Neighbours house collapsing.

Brickwall

Hi, I'm hoping someone can give me some advice.

My neighbour has let her house fall into a massive state of disrepair, how massive has just come to light this week. It seems the roof has been leaking for years, there are cracks in the bedroom big enough to put your hands in, huge cracks on the outside, loose bricks under the bedroom windows, the smell of damp is over powering, the upstairs walls and ceilings are jet black with damp, parts of the ceilings are sagging, there's black mould all over downstairs, the walls are so wet too can just put a screw driver straight through it, the list is endless. She's been told the whole house won't survive another winter and that the side is under threat of just collapsing.

She told me some years ago she was going to stop paying the house insurance, I told her not to, it's starting to look like she hasn't taken my advice. My concern here is, although the I'm not attached to her house, the side of my house is only a gates width away from the side of hers that's starting to come away, she just refuses to deal with it, refuses to even discuss how serious this is. My worry is, if that side does come away am I going to be covered by my house insurance or am I looking at having to claim off her?

What's more worrying is, she refuses to tell the owner of the house that is attached to her.

She just won't discuss anything to do with the house, she's elderly so I contacted the family, because of her attitude towards them they have now washed their hands of her.

jblessing

I would talk to your local council - building control probably, if not they will know who to talk. AIUI they have powers if a house is in danger

Brickwall

Thanks for the reply, will the council help even tho it's a private property?

Quentin

Brickwall wrote: »

My worry is, if that side does come away am I going to be covered by my house insurance ......

Yes .

Brickwall

Quentin wrote: »

Yes .

At least that's one less thing to worry about.

I'm going to go and see her today and try one more time to reason with her, she needs to face up to this.

oscarward

If she's elderly it may be worth while talking to social services.




Whilst it's a bit drastic, if the house is in such a bad state and she's refusing to face the situation then they may be able to do something if it becomes a public safety issue.

Upsidedown_Bear

You might find these helpful:
Report a dangerous building
Info about dangerous buildings

Kynthia

Even though it's a private property I imagine something like this would be a risk to others and the public so environmental health or building control would be interested.

Brickwall

Thank you for the replies, I'll definitely be looking at those link.

I was shocked to discover that the ceilings upstairs are just a mass of cracks, some of them are quite big, you can get your hand in the crack that's opened up between the bedroom and bathroom wall. There's a huge gap between the bedroom ceiling and the wall, it's as if it's become detached from it. As for the black damp, walls and ceilings are covered in it. I had the misfortune of being asked to go and look at the damp in the walls in the dining room, I on,y had socks on, I could feel the damp in the carpet, my socks were actually damp when I came home.

She's a lovely woman and I do get on with her, I think The world of her to be honest, but at the moment I'm really angry at her because she doesn't seem to realise how serious this is.

DavidF

I have a feeling other than the reason for your post that you actually get o/like this old lady. So in that case I would call social services and inform them that you have an elderly neighbor who you fell may be in need of assistance. It would help if it were her family who encourages her to contact social services herself as before anyone can help her she has to accept that help. She could also find that there are grants ect for elderly for many things like this so it is also worth calling age concern who can also help with practical issues such as who can help and funding if available who to contact ect.

Brickwall

DavidF wrote: »

I have a feeling other than the reason for your post that you actually get o/like this old lady. So in that case I would call social services and inform them that you have an elderly neighbor who you fell may be in need of assistance. It would help if it were her family who encourages her to contact social services herself as before anyone can help her she has to accept that help. She could also find that there are grants ect for elderly for many things like this so it is also worth calling age concern who can also help with practical issues such as who can help and funding if available who to contact ect.

A few years ago her sisters arranged for a whole new heating system, she would pay nothing, it was some sort of grant, she agreed then at the last minute rang them and said she wasn't letting anyone in. They've given her countless washing machines, fridge freezers and cookers, what she does with them no one knows, I suspect they've been fusing due to the damp that's everywhere. Over the years they've bent over backwards to help her, I had to send for her sister on Friday because I'm out of my depth with the whole problem.

I've just been to see her, she now thinks that if she signs the house over to her two grandchildren (18 and 22) it'll somehow magically take the whole problem away, it's not removing the problem, it's just shifting it onto someone else. I've asked her again about house insurance but I can't get a straight answer off her. Even if she is insured, and I doubt it, this is years of sheer neglect, as far as I'm aware it's a householders responsibility to maintain the property in the first place?