Can'r cope anymore :(

dancingfairy

I know this is not strictly DFW related but this is my home so here goes:
In the last 2 months we have had numerous problems with our rented house including:
washing machine leaking which went through to downstairs due to being incorrectly installed - installers failing to admit liability.
Floor damaged by washing machine leak - took 8 weeks to get a new floor - and landlord/letting agents/installing people still arguing over liability and I am fed up with having mouldy lino and rotting wood in my house in case the solicitors need it.
Boiler got a hole in the bottom of it and leaked through to downstairs flat - same one. Got new boiler after 3 days without running water.
Oven seal and door hinges are broken - waiting for a new one - so far waited 3 1/2 weeks - not expecting a new one soon.
Front door lock broken and got removed - had to wait 3 days for a new one.
Sewage leaking in the garden - reported on Saturday - they stopped the leak on Sunday but can't get anyone to come and clear up the mess - can't get in touch with Landlord, Management company being so slow and useless, environemental health not bothered, letting agents not bothered.
I start a new job on Monday and have had to go out and buy loads of new things -I bought a new coat,2 pairs of jeans , a pair of work shoes and am still looking for work trousers as I have lost weight and I was looking like a bag lady.
My OH has been suffereing a bad back for months and the stress is not helping his back and is still being diagnosed - grrr and physio has not helped.
His work is causing him stress.
I start work on Monday and am really nervous as my last few jobs haven't gone very well as I am very outspoken and outgoing and questioning and find it very hard to keep quite and not chat or ask people questions.
I am also trying to fit in driving lessons as my theory runs out in January and I am fed up with lugging heavy bags back from the supermarket and to and from the laundrette and it is not doing my OH's back any good - but am not doing very well at driving and am not sure when I will ever pass my test.
Umm that's about it for now I think. Just don't know what to do anymore - I sleep about 10 -12 hours minimum and can easily sleep more than that. I drink loads of pepsi and coke and eat chocolate spread and watch loads of rubbish tv and spend my time on here and I have just about had enough of everything. Grrrrrr.
If you got this far thanks for reading.
df

dancingfairy

No wonder I am so stressed - not to mention Christmas etc.
df

dancingfairy

Just been to check on progress - the sewer has overflowed again - much worse this time. Aarggh. Company say that it is in hand and they have instructed a company to go and do a thorough clean through -although they think they have been called on an emergency and won't be here till tomorrow. I give up. Arggggh.
df

Jesthar

Awww, hon! Sounds like a horrible run of events... *hugs*

Regarding the sewage (used to work in this field, just had a quick chat with a old colleague about this ), if the leak came from a public sewer or inspection chamber then your water company are responsible for clearing up the mess. If it was a private sewer/inspection chamber, then your landlord/letting company are responsible. If you don't know what kind of sewer this is, you can phone your water company to ask, or your Local Authority are also supposed to have up to date copies of the utilities plans, including the sewer network.

As to Environmental Health, my colleague's comment when I said that they weren't bothered was 'Well, they SHOULD be bothered - raw sewage is a classified biohazard'. You should really try calling them again and saying something like 'I've had raw sewage sitting in my garden since XXX, and my landlord/management company are refusing to get it cleaned up, how should this be sorted?' Don't slack on this one, whatever you do - sewage can contain/breed some rather nasty nasties, and I'm stunned that EH aren't taking this seriously. :mad:

*hugs* Hang in there, honey!

~Jes

dancingfairy

Thank - it's on land owned by the management company I believe- it's right next to the building - may phone environmental health again tomorrow. Ho hum. They said something about all the chambers have to be flushed out before they know what the problem is. Arggh. It is annoying as I can't put my washing out (well I won't since the wind will make it stink). Oh well - it's not on any footpaths or highways or anything - yet. We shall see.
df

Jesthar

Don't wait until tomorrow, df - call them now! Seriously, raw sewage is nasty stuff - there's a very good reason why anyone working around it has to have special notes on their medical records. Flooding once and leaving the sewage lying around for days is bad enough, but reflooding means that there may well be a blockage somewhere, and it will keep happening until that is sorted.

Also call your management company, as they seem to be blissfully ignoring the fact you are now officially living in an unsanitary environment, and they are responsible for rectifying that or providing alternate accomodation.

'Flushing out' the chambers is possibly referring to a process called 'jetting' - they basically stick a specially designed high pressure hose up the sewer to clean it out. And I can't see how raw sewage floating around a residential area is lower priority that something else!

No, don't go putting your washing out - don't go anywhere near the stuff at all, you're best avoiding the flooded area completely if you can. If you do have to walk through it, you might want to disinfect your shoes afterwards, just to be 100% on the safe side. If the flooding is close to communal areas, then you should see about warning your neighbours and getting them to complain too. And if all else fails, go to the papers "Landlord leaves residents ankle deep in sewage" would look so good on the front page of the local news, hey?

~Jes

elsie52

Hi DF

Sorry to hear that you are having such a bad time.......don't you find it can be just one thing that makes you feel that everything is wrong..... Well, I would definitely give up on the pepsi, coke and chocolate......ad try to go for something healthy instead, although I am the first person who reaches for the biscuit barrel when things are going wrong.

I would think that your landlord is responsible for the floor, if the washing machine belongs to him, and that it would be in his interest to rectify the problem. The longer everything is wet it will smell terribly, and at the end of the day its his property, so he should be maintaining it to a decent standard. If you decided to vacate, he wouldn't be able to re-let it in such a state. I would have another go at the Management people and see what they have got to say for themselves.

Cheer up chuck..

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