Gas safety inspector lying about attending appointments, council threats

EachPenny

AdrianC wrote: »

So you're suggesting they turned up at your house, put a "missed appointment card" in your letterbox, took a photo of it, took the card out, and left again - all without you hearing or noticing a thing, despite you expecting their visit?

mrginge wrote: »

Yes that sounds correct.
In order to maliciously pretend to turn up they actually turned up.
They probably parked the van 3 miles away and came up through the sewers just so they could manufacture some fake evidence of them being in the place that they actually were in without being seen.

Having worked for several councils, and also experienced the way in which some council estates are laid out and named and numbered, then the first suggestion TheBanker makes is entirely plausible.

It is also quite possible that all the doors on the estate look the same (bar any numbers) so a photograph of a card poking out of the letterbox of an incorrect door might look identical to a photograph of the right one.

I'm not going to comment on any first-hand experience I might have of this kind of situation.

My personal approach would be to phone the officer named on the letters from the council and ask them to organise a timed appointment and perhaps to be present themselves to ensure there is no confusion about the address.

A gas safety check shouldn't take very long, so it wouldn't be difficult for the contractor to schedule a timed appointment given the previous problems.

HampshireH

davidmcn wrote: »

The council are the landlords.

I would just let them take legal action, if they go to the bother of getting a warrant I'm sure they'll make sure they turn up at the right time and place and knock loudly

What a ridiculous piece of advice - I hope it was in jest :eek:. The Council being the landlord have a legal obligation just like any other landlord - except they are under far more scrutiny to ensure 100% compliance. They will (and do) go to court for injunctions to force access for gas servicing.

In doing so ALL costs are recharged back to the tenant - including any damage and making good. If the tenant took this course of action they would be financally worse off and have an injunction against them. Also if they chose to move this could form part of a reference to another Council/HA

Better suggestion would be to follow the complaint process (in writing) and ask to be called when they are 15 minutes away (or whatever) then make sure you are in earshot of the door and open it.