Complaining to Property Ombudsman

skintsue

I have a long winded and long standing complaint which is now being refered to the Property Ombudsman.
As well as the complaint including behaviour contrary to Codes of Conduct for the business and the costs involved in rectifying it - repairs, replacements, lost rent, additional expences etc, there is a section on how it has affected the complainants - stress, discomfort etc, including time taken to resolve, and what we want - although they cannot fine them as a punishment, or demand compensation.
Are they expecting us to put down a time sheet with how many hours spent sorting things out - phone calls, CAB visits, e-mails, letters etc. Do they have an hourly rate we should claim for?
Some things are measurable - average time typing an A4 sheet of paper, length of phone call, time taken for visit, appointment etc, but what about research for facts and figures, preparing the groundwork.
It has been going on for over 12 months, some slower times than others, then flurries of activities.
It might be an hour, if that, one day a week, then 4 or 5 hours every day for 2 weeks. Yesterday, for example, there were 2 of us plowing through paperwork from 9.30 am until 11.30 pm trying to get the facts into some order and deciding what was relevant.
Does ill health brought on by the situation merit a mention? How can they factor that into the equation?

Sorry if it all sounds too confusing. It is for me too, and I'm in the middle of it.

wealdroam

Yes it does sound confusing.

From his homepage, the Property Ombudsman says...

This website contains all the information that you need for making a complaint to an agent, bringing the complaint to my office and also provides you with a list of all agents who are members of the TPO Scheme or who are registered with us. If you need any further help or guidance, my staff will be only too pleased to assist you.
Christopher Hamer, The Property Ombudsman

The last sentence looks good.

skintsue

Thanks Wealdroam,
I did as you suggested and rang for advice. The lady I spoke to was very helpful, but non commital regarding the outcome - which is what it should be.

I sent everything off, and they will be asking the other side for their paperwork etc, and compare notes to come to a decision. It could be another 4-5 weeks before they make judgement - if the other side do send the paperwork quickly.

Doubt it will be that easy - I've been checking the web and there are a couple of websites devoted to just this company and the problems they have caused.
All claiming the same problems - promise everything will be taken care of, take the money, never answer phonecalls, e-mails etc, and throw it all back in your face as if it is somehow it's your fault for expecting them to do what they were contracted to do.