Home improvement grant..........Help please.

squibbs25

Hello,

I'm not sure if i am posting this in the correct place, so please move to where-ever necessary.

I wonder if anyone can help. I've posted on this board several times over the last few weeks and the advice recieved has been great, but i need to trouble you all again so I will try and keep it brief..........................

My grandmother recieved a home improvement grant back in 2002 for 'updating' her house.
The works carried out included:
New Roof,
Double Glazing (throughout)
Dampcorsing,
New kitchen,
Re-wiring,
Replaced some gas fittings,
(and a few other things that i cant remember)
All the works were carried out with no problems and she was very happy.
She was told that the terms of the grant were that if she died or sold the property within a certain time frame (spaning 5 years) then she would have to re-pay a percentage for every year outstanding. But for every year she stayed there the percentage would decrease. Until of course when the time period is up (Mar 2007), then she would have nothing to re-pay.
Well....... unfortunatly her health is now detoriating and she is finding it hard to manage in the house by herself, (which is perfectly understandable afterall she is 90! )
Anyway, she has put the house on the market (and is currently under offer).
Today i have heard back from her local council office with whom i have been in contact with over the last 8 weeks trying to sort out how much of the grant will have to be re-paid, (given that it is now in the final year) to be told to our horror that she will have to repay the WHOLE amount, Of which is in excess of £40k (no, im not kidding). She was prepared to re-pay maybe 8 to 10k.
The gentleman said that if she has any paperwork that states the terms then they will honour it, but if she dont then there's nothing she can do.
He suggested that she waits the 10 months, then sells up. I told him that is neither pratical nor helpful.
They have been in touch with her GP, so they are aware of her health detoriating and the reason for moving.

I will be taking her back to London tomorrow so we can look for the paperwork.

Any ideas where we go from here?
Has anyone else been in this situation?

Squibbs

Doozergirl

Good grief. It's ridiculous that in 10 months time she pays nothing but has to pay £40k now. There's someone there at the council that can make a more sensible decision, you just have to find them.

How about an outraged call to the local newspaper? It sounds like the sort of thing they'd pick up on and I've certainly read stories in ours where the council have backtracked on issues once word gets out.

squibbs25

Good idea, never thought about going to newspapers.

What the fella has told me has come direct from the legal team.
They are also dealing with one other similar case at the same time.

wobbley

For a LOT less than £40k you could pay someone to look after her in her own home. This may even be to a better standard than a nursing/care home and she may even prefer to be there.

*Sparkle*_3

wobbley wrote:

For a LOT less than £40k you could pay someone to look after her in her own home. This may even be to a better standard than a nursing/care home and she may even prefer to be there.

I think this is a sensible idea and should be considered seriously.

Best of luck with it all

Could someone tell me more about home improvement grants and who is eligable, my mother's home needs updating and sorting out but she doesnt have the cash to redo it. She lives in rented council accomodation.Sorry to hijack your thread.

Doozergirl

Home improvement grants are available from some councils for home owners on low incomes.

If your mother already lives in council accomodation, then a grant isn't the right thing as the council should just pay for essential works. I bet lynzpower will be able to tell you the best thing to do.

seven-day-weekend

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family_parent/housing/help_with_home_improvements.htm

This link may be useful to both Sqibs and Sparkle

taffy1_2

I work for the Council (in Scotland things may work differently in England) and deal with Improvement Grants for our area and was also under the impression that each year the amount repayable decreases until the 5 years is up when nothing is owed. I can't remember the actual wording as I have done that many I skim straight to the parts I need to type, but I will check when I get to work on Monday.

If you cannot find any information at you Aunts house then I suggest you contact the Council and request copies of all information held in the file relating to her house (does the freedom of information act apply in England?). If you are requesting information it is best to do so in writing and send it recorded delivery so they cannot deny receiving it.

Another method of obtaining the information would be to phone the Council and ask to speak to one of their Solicitors and ask them about improvement grants and the details of repayment, but don't tell them the real reason just say you are making enquiries before applying for one or something like that.

You could also contact the Land Registry office and request a copy of the Improvement Grant as they are recorded against the deeds for the house, and it may hold the information you are looking for.

Hope this helps you and everything gets sorted out for your Aunt

clutton_2

""The gentleman said that if she has any paperwork that states the terms then they will honour it, but if she dont then there's nothing she can do""

this sounds to me as if the council may have mislaid their paperwork !! I would be very tempted, (before really antagonising them via media reports) to go to your grans local councillor, or even MP and ask him/her to sort this out for you. Councils HATE investigations by MP's. good luck

squibbs25

Thank you all for your help and advice so far.
How do you think i will get on if i get the mp involved? In situations before where she herself has contacted him, he has been rather useless! (Builders renovationing house behind her dumped rubbish and furniture at the bottom of the allyway, and boarded it up compleately BLOCKING emergency access from the garden to the street, The same builers took down nans back fence so they could re-build wall to same building , she allowed them to do this as they promised to put it back, GUESS WHAT - never happened. The builders have dissappeared without a trace, the house is being 'let' and no-one seems to know who the landlord is. And with no offence meant - they dont seem to speak English. So nan is hitting a brick wall there too.) He just said he dont know who owns the building. HENCE no back fence and rubbish in alley and still boarded up.
But thats another issue!
Point is Not sure how MP will get invloved or if he will just hinder the case.
Is there anyone higher that we can get involved?
The MP in question has been the MP for longer than i can remember (possibly 12 -15 years or more).

squibbs25

The saga continues..............................

Nan just recieved letter from local council stating that the time period for the grant is now up on 30 May 2007, previously told March 2007.
It dont loook like they know what they are talking about, but there's no-one else to talk to there either!

Will keep you informed when i get my copy letter!