Landlord's shelf collapsed, damaged my stuff

BillJones

Lum wrote: »

No I don't have my own insurance, when getting out of an abusive relationship and sleeping on people's couches while looking for a new place to live, it's not the first thing you think about getting, you know.

Then you've just learned a useful life lesson; if you push things down your list of priorities, you may come to regret it later.

There are two possible people to blame here, you for not storing the item yourself, or your friend, for not checking that the shelf was strong enough to hold it.

Please, don't try to blame someone else for you deciding that insurance was not worth it, or for your friend's carelesness.

SnooksNJ

thesaint wrote: »

This thread sums up everything(slight exxageration)wrong with this country today.

Move to America, you'll fit right in.

Normally I would call you out for your Anti-Americanism but there probably is some truth in that due to that whole change you can believe in.

Lum

Poppie68 wrote: »

You stated in your first post the damp and mould was there before you friend moved in....why move in and moan after? I wonder if she was happy living there until you moved in and started picking faults?

Actually I was warned of some of the faults before I first ever visited her, and told of some of the others (e.g. the boiler) after I moved in. She is just far far less up for a conflict than I am, so when the landlord told her "If you complain about the boiler again, I'll find a less difficult tenant" (which I presume to mean a 2 month Section 21 notice with no reason given) she caved and just lives with it. She's moving out before winter as not willing to go through another winter with effectively no heating.

Mo move wasn't a planned house move, and my other options were either stay with my ex, who I don't feel safe around, or streets/hostel. If the two of us work well together we'll likely move in to a better house as roommates. Top of the list of requirements for the next house "Not a mouldy s**thole"

Missko

Hmm, now where shall I store my weird expensive cartoon doll thingy? I know, my friends massively unsafe hovel of a flat!


Wetting myself! Thanks!!

CharlieRabbit01

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I have many collectable DVD/bluray figurines and a cat, which being a Siamese he's not very dainty, I'm also in rented.

Everyone of my collectables are stored in a glass display cabinate any new ones are kept in original packaging (which I keep) and are stored in a cupboard or a closed room (no cat access).

An expensive frame fell off a hook which was there when I moved in and smashed this was my fault for not checking it was secure not my landlords for the dodgy hook.

Pixie5740

Lum wrote: »

I'll strike it off the list of things my friend needs to nag the landlord about then, and just go with the dodgy electrics, the mould/damp, the boiler that can only hold pressure for a few hours as it's pouring hot water down the side of the wall. Though with those and an impending move, probably better to just report it to the environmental health while moving out, or are those our fault too?

Has your friend ever reported any of these issues, in writing, to the landlord? The boiler not holding pressure is a sign of a leak, hence the hot water pouring down the wall. Could this also be the cause of the damp/mould in the property? The tenant has a responsibility to report these kind of things, in writing, to the landlord. Shelter's website has good information on how to report repairs and what to do if the landlord won't fix them such as contacting environmental health.

So in answer to your question about these issues being "our" fault, you're not the tenant of that property so they have nothing to do with you, your friend on the other hand might be responsible depending on whether or not he/she has reported them to the landlord in a timely fashion or just ignored them and allowed them to get worse.

Lum

Well that's been her business, not mine, I've not known her /that/ long.

I believe the complaints were done via facebook messages. Not ideal but at least they're recorded and timestamped.

Missko

Maybe the landlord should sue her for breaking his shelf?

ging84

mrginge wrote: »

Ah ok. I think i've misread the context of your OP. I thought you wanted some advice about liability.

Now i realise you just want someone to agree with you.

On that basis, sue the LL. It's clearly his fault.
:j

My take on forum posts in general