Parent's having issues with council repairs and temp move.

sheramber

drbluebox wrote: »

Who said they were? But if they did their job in the first place none of this would of ever happened, why are people standing up for a council that has dodged their responsibilities hundreds of times over the years then acting like my parents are the ones with the problem.

Let me be clear, my parents dont mind packing for themselves for thet most part but need help with specific things which the council acts like they should be grateful for even getting ESSENTIAL repairs done in the first place, the house has reached the point where its legally not safe to live in (how they are even still living there is beyond me) or do you think walking through things like a hallway and feet going through floorboards is acceptable? Do you think its acceptable that they want pensioners to move things like washing machine into a lorry themselves? Even more so when their own website outright says they PACK EVERYTHING FOR YOU.



Where pray tell can they magic up the funds needed for such a thing when both have no savings due to ill health? Since its the councils own incompetence that means they even have to move out why are you defending them? If they did the repairs they were meant to then they wouldnt of needed to be moved out, I suppose you think damp so bad that floorboards are rotting is acceptable? And the damp isnt due to parents not having heating on or anything its down to the sad state of the property they were rented in the first place.

No removal firm expects someone to move a washing machine into their lorry themselves.

The removal men will pack fro you but will charge for it. If the council are paying then presumably can]t justify paying extra. Afterall , it is council tax payers money not the council's money.

All they need to pack is what is in cupboards, drawers etc. The removal men will remove the furniture. If the house is so small they can't have much big furniture.

The removal people can supply boxes but may not do so until the last minute as the boxes will be getting used by someone els.

People will not be covered by insurance to go up into up into the attic.

If they cannot do it themselves perhaps you could pay for a local handyman to do it.

Do they not have neighbours who could help out?

However, if the attic is unsafe then it will be difficult to get anybody willing to go up.

Forget the why's and wherefores of what has happened and put your energy into working with the situation as it is now.

theartfullodger

For the third time:

theartfullodger wrote: »

They should ...

a) 'phone Shelter Scotland 0808 800 4444: They are the experts in housing matters including council tenancies.....

Have they?? What did Shelter Scotland suggest they did??

[Deleted User]

No one here is defending the council. What we are saying is the council won't have packers.., you know all councils are short of money. Your parents and you need to face reality and sort out a way of doing it rather than sit there 'on strike' saying 'the council should do it'. Obviously they can't/won't.

I do things myself out of self preservation. If your parents are that disabled, they should be getting extra money to help meet their needs. Its not easy but it is possible to get. I've been preparing to move for over a year, and sorted out what I could. It sounds like you and your parents knew this was going to happen at some point. You both could have prepared.

This is not defending the council, this is saying you all should be taking responsibility for things yourselves. You care, you want your parents to have a better repaired house.., the council (sorry) don't give a damn.., its just another house on their list. I'm not saying that's right, but no one is going to care as much as you and your parents. Don't just sit there.., start arranging things. One washing machine takes a few minutes to move.., pay someone for half an hours work. I'm sure that can be afforded. I've moved things I shouldn't be able to out of sheer determination and knowing if I didn't it wasn't going to happen. Face that and make it happen. Concentrate on finding a way rather than expecting what clearly isn't going to happen.

I've suggested Age UK.., you can also try your Councillor, but they are all too aware of the financial problems council's face. Instead of moaning about how unfair the world is (you'll get no disagreement from me on that score), concentrate on what you and your family can do. Its the only choice that will work. If moaning was going to work, it would have done by now. Time for a change of strategy.

drbluebox

Sue.D.Nim wrote: »

Could a local charity for elderly people in their area (or a church if they are that way inclined) help them out with the move/getting boxes etc? Social services might be able to provide a list or contact details of charities or schemes that could help with this.

Do they have any neighbours who might help.

Contact a local supermarket for boxes?

Or would any of your own friends or other family (cousins etc) be able to drive you, help out at all? I know it's hard to ask though, or even know how to ask if you have issues yourself. Maybe posting a general facebook (or whatever) post having a mini rant about it in a 'argh what a nightmare this is, how can I help my folks' sort of way - often people would respond to that offering sympathy, advice and even help.

I think it might be best to just focus on getting the work done first and then fighting any battle they have with the council afterwards. Delaying any work while trying to sort out who is responsible for arranging and paying for the logistics will just keep things going in circles and get more worrying and frustrating for your mum and dad.

It really is a small town with not much there and due to cutbacks over the years in everything you get no help, the council and removers have said they will only accept their own boxes (which are very expensive priced)

And people are getting the wrong end of the stick, my parents havent refused to do the packing on their own nor are they delaying anything, they think its nice to be out of the house for the week just bad they are getting messed around and multiple things cancelled at last minute, bodged work done for other repairs or minimal amount of work done they worry that something will go wrong such as the boxes not arriving, they spend days packing to be told its cancelled, removal van turning up and expecting them to pay etc, so if council arranges help for packing it removes the burden from them in case something goes wrong.

Neither of my parents gets on with their family, at most my mum tolerates her side but they live like 600 miles away and looked down on my family over the years for being on benefits despite it being for health reasons, similar for dads side but I have never even spoken to or know the names of any as he hasn't even spoken to any of them in my lifetime.

Neighbours, at most are friendly some work long hours none are close enough to my parents to help bar maybe one but is away from home days at a time so unlikely.
Its not impossible a local church could help, thats a reasonable suggestion.

Sorry did write to each individual post but accidently deleted before I hit post.

fed_up_and_stressed

Just a thought but maybe they can ask the person who was nimble enough to put the items in the loft to get them back out ?

drbluebox

deannatrois wrote: »

No one here is defending the council. What we are saying is the council won't have packers.., you know all councils are short of money. Your parents and you need to face reality and sort out a way of doing it rather than sit there 'on strike' saying 'the council should do it'. Obviously they can't/won't.

I do things myself out of self preservation. If your parents are that disabled, they should be getting extra money to help meet their needs. Its not easy but it is possible to get. I've been preparing to move for over a year, and sorted out what I could. It sounds like you and your parents knew this was going to happen at some point. You both could have prepared.

This is not defending the council, this is saying you all should be taking responsibility for things yourselves. You care, you want your parents to have a better repaired house.., the council (sorry) don't give a damn.., its just another house on their list. I'm not saying that's right, but no one is going to care as much as you and your parents. Don't just sit there.., start arranging things. One washing machine takes a few minutes to move.., pay someone for half an hours work. I'm sure that can be afforded. I've moved things I shouldn't be able to out of sheer determination and knowing if I didn't it wasn't going to happen. Face that and make it happen. Concentrate on finding a way rather than expecting what clearly isn't going to happen.

I've suggested Age UK.., you can also try your Councillor, but they are all too aware of the financial problems council's face. Instead of moaning about how unfair the world is (you'll get no disagreement from me on that score), concentrate on what you and your family can do. Its the only choice that will work. If moaning was going to work, it would have done by now. Time for a change of strategy.

I'm not moaning as much as stating facts about the councils failures it just seems like moaning, at most its like tutting at the councils actions in fact I am doing it for them as they have resigned themselves to their fate despite still fighting.

All the benefits they get go on household bills, they had to buy a new washing machine a few months ago, and a freezer last year so destroyed all their savings and lost quite a bit when they were conned out of money when hiring a car to visit a sick relative when the company allleged damage and kept the deposit of around £400.

And they bought a few items of furniture in recent years that swallowed the rest of their savings, i.e a bed for room as old one was so worn the springs were gone and the desk in their room collapsed and no local freecyle groups to get stuff from (and no way of collecting it even worse they live in countryside)

The actual thing about moving was only just before chrismas they were informed, its due to the councils bad administration as so often they hear about one department not informing another, or contractor not informing council or council not informing contractor, I always remember as a kid waking up one morning to find a stranger in our garden with a clipboard going through our bins, then saying he was doing a survey and he had a right to do what he wants as its a council house, never even bothered to inform us, and another time waking up to find our front fence being ripped up and when asked what they were doing they said they had a right to do what they want.

Its the whole attitude of them and failures in everything.

drbluebox

theartfullodger wrote: »

For the third time:

Have they?? What did Shelter Scotland suggest they did??

I assumed since I didn't mention it you would just take it as a no or don't know, thats my answer by the way.

fed_up_and_stressed wrote: »

Just a thought but maybe they can ask the person who was nimble enough to put the items in the loft to get them back out ?

Dad did it a few years ago even though he shouldnt and his health has gotten worse, still doable but risky.

And the loft itself is safe and the ceiling is barely taller than me(im 6 foot) so its not a height thing.

EDIT : Did it again, I was trying to make 1 large post with everyones quotes and responses in but keep pasting over comments by accident sorry, let me try again and edit this post.

SnooksNJ wrote: »

It sounds like your parents council doesn't have a policy in place to send office staff to aid in packing and moving heavy items. That said and since you can't help could you send a representative to help your parents move?
Maybe they can go to Costco and pick up some boxes as well.

They didnt want council office staff to help, they wanted help from the removal firm since their own website claims to as part of the service do all packing for them (as you would expect they are the most expensive removal firm in the area) and so to not do so is contradicting their own claims, then the council itself constantly saying different things like they will get help, they wont. then they will get help with just the furniture but not the boxes then saying no help again..

And my parents don't have a car anymore and not enough money to buy another and nearest costco is at least 60 miles away, and removal company insists on using own boxes (thats a response to people saying my parents want free boxes!)

marksoton

drbluebox wrote: »

Actually I was just in the process of going back and responding, but no matter now you seem like either a troll or nasty bit of work since you have a baiting answer, heres a good one for you

Its none of your damn business, go crawl back under the nearest rock.

Vile creature.

For the rest just doing responses now.

Fling as much mud as you want.

You won't post the details because they simply aren't true. There is no council in Britain that'll pack your bags for you, or for that matter wipe your backside.

Now be off with you and stop wasting people's time.

Pete9501

drbluebox wrote: »

Actually I was just in the process of going back and responding, but no matter now you seem like either a troll or nasty bit of work since you have a baiting answer, heres a good one for you

Its none of your damn business, go crawl back under the nearest rock.

Vile creature.

For the rest just doing responses now.

I think you should apologise and retract this post if you want further help from people, who by the way give up their free time to try and help people like you.

drbluebox

Pete9501 wrote: »

I think you should apologise and retract this post if you want further help from people, who by the way give up their free time to try and help people like you.

You mean people who are rude, nope I will not apologise for other peoples bad manners, did you even notice how they were baiting?

I say something and its offensive, another person says something its ok.

Nice world we live in, no offense to you by the way I meant that for a specific member who was very rude but will say its unfair to say people are giving up free time to help when little to no help was actually given notice I haven't been rude to any other member, If I was being rude you really would notice lol.