Death of Named Tenant in Council House (Repost)

Guerillatoker

KxMx wrote: »

With pets and private rentals often you just need to do a bit more work beyond looking at the ads. Contact LLs direct, offer a larger deposit etc.

As for bills, doesn't everyone have them, if you are using gas/water/electric why do you feel you are exempt? Yes they were your Mum's accounts, they now need to be changed to your name as you are the one using the services. They are nothing to do with Mums estate now, you are financially responsible going forward for these sorts of things.

I know about paying bills, I paid most of the bills and all the rent til my mum passed away. I am aware that there will be bills accruing that I am responsible for, but I am not particularly concerned with paying them if I am not compelled to. Also as an interest free debt, paying it further down the line when I have saved more for a deposit is preferable to paying it now.

I also understand that morally you may not agree with my justification for this and would not fault you if you no longer wanted to give me advice on that principle.

pickledonionspaceraider

Guerillatoker wrote: »

I live in a smaller area but I think the situation is the same. A friend of mine was homeless and he was still waiting months just to be offered a studio flat out of his local area in a building with known problems with anti-social behaviour.

He had to fight tooth and nail just for that and he was literally homeless.

It is a nightmare.


I support several young people, and one of them has been homeless for a few months, and that is the problem, as the council now prides itself on the BIDDING SYSTEM, so (most) people have that choice -of areas ...however when a person is registered as homeless, they go on AUTO bidding - where the system generates three bids a week....so can end up out of area, away from support services - and if they don't accept the place, they are removed from the list, they get one offer and no choice of area


If a person is just on the regular list, they get far more choice and can 'bid' on local areas


The auto generated bid system can create literal nightmares for pple, as there are high percentages of homeless that have mental heath issues, and they can, get removed from their support network. Some just chose to stay on the streets, as it is their form of control. and being homeless and getting housed, is just the start of sorting their live out


Apologies I just went on a right old rant there, but I get really passionate about these subjects and really feel that forcing pple to live in areas they do not wish to, can make situations far worse


.but not ranting at you OP, just ranting in general lol

Guerillatoker

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

It is a nightmare.


I support several young people, and one of them has been homeless for a few months, and that is the problem, as the council now prides itself on the BIDDING SYSTEM, so (most) people have that choice -of areas ...however when a person is registered as homeless, they go on AUTO bidding - where the system generates three bids a week....so can end up out of area, away from support services - and if they don't accept the place, they are removed from the list, they get one offer and no choice of area


If a person is just on the regular list, they get far more choice and can 'bid' on local areas


The auto generated bid system can create literal nightmares for pple, as there are high percentages of homeless that have mental heath issues, and they can, get removed from their support network, or refuse the shithole property in a dump area, and stay on the streets


Apologies I just went on a right old rant there, but I get really passionate about these subjects lol

No problem. This is exactly the experience my friend had.

I am a socialist at heart but I see my local council as lazy, classist and exploitative, I doubt it is much different for you.

pickledonionspaceraider

Guerillatoker wrote: »

No problem. This is exactly the experience my friend had.

I am a socialist at heart but I see my local council as lazy, classist and exploitative, I doubt it is much different for you.

So far, in my role, I have put in two official complaints about the housing department...Both of which were backed upwith documented proof


They don't always do what they say they will. Some are corrupt and they will stick together


The housing wait list is not always ran fairly

Owain_Moneysaver

elsien wrote: »

Yes, in post 2. "They may even be willing to grant you a new tenancy, on the basis that if they evict you you will be homeless and need rehousing by them."
It was the "need rehousing by them" I was querying because it gives a false impression. Single people/couples may get tenancies in some areas but they are likely to have been on a waiting list for a long time and will not be a priority as in urgent need.

Of course, "need rehousing" is not the same as "will be offered a council house".

However, it's certainly worth asking for. Even if the council cannot or will not grant a permanent council house tenancy they may be willing to grant a 6 month or 1 year tenancy rather than move to immediate eviction.

The council's own advice to anyone in a private tenancy would be to not move out until physically removed by bailiffs otherwise the tenant is making themselves intentionally homeless. They can't complain if their own occupant follows that principle.

[Deleted User]

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

Dean, you don't need a ££ deposit to buy from the council - when you are using the RTB


The council offer a discount, and that is used as the deposit for the mortgage

The OP said they have a deposit saved up. My point is this allows them to move on as well.

I'm refusing to comment on some of the OP's beliefs lol.

[Deleted User]

Guerillatoker wrote: »

No problem. This is exactly the experience my friend had.

I am a socialist at heart but I see my local council as lazy, classist and exploitative, I doubt it is much different for you.

I was homeless and bidded automatically in the same way. But I found if I went in the night the bids were automatically applied, I could remove those automatic bids on really really bad properties. I was also able to argue a maisonette on five floors was unsuitable due to the stairs, in spite of being told you could only appeal after you moved. I did so successfully. With my council, if you were homeless, you couldn't have any points above C priority, regardless of other needs (which we had) so there was little chance of actually getting a property but the very very worst, forget one meeting any needs you had. Even those were rare. Eventually after a lot of pressure from my support people, the council did a sort of side step and did a forced swap between ourselves needing a 3 bed and another couple needing a two bed. I had no choice about it and no prelet repairs were done. So I have a fally apart kitchen, many repairs outstanding and difficulties if I try to do bigger stuff myself. So its hardly been an easy answer.

However I would say this is down to an insufficiently resourced housing department rather than general 'don't care' attitudes or classicism etc.At times they have had me climbing the walls, it doesn't make sense, it is unfair. But so is everything, unfortunately. Doesn't make it good, but it doesn't mean they are instrinsically bad either. I'm just glad we have a home, finally. Somehow I will sort it all out eventually.

Guerillatoker

deannatrois wrote: »

I was homeless and bidded automatically in the same way. But I found if I went in the night the bids were automatically applied, I could remove those automatic bids on really really bad properties. I was also able to argue a maisonette on five floors was unsuitable due to the stairs, in spite of being told you could only appeal after you moved. I did so successfully.

Unfortunately my friend didn't have 24/7 access to the internet.

My friends experience isn't why I hold the opinion of my local council btw, its contributory from the two decades I have lived here, including a corruption scandal.

pickledonionspaceraider

deannatrois wrote: »

I was homeless and bidded automatically in the same way. But I found if I went in the night the bids were automatically applied, I could remove those automatic bids on really really bad properties. I was also able to argue a maisonette on five floors was unsuitable due to the stairs, in spite of being told you could only appeal after you moved. I did so successfully. With my council, if you were homeless, you couldn't have any points above C priority, regardless of other needs (which we had) so there was little chance of actually getting a property but the very very worst, forget one meeting any needs you had. Even those were rare. Eventually after a lot of pressure from my support people, the council did a sort of side step and did a forced swap between ourselves needing a 3 bed and another couple needing a two bed. I had no choice about it and no prelet repairs were done. So I have a fally apart kitchen, many repairs outstanding and difficulties if I try to do bigger stuff myself. So its hardly been an easy answer.

However I would say this is down to an insufficiently resourced housing department rather than general 'don't care' attitudes or classicism etc.At times they have had me climbing the walls, it doesn't make sense, it is unfair. But so is everything, unfortunately. Doesn't make it good, but it doesn't mean they are instrinsically bad either. I'm just glad we have a home, finally. Somehow I will sort it all out eventually.

Really glad you have a home now Dean, it sounds like you have been through a lot to get where you are.

Like you said, (in our city too) one can change the automatic bids - as a homeless applicant, but the crux is, three properties must be bid on per week (or the computer will do it for you)

Often there are only five properties available, and all five are absolute dumps - tower block in a red light district, type of dumps. Which is horrendous for anyone, but if a person has physical disabilities / mental health issues / learning difficulties - it is throwing a vulnerable person to the wolves

When you say they have had you climbing the walls - I totally get you.

There are some wonderful housing officers, who work late, and really care and worry about their clients

Then there are the other staff, (and you will know what I mean) the ones who patronise the hell out of the service users, and start telling them that they cannot be helped, before they even know what the problem is

I feel as you do, that the OP, is obviously hoping to take a family home as a single person, and knowing what I do about my City, and how people are waiting decades, it seems a morally wrong choice in many ways, especially as OP does appear to have other options available to them / are not on the breadline.

However I dont want to give the OP a kicking, and I can understand wanting to stay in the family home after her Mums passing. It will just be at someone else's loss..another family that will make use of all three bedrooms

Ratkin007

Sorry for your loss
You've touched on morals so I won't go there. I know many people will not like this 😁
I can't comment on the bills but in relation to succession, you either qualify or don't as you succeed to the tenancy not the property, but would be in the property for at least 6 months from the date of your mother's death if you succeed. The reason for refusal would be the previous succession if it was after Jan 1989 I believe, (unless the tenancy began after or around 2012 as the rules changed re who can succeed, check the tenancy agreement if you have it) If you succeed, you can apply for the RTB pretty much straight away as you will be entitled to your mother's time after you turned 18 if you've resided there since then. They will however try to get you to move and serve notice between 6 and 12 months after your mother's death to get you to move if they are on the ball. (I know of 2 brothers that succeeded to a desirable 4 bed parlour house and kept the tenancy as the Housing Officer did not serve notice within the required 6 month period, they submitted a RTB application but did not have the funds to foolow through) If you do not qualify to succeed, they will serve notice to quit on public trustee to bring the tenancy to an end. They cannot hold you liable for that period of rent. If you fail to hand back the property I think they would take it to court and would seek damages for tresspass to have you pay for any rent after the tenancy ended.