation and other diy stuff, history, genealogy, TV, squirrels, pirates, lego, + TIME TRAVEL.