Screw Over Amy day...

**Amy** · 7 February 2008 at 10:23AM

I got home from my rubbish day last night to even more rubbish news.

Firstly a debt collection agency letter for £361 for EDF Energy (who i havent been with for nearly a year) saying I owe them that for their final bill... !!!!!!?? I have had no letters or anything. Phoned this morning and they said I have to pay a minimum of £30 a month (which i cant afford) so i offered £10 a month and he said no... i asked what happens now and he said either I go back with EDF (and get a pre-payment meter) or its probably Court but he will speak to his supervisor... nice bullying tactics there wankspanner.

Then i had another letter... one from the council. Last year my balcony (I am a council tenant) was leaking downstairs into the flat below (they own theirs). Well according to this letter I CAUSED IT! Oh yes thats right, because i have a batton inbetween the paving slabs and the plinth that is "probably" the cause. Well i either did cause it or i didnt?

The letter was so F*****g curt it really upset me. Basically i have to remove the plinths, and pay for downstairs flat to be redecorated. Cost to be advised when council are satisfied it has been completed and rectified.

I have spoken to someone at the council and he is looking into it. if they claim it was me, I am seeking legal advice and also advice from a surveyor (from where i used to work). And im really not happy about them saying "costs will be advised" and also that i have incurred an "aministrative fee".

Im so !!!!ed off. I have savings in my account for the first time ever (to pay off my loan) and I really am trying to get out of debt, and it just feels like people are trying to knock me down all the time...

Sorry if this is miserable for first thing, but im just so fed up this morning.

:rolleyes:

Notgotapottoweein · 7 February 2008 at 10:29AM

Sorry but i thought the title of your thread was an invitation

Keep your chin up Amy don't let the !!!!!!!s grind you down.

cakey · 7 February 2008 at 10:31AM

don't let it get you down. Firstly ask EDF why they have waited so long and make it clear to them if they do go down the court route that the court will only advise you pay less than £10 a month anyway. They shouldn't be refusing your offer to make payment. Also keep a log of everytime you have spoke to them, aslo ask for each correspondence after you left them until your final bill. if they can't prove they have attempted contact then they will have to accept responsibility. You have more cards than you think. you know the leak wasn't you, and seems like you can prove it. things will work out just hang in there.

**Amy** · 7 February 2008 at 10:32AM

:rotfl: Thanks... and your name really made me chuckle!!!!

xx

poppett · 7 February 2008 at 10:39AM

Hi Amy, just thought I'd pop on and say keep your chin up as well. It always seems the way.....just when you think you have a little spare cash, someone always manages to come out of the woodwork and say "hey, you owe us x amount" doessn't it?

How about sending £10 a month to EDF until they get in touch again, at least that way they will see you are trying. I took this advice of another member on here for a bill I had and when it finally got sorted I had paid off a chunk of it already.

As for the council, how can the leak be your fault if it was from your balcony, unless you had a swimming pool on there!!! I would seek legal advice over this one if I were you as surely you can't be held responsible for this. I may be wrong but that's why I say seek advice asap.

dhassen · 7 February 2008 at 10:42AM

haven't got advice but keep your chin up

MissEyre · 7 February 2008 at 10:49AM

It's never just one thing, is it? I would take the advice of the previous posters on this one-pay EDF £10 a month, and keep a log of all correspondance, and def take legal advice on the balcony thing. That's just ridiculous!

Hope something nice happens to cheer you up, to balance it out! x

tigtag02 · 7 February 2008 at 10:56AM

**Amy** wrote: »

:rotfl: Thanks... and your name really made me chuckle!!!!

xx

Not half as much as wankspanner made me laugh

Chin up Amy hun ~ its never as bad as it seems once you have ranted.

I agree 100% with cakey about EDF and the council certainly are *that word again* and you should fight it all the way ~ they are just trying to cop out of their responsibilities.

Surely as the LL they are obliged to take care of any problems like that ~ unless of course you deliberately caused the leak :rolleyes: (not been peeing on the plinth have you

)

tt
xx

Steameh · 7 February 2008 at 10:59AM

Know how you feel Amy. Finally got some savings put away and my car decides to create two major problems that apparently just the parts will wipe out £500 easily and it isn't worth repairing.

I now have to look at getting rid and getting another car

Chin up though

**Amy** · 7 February 2008 at 11:38AM

Aww thanks everyone.

I do feel tons better already. I am waiting for the council to get back to me re: the leak etc. My sister made a good point. The water should be running "towards" the property for downstairs to be leaking, which would mean it would be nothing to do with the batons as they are at the opposite end of the balcony! And i have no pools of water on my balcony, so how can it be caused by lack of "drainage".

Anyway, i am sending some pics to my old work (hopefully) who are Building Surveyors to see what they think, so fingers crossed. If the council havent contacted me back by 1pm, im calling them again.

I think I will try and make £10 payments to debt collector, they will just have to lump it. In about 4 months time I will probably be able to pay it off, just not right now.

Thanks again everyone.

xxx

Upsey_Daisy · 7 February 2008 at 11:59AM

**Amy** wrote: »

Aww thanks everyone.

I do feel tons better already. I am waiting for the council to get back to me re: the leak etc. My sister made a good point. The water should be running "towards" the property for downstairs to be leaking, which would mean it would be nothing to do with the batons as they are at the opposite end of the balcony! And i have no pools of water on my balcony, so how can it be caused by lack of "drainage". Anyway, i am sending some pics to my old work (hopefully) who are Building Surveyors to see what they think, so fingers crossed. If the council havent contacted me back by 1pm, im calling them again.

I think I will try and make £10 payments to debt collector, they will just have to lump it. In about 4 months time I will probably be able to pay it off, just not right now.

Thanks again everyone.

xxx

Morning,

Sorry to hear of your troubles. I think you are doing the right thing about contacting a Building Surveyor. If they are unable to help you then you could have a look at the RICS website, who have a list of Surveyors in your area that will do a half hour consultancy for a usually quite minimal fee. The website is www.ricsfirms.co.uk . As a general rule, balconies leak and its usually down to poor design or construction and not anything the building occupier does. Therefore I would suggest that if you dont have a full repairing lease then you more than likely are not culpable for the damages, although I am not an expert on leases, someone else may be.

If you had a broken window would it be down to you to fix or would the Housing Authority come and fix it? I would suggest that the the leak from your balcony is also a repair item.

It might be that your batons are stopping the water from running away, but even so, it would still have to find a route through the structure to cause damage to your neighbours gaff. Can you take a picture looking up underneath your balcony? Is there any cracking to the render causing a route for the water to get into your neighbours property? If this crack is below your balcony then I would suggest that this is the problem and not your balcony.

Anyway, as I say, i'm not an expert in leases and couldn't give you any proper advice. Let us know what the Surveyors say.

Good Luck :beer:

Screw Over Amy day...

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