Advise on cost of repairs please

fishingcinema

update:

I had a meeting with the h/a and asked why i was never offered an oppertunity to pre void as they called it. they said it was where i did not give 4 weeks notice, when i asked why i was being charged a trace fee they said because i did not give a forwarding address, and they had tried to contact me, i said that i had not received one phone call since handing back my keys and could prove this by getting info from my mobile provider, i then asked them there and then to get my details up on there system, they did and read back to me my phone number that i have had since i moved into the property 5+ years ago and a current email address, i gave them a phone and asked them to call the number they had on the system for me but they declined, i asked why no one had tried to contact me regarding the issues and they could not answer and said they would waive the trace fee.

I asked them if between me viewing the property 5+ years ago and me receiving the keys was there a property inspection and was told no, the reason i asked them this is when i viewed the property there were cut off central heating pipes sticking up through the floor in both bedrooms and i was assured they would be dealt with before i got my keys and i had a young one crawling, and mould on the walls when i got my keys this had not been done.

The replacement kitchen door had not been replaced as they had pictures for me to see and it was inface a cupboard door and they replaced this because there was a small chip approx 1cm out of the side of the door and the door handle had scratched the door. i said that the small chip on the side of the door was like it when i moved in and was told you should have reported this to us when you moved in, i had someone come with me to the meeting and they pionted out that this may not have been a problem to me when i moved in hence why it was not reported.

As for not giving four weeks notice as previous posts of mine state, i have several issues with youths in the area setting off fireworks yards from my frontroom window, bins being set on fire, vehichle set on fire, things thrown at my windows and just harrassment in general, my health was bad i suffered with reoccuring pluracy and had a cracked rib at the same time along with asthma was on 23 tablets a day and could barely move. the flat also had reoccuring mould issues. i had letters from my doctors and local mp requesting i be moved and the h/a did not act or want to know, i had a meeting at home at the begining of the year and was just brushed off saying i was not priority, i told them if they were not prepared to help me then i would have to find alternative accomidation.

I also asked regarding cost of repairs and was told that they imput a code in the system and a price for the job comes up all done by in house staff so no quotes were avalible for me to see, they also said that sometimes they question the cost of a repair before the tennant questions it, i still asked how they justified £415. for 14ft AND 6ft bit of skirting board.

they are also claiming 4 weeks rent as i did not give notice (i did however return the keys with a letter stating why i was moving out) wich then if i pay i said surely i should of then been intitled to a pre void inspection, i was told no, i gave the keys back in june and asked when the pre void was carried out and was told 20th july.

It also came up in the meeting that it was worrying that the h/a had received a letter and keys back from a tennant and nothing was done by the h/a not even a phone call it was as if they read the letter and put it on a desk or in a file somewhere and said ok.

After the meeting with the h/a i went to see a solicitor that is saying i do not owe the h/a a penny because they did not carry out an inspection after i viewed and before i received my keys so they can not prove what damage was there or not there when i got the keys.
But i have photos of the central heating pipes and the state of the property when i moved in and so has my local mo from when i sought his help 2 yrs ago.

As for the 4 weeks rent the solicitor is saying i do not owe this either as they failed to address my need to be moved i was forced to get alternative accomidation and the new property came up and i had to get into it fast or it would have been gone.

I wanted to come to an amicable settlement with the h/a but everything i question them on they have an answer for an are not prepared to negotiate, so i will be sending them a letter to state my position on the matter and my wish to not enter into any further corrospondence with them and will have to wait to settle it all in small claims court.

I have also found out today that they instructed a debt collection agency to trace me, something appeared on my file from a debt collection agency and i have no outstanding debt so contacted the company to find out it was from the h/a when i said i do not know why they instructed your company for as they have 2 forms of contact for me he said well they did not give me any of that, i said they have charged me £79 for the trace he was shocked so it obveiously did not cost that, i asked if it could be removed and he said unfortunatly not. so now i have this matter that for the next 2 yrs any potential lender will see that a debt collection agency made a search on my file and on equifax it states that this could affect me. there was no need to trace me if they had tried to contact me on the contact details they had for me but this was obveiously too hard for them.

fishingcinema

££sc££ wrote: »

When you gave your notice to end the tenancy, did housing association write to you telling you what you needed to do and/or make an appointment for you to show you what you needed to do to prevent a recharge? If you didn't give notice, then you kind of missed your opportunity for this. I wouldn't expect them to be ringing you after you've returned the property giving you quotes, the housing association will rely on rental income and will need to get it relet asap.

If you are unhappy you need to take the issue through their complaints process. In your complaint, I wouldn't bother listing how much you think each job should have cost by getting prices off Google. The HA will have had to employ contractors to do the works, probably on an agreed schedule of rates. Clearly them having too employ an electrician, to travel to the premises and do the works plus VAT, plus the HA's cost of organising the works is going to cost a lot more than getting the part off the net.

Trace fee? - did you give them your forwarding address? -

As a housing officer, most of the costs seems pretty standard and similar to what the organisation i work for charges. (although that doesn't mean I necessarily agree they're good value for money)

Although skirting charge seems high from the description you give.

Make sure you evidence what the property was like when you moved in, they probably hear all the time what tenants say it was like when they move in, so make sure you've got evidence.

If you're certain the place was left clean, ask for photos to the contrary (for the cleaning charge).

And await outcome of formal complaint.

Thanks for the information and advice, i have photos of what the property was like when i moved in as had my local mp, i have pictures from the h/a and all the rooms look clean, the only room that i can say was dusty not dirty was the kitchen as i had fitted tiles on the worktops and had my own kitchen cupboard fronts put on and circulat sinks, when i left i had to get the tiles cut out to fit there sink back in, now the boiler broke before i moved and when the repair man came out he said that they will rip out the whole kitchen and refit new standard kitchen, hence why i took the sinks and replaced there standard one, now i can not see them spending in excess of £200 to clean a dusty kitchen to rip a old kitchen out and make more mess if that makes sense.

I have followed there complaints procces before and gave up on the second stage i was very ill at the time and did not have the strenght Physicaly or mentaly as they have an answer for everything, so will send my final letter and wait for it to go to court, otherwise i will be sending letters back and forth arguing the toss with the h/a forever.