Housing Association Threatening Injunction

G_M

Urghhshzygushytut.

charoniv

>> three adults living here, two small bedrooms
>> we've simply overbought on crafts and hobbies, haven't bought enough furniture for it yet
>> 80L plastic boxes and are mostly stacked to approximately six feet high (eight stacks in total)
>> The fullest room has a row of them, each side, in front of the bookcases. The walkway in the middle allows you to just about open your arms out wide.
>> we were planning to address it anyway, so it's definitely not ideal and is very full.
>> We make cards, wall art, home decor, etc as family gifts. we haven't made stuff in a while, which is why we have so many supplies sitting waiting.

A lot of this doesn't seem to make sense.
How long has this been an issue?
How long have you been trying to address it?
When was the last time you added a box?
How many of these boxes have you opened in the last month, last year, last 5 years?
If you don't actually open the boxes then they may as well be in storage even if you can't access them.
If you don't move the boxes have you concerns about what may be behind them?
80 litres is large and presumably heavy. How would you get to the ones at the bottom of a stack? How stable are they? How do you access the top ones?
Are the inaccessible bookcases also full?
How many family gifts do you usually make in a year (large family)?
Why are you stocking up with more supplies if you haven't been making gifts?

2 bedrooms, three adults, 1 room lined with boxes, I guess this room isn't functional?

I'm not surprised the HA see this as an issue and are concerned about your situation. I don't know if they would have a case to evict but maybe they are just trying to point out that you could have a better lifestyle by addressing the layout.

PasturesNew

Maybe the answer is to rent a self storage unit for ONE month.... take it all there and spread it out, sort it out, then sort out what to sell, what to keep.

One of the downsides of a smaller space, especially when cluttered, is you don't actually have the space to sort things out. It's good to be able to spread things out, sort them into piles/boxes and rearrange those and swap things back/forth a bit as you get sight of everything you've got. Ideally a big empty space to do all of that is best.... and one you can walk away from each day.

But, you do need to say to yourself "I'm ONLY renting this for ONE month - after 2-3 weeks everything will have been checked, sorted, decided and on its way home or to its new home.

For ease of selling, you could even then take all the stuff destined for "selling" and try to sell the whole lot as just 1-4 batches of "assorted craft materials" with photos attached. Sell it by the box or something.

PinkMohawk

PasturesNew wrote: »

Maybe the answer is to rent a self storage unit for ONE month.... take it all there and spread it out, sort it out, then sort out what to sell, what to keep.

One of the downsides of a smaller space, especially when cluttered, is you don't actually have the space to sort things out. It's good to be able to spread things out, sort them into piles/boxes and rearrange those and swap things back/forth a bit as you get sight of everything you've got. Ideally a big empty space to do all of that is best.... and one you can walk away from each day.

But, you do need to say to yourself "I'm ONLY renting this for ONE month - after 2-3 weeks everything will have been checked, sorted, decided and on its way home or to its new home.

For ease of selling, you could even then take all the stuff destined for "selling" and try to sell the whole lot as just 1-4 batches of "assorted craft materials" with photos attached. Sell it by the box or something.

Great idea, PasturesNew! Do storage places let you hang around for a while in your unit like that, though...?

BorisThomson

PinkMohawk wrote: »

I'm still here, folks.

The word etiquette is there at the top of the forum. Just sayin'.

How much stuff have you managed to chuck out today?

katebl

PinkMohawk wrote: »

Great idea, PasturesNew! Do storage places let you hang around for a while in your unit like that, though...?

Yes, absolutely - and you can get out of hours access too though some places charge a small fee extra

45002

Rambosmum wrote:

I can't provide you with links however, from my own, professional experience -

tenant A - elderly lady, physically well but mentally ill, hoarded continence pads (new, in packet) HA (can't name as I still work for the LA) got an injunction to complete a clean up, went in to the property and removed ALL 'excess' continence products and cleaned the property.

Tenant B - hoarded anything and everything (traditional hoarder) HA got an injunction to clear the property, did so, 12 months later tenant had filled the home again, second injunction sought and gained, home cleared again, 12 months later same again, 4th year now and HA are going for a possession order. Unlikely to get as tenant has MH difficulties and is receiving treatment.

Tenant C physically and mentally well, hoards clothes, supposedly to sell but never get sold, HA got possession order as tenant is in no way vulnerable. I completed the assessment to ascertain if they had needs under either the Care Act or Mental Health Act before possession was granted.

Tenant D - ongoing case, tenant has substance misuse issues and dementia, 3 clear ups have taken place, eviction currently being sought. Likely to get as 10th floor of block of flats and a smoker, home full of papers. Hearing in 2ish weeks.

Tenant E, home full of bags of clothes, soft furnishings, 'excess' furniture. Had LD and 3 children. Support from social services (adults and children's) and MH services. Injunction for clean up gained.

Tenant F, 2 adults, one child, Home full of hoarded items, clothes, papers, toys, books, kitchen items. traditional hoarding. Eviction sought after many warnings and a skip provided by the HA, family moved before hearing.

I've also worked with several tenants who gave permission for a clean up (offered as physically unable to sort it themselves) before an injunction was needed.

HAs are hot on this at the moment. A number of the homes I've worked in were as clean as they can be with so many items so it wasn't vermin or dirt.

Some are granted on ASB terms, others on fire risk. Most get an assessment by FS prior to injunction and several opportunities to clear it themselves. The clean up crews don't sort through things so people lost lots of important possessions.

EDIT: I only get to work with those who are 'vulnerable' or require assessing under the Care Act.

atrixblue.-MFR wrote:

How many of those actually turned up for the hearing and then didn't bother to adhere to the defaulted court order?


Its easy to pick on the "vulnerable" due to the fact most will not challenge the decision of a LA or HA to go to court. Many don't know that they can and many fear revenge eviction if they do.

One could check the local county court records if I knew which one, I do find what Rambosmum posted a bit hard to believe/using a sledgehammer to crack a nut ...

Doozergirl

PinkMohawk wrote: »

I'm still here, folks.

The word etiquette is there at the top of the forum. Just sayin'.

And you know what?

I see a difficult subject being discussed as sensitively as possible, with many people trying to help you.

Living like this, it isn't okay. And we can't reassure you that it is. I have too much stuff spilling out of my wardrobe that I can't be bothered to address and that bothers me every day, but I'm nearly 40 and I have one linear metre for all of my clothes right now.

I can't imagine how many 6ft high piles of 80 litre boxes feels when there are only as many rooms as there are people.

I can really appreciate that these comments upset you, but they don't upset me. And that means that there is something quite wrong that you're having trouble coming to terms with. . Acknowlege those feelings.

Deannatrois, with her own anxieties that she comes to ask for help with, and Pasturesnew who shares hers, are just the most brilliant people to be posting here with help and guidance for you.

Start thinking about how good it can get.

bobbymotors

sorry, but.....

typical hoarder behaviour.

denial
getting round to it soon
will take so much time
how dare anyone call me a hoarder, etc.

sorry op, you're a hoarder.

Get down the dump or get evicted, it's the HAs flat, so it's their rules.

societys_child

PinkMohawk wrote: »

I'm still here, folks.

The word etiquette is there at the top of the forum. Just sayin'.

At about midday you said, you'd do it tomorrow, then spent this afternoon doing nothing much at all. Good luck . . .