Sick with Worry...

**Amy** · 8 May 2008 at 7:59PM

Hi All

You may remember earlier this year i posted about problems to do with the council and my balcony.

here are the full details: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=729255

Well i havent heard anythng until last week. I got a letter saying it was still leaking downstairs and they were coming back today to have another look.

I got home today to a hand posted invoice from the council. Its for all works (inspections, repairs, materials, scaffolding, decorations to downstairs flat, more works to balcony and admin fee) for £3,403.17 :eek:

I have just had a major crying session on the phone to my mum. Im in shock.

I have just been outside to take some pictures of the balcony and nothing has changed since February (or since October etc. when i have taken pictures of the cats).

anyway, i am going to phone the council tomorrow and ask for a full and complete/detailed breakdown of the costs (one cost is: "Out of hours inspection, carried out repair including material" and is £1,534.37, not enough detail for such a big amount in my eyes).

Luckily i work for surveyors as well, so im going to ask them what they think costs etc, should be and if it would of caused so much damage.

I just dont know how im going to pay for all of this, I really dont. Im struggling enough as it is, now another £3.5K to add to my debt.

Sorry, but the stress is also the fact that I now have to wait for tomorrow to sort any of this out. So much for my chilled evening.

xxx

10past6 · 8 May 2008 at 8:07PM

Hi Amy

Try not to be to stressed, is YOUR property an ex council flat?

Have you never thought of trying to get building insurance.

With most flats it nigh impossible to get building insurance, as this is covered within the maintenance charge per flat, but I read somewhere once about ex council flats being an exception.

**Amy** · 8 May 2008 at 8:14PM

I am a council tenant at the moment... thats the problem. It should be their responsibility but unfortunately because they are saying I have caused the leak, its my problem...

When they first inspected it last year the guy said it was probably to do with the stuff under the slabs, and that a few balconies in my area have had similar problem because they are old...

But they are blaming me....

Im just so scared about this amount, its not as if its a few £100 you know, something i could say, well yes a couple of months of ebaying and i could probably pay it off...

This is going to probably take years now.

xxx

**Amy** · 8 May 2008 at 8:35PM

Oh well im off to have a bath and try and relax now... roll on tomorrow when i can try and sort this out.

Do you think they would accept a payment of £20 a month or something?

xxx

postingalwaysposting · 8 May 2008 at 8:37PM

Aww amy, I dont know what to say. have you contacted the council about this? Do you think you have the time and more importantly teh energy to fight this? If the man who inspected it said a lot of these balconeys have the problem then its obviously not your falut. Do you know what the next step will be regarding either paying/payment plan/fighting it?

**Amy** · 8 May 2008 at 8:41PM

Thanks PAP.

The first inspection was done as an "emergency" when we had really bad story weather around Novemberish time.

He said it as an off the cuff remark, but i didnt get anything in writing. I only got told i had caused the problem in February. They then "filled the holes" i had created (which they havent as the battens are still in place, so there is no way they could of filled the holes) and they did some other work, which i was assured was nothing to do with me and "was a precautionary measure". I actually think i may have been charged nearly £500 for that (which is why i want the complete breakdown as i have no idea what "works" it refers to).

I only got the letter tonight, but will be phoning them first thing in the morning.

Im not sure. The date of the invoice is 1st May (i got it today!) and the due date is 30 April 08... yeah well done Council :rolleyes: :T So im not sure when the actual due date is.

I actually feel very sick.

xx

10past6 · 8 May 2008 at 8:42PM

**Amy** wrote: »

Do you think they would accept a payment of £20 a month or something? xxx

NO :mad:

If I was you, I would be contacting my local councillor, asking them to come round, view the problem, and be asking them, WHY ARE YOU BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE!!

You can find out who your local councillor is by your local library, or telephoning the council house.

They have just been elected, get them to earn their fee!!

**Amy** · 8 May 2008 at 8:44PM

10past6 wrote: »

NO :mad:

If I was you, I would be contacting my local councillor, asking them to come round, view the problem, and be asking them, WHY ARE YOU BEING HELD RESPONSIBLE!!

You can find out who your local councillor is by your local library, or telephoning the council house.

They have just been elected, get them to earn their fee!!

They are saying its because i put nails into the membrane stuff that "stops leaks"...

I will speak to the council tomorrow, im just so scared about having to pay the money.

xx

postingalwaysposting · 8 May 2008 at 8:58PM

Amy, so the 'jist' is you nailed something in the membrane on the balcony that they said caused the leak so you have to pay for the repairs? Unless you can prove otherwise i am unsure you can fight this. I would get onto the council tommorrow and ask them for a pricing breakdown (prob take a while knowing what councils are like). Then I would check if you are responsible, ie has this happened before due to the age of the property. Also I would get 'quoteq' on how much it would cost to repair your balcony and decorate below. if tehy have only 'filled the holes' as a 'precautionary measure' and decorated downstairs I can in no way figure out how they have made a total of £3k thats stupid. Have you tryed to factor in the cost of repaying this into your soa yet? Or is it totaly not able to be repayed?

**Amy** · 9 May 2008 at 6:58AM

Hi PAP thanks for your response

Thats the jist of it all yes. The "precautionary" repair they did was nothing to do with the holes i caused, it was something else, but they have said in a letter that they have fixed the problem i caused. However, the battens were not removed so i dont know how they could of sorted the holes out!

I am going to ask for a complete price breakdown. I think the thing that has really increased it (by the look of things) is an out of hours inspection (which was the emergency once called by the people downstairs (who own their property) at the very beginning.

I havent checked my SOA as yet, but to be honest im living on £50 a week as it is (for all my food/essentials and for the cats food/litter etc). I could probably say £20 a month payment, but i dont think they will accept it.

I thought about it last night, and if i need to pay it, i will... they will just have to accept what I can offer or take me to court.

xxx