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I have never been this mad ever!!!!

Please ladies, I have never been as mad as I am right now and I am now wondering if its my hormones or if I should really make the complaints have threatened. Advice please!!!

Basically, I like in a council flat. I moved here from a hostel so if I hadnt accepted it then they would not have offered me another property. Not long after moving in I found loads of problems - damp being one of them. They sorted the damp but the other problems were basically a bodge-job.

Just before Christmas my neighbour upstairs reported damp on our major outside wall and the council inspected it and said whole wall needed re-pointing. Now 2 months later, it still isnt done and today I have discovered that my entire living room wall is full of mould and the wallpaper is lifting.

I phoned the council and they wont send an inspector out until 20th! 9 bloody days in a mouldy flat, pregnant with a child. Is is just me or is this unacceptable?

I cant stop crying, I feel like I am going to have a baby living in a totally rank, mouldy flat and cant do a bloody thing about it. I have drafted a letter to the local paper to copy to the council but am I just digging a deeper whole for myself. The Council basically told me its not a priority problem. As far as Im concerned its a bloody health issue.

Sorry for the rant ladies, but it has got me really really mad/depressed and I dont know if I have a leg to stand on!:cry:
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Replies

  • Hi I can understand how you feel about the council. Just a thought, when do you next see your md/gp? is their any way she might be able to write a letter on your behalf to the council stating the health issues?
    I can understand from the council's side that the pointing hasnt been done due to the weather that we have had, but they have known about this problem for some time and should have put a start date down for it.
    I know ive not been much help but not sure what to say
    xxx hang in there
  • Oh sweetheart i cant offer you any advice but i just wanted to say i feel for you. I think it is unacceptable to be living in those conditions particuarlly when pregnant but have heard plenty of stories about the council and what is priority and what isnt. I think you need to take this further if it were me id be ringing them up every day and contacting the newspapers defo BUT ONLY if it doesnt effect your health! If it is going to stress you out even more then leave it and wait till the 20TH equally if by doing something constructive about it makes you feel better then piss some people off babe!!!!!!!
  • Hi Lee, I agree you need to speak to your md or gp and ask them to write a letter. I don't think u are being unreasonable after all its not just your health but thatof the baby to consider too, however try not to get to stressed and upset as that won't help either (i know easier said than done!) Also keep on at the council!!! Hope you get it all sorted, and sure I speak for everyone when I say that we are all here for you babes!
    Tammi
  • Speaking of decorating costs, you should be able to claim them, as this is their fault, I think you will get about ??400..
  • HI babe,

    having dealt with councils a lot the very quckest way to get things moving is to see your local councillor or MP and get them to write a complaint on your behalf... this will automatically trigger an investigation on high which gets those lower down moving faster as they don't like the pressure...

    Promise this works best... getting your GP to write as well will help but honestly find when your councillors next surgery is, go along, look your most pregnant and fragile and good luck.

    xxx
  • awww huni i'd hate that too as the spores react with my asthma...i'm fed up of the flat we're noe evicted from as there are gaps around the pipes leading into the flatso our heating bill was extortionate and we were still in thermal socks and warm clothes as it still felt really fcold in our flat and the land lady did sod all we pay her ??^00 a month for a poxy 1 bed flat that was freezing all winter we had a oil heater and a halogen heater to help ease the cold a bit more....

    My advice speak to Housing in person and CAB to gain more advice. the spores aren't harmful but in your condition your more suseptable to illness and if you get ill they are too blame!
  • It has got me thinking - I have had one infection after another since I've been pregnant! Ear infections, water infections, vertigo, colds and flu! I know our immune systems are low but could having a wall full of mould caused some of this?
  • totally possible ask your GP and say it to your local councillor, and write it all down.

    It makes me so angry! its such a pain for you, specially as you really just need to be preparing for the baby and not fighting for housing.
  • Thats just wrong, sorry I'm not sure what to do, these girls have much better advice but I would defo complain. The council are buggers sometimes!! xxx
  • I'm not on the Council's side but I used to work for a housing association and a damp problem isn't an emergency. I'm sorry but visit from a surveyor in 9 days is pretty reasonable, the surveyors usually have huge areas to cover and jobs must be seen in priority order.

    The surveyors can be tricky though. Make sure you tell him/her that the water is ingressing and NOT condensation because they will try to pin the blame on you drying washing inside and not opening your windows enough. You need to stand your ground.

    I hope it gets sorted for you soon x
  • OMG!!! I have just emailed my letter to the local paper, copying the council.

    Then I was just typing this and the councillor I left a message for rang me back! He thinks it is disgusting that its a problem the council have known about for over 2 months and not dealt with it and is going to take it further!

    Pixie-woo, I used to work for a housing dept too but there are some things that are totally unacceptable. The inspector that is llikely to visit me is probably the same one who diagnosed the problem over 2 months ago so I dont feel I will have a fight on my hands at all.
    Thanks for letting me rant ladies!
  • went mad! computer on go slow

    [Modified by: oldermum69 on February 11, 2008 03:23 PM]
  • had mad few moments lol

    [Modified by: oldermum69 on February 11, 2008 03:25 PM]
  • HI Lee....

    I'm in exactly the same position as you....We have had the council out on many occasion and they do sweet FA. Our 4 year old sons bedroom got flooded last year and it was the councils fault...They left us 4 days before they even came out to inspect his room. We all had to sleep in the living room. All his toys, carpet and furniture were ruined. We had to replace everything ourselves and it took them over 2 months to come and fix the problem. In our bedroom my new moses basket got covered in mould. We had a cot-death in our family a few months ago which is making me feel worse. Our neighbours are in the same position, she expecting 3 weeks before me and we have gone to the papers. We had an inspector round who look all proffesional and took lots of photos but surprise surprise nothing has been done. My step-mum works for the council and even she can't seem to get any answers.

    Sorry to rant on as I know this was your topic but wanted you to know I am feeling what you are feeling and its perfectly normal hun.

    Katie and bambino.x x x

  • Join in and rant as much as you like Katie!!!!

    It just makes me sooooo mad that Councils can treat people like this. No other legitimate landlord would be able to be able to treat tenants so badly so why do local councils get away with it.

    My OH is coming round tonight and is going to film the state of the wall onto the camcorder then am going to put it onto disk because I cannot go the next 9 days knowing that amount of filth is growing up my wall!

    Katie, how did you get on with the papers and did you consult a Councillor?
  • You poor thing, this must be really stressful for you! Not got much more to add, the other girls have said it all really: CAB, MP, GP, local paper, local radio station maybe? Contact the housing dept as often as pos, just to let them know you are not going to go and sit quietly in the corner, and tell them you are not going to pay their stinking, extortionate council tax until its sorted!!!! Or the rent!

    Good luck hunny, really hope you get this sorted soon. When are you due? Do try not to get too stressed out by it all as that obviously wont be good for either of you. But play on the stress when you speak to GP and MP!! If they insist on putting you through hell then turn it to your advantage! Take care xx
  • hi sorry you are having problems, i had a problem with my council last summer, i had someone come in to fix my bathroom wall only to be told he thought it had asbestos so wouldnt tuch the wall, the council came out and tested it, it came back possitive, 2 weeks it took for them to do anythin, in the end i rang citizens advice beureau. they told me to write to the council first that the work was to be done asap as the council will deny any phone conversations i aslo send letters from doctor as it is a health risk, and if after a week or what ever they still hadent done the work citizens advice beureau said they would contact the council as it is the councils job to fix the problem

    if i was you i would ring citizens advice beureau and ask there advice, damp cant be very good for you so i think you need to get it sorted, good luck.
    xxx

    http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev099pb___.png

  • Well, I had a phone call from a woman telling me she was some director or another who the mp had contacted and basically telling me to wait til 20th and see what could be done. She also started changing the subject to get me to apply for a transfer with baby due etc etc. Anyway - just googled her and she is Residents committee and not Council member! Are they trying to call my bluff and see if I will disappear? In that case they aint seen nothing yet!!!!

    Have taken her phone number from 1471 so going to ring her tomorrow and tell her exactly what fuss I am making and send her, the mp and the council a copy of the letter I have written to the papers which doesnt hold back, in fact drops at least one member of staff in the shite!!!!
  • I would write to them - having it being signed for, keep a copy of EVERYTHING and keep a diary! I would go to the local CAB and most DEFO the local MP cry if you have to to get a responce! In the letter put the ownship on to the council that if ANYTHING happens to you in your pregnant vunrable state that they are going to be held personally responcable as they have been aware of this information for two months and its the middle of winter! ring them EVERY DAY a couple of times! drive them mad untill they have no option than to sort it out! get peoples names and use it when you call back ...i.e well I spoke to Judy (surname) and she told me somebody would be here by two whole people personally responcable saying its your duty to provide me with habbitable housing and this clearly is not... get dates and time of when things are to be carried out... so i will hear from you at the latest in two days... ring them everyday to find out the progress!!

    I know it sounds like hard work and believe me I KNOW i got a flat when i was very young and was left in a compete vunrable state in an inhabbitable property! I took them to corut and wone because i had documented everything! take photos date them! send a copy to the council getting a recipt to say theu have been handed in!

    let us know how your getting on! xxx
  • oo00oo what about environmental health???? we called them on our landlady as she hadn't sorted our leak between walls she'd tried blaming us for but how can we tamper with the plumbing between walls!they may help with the council!
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