council house problems!!!!/no rebate for rent/ctax (merged)

someonehadmyusername

i moved into my council house in nov 2000 with my daughter
i have a violent ex partner who was harrassing us, and after a letter from my solicitor 1 year later, the council wavered the 5 year rule and let me put in a housing application to move to be near my family

so i was put on list to move (shortest waiting tim for my areas of choice 1.5yr, longest 3.5yr) in august 2001

i didnt mind waitin as long as i got to be close to my family
and i was planning on putting my daughter in thhe school there

i have been fobbed off time and timme again

i am so depressed with it all

it been 3years and 10 months now

before christmas, well last autumn, my living room carpet went mouldy-sounds awful i know, so i pulled it up and there were enourmous cracks in the floor (the mould ruined my carpet and my sofa, both had to be thrown out-my mam bought herself a new couch and gave me her old one, and i bought a new carpet for make-do) so i informed council

they sent out scructural engineer (after taking their time and me and 4yr old with no lin=ving room carpet and freezing)
he said i had sulpher attack and would need new floor downstairs, also, the wall upstairs is brik supported by timber so is making my ceiling sag in the living room so a new wall is needed also

so major structural work needs to be carried out (as well as i have been left with a double glazed french door which needs taking out and fiting again for over 2 years i have been waiting/ the structural engineer says i have damp and rot in the skirting boards in living room and kitchen and various other things)

before christmas they came to do tests on the floor and drilled two huge holes in the living room floor
they filled them with cement

a homeless officer came to see me in january and put me on the homeless list
she sounded optimistic (i am down for 3 areas-still being harassed by ex and dont want to live in other ares of the town due to him hanging round/his family etc-i need to be near my family and daughters school)

so in feb 2005 my partner moved in and i started work, the council still havent sorted out rent and council tax so god knows how much we will owe??

question: will we have to pay full rent and council tax (our rebate forms are in but we dont earn much mmoney) after the rebate
i dont think we should have to pay to live in a complete disgrace of a house in such bad repair

i called last week and all they ever say is that there is nothing in my area and there are people above me on the list

i dont mind waiting as long as i get to where i want to be, but ive already waited 3 yr 10 mth

she was so snotty and horrible on the phone she made me cry, saying i would have to broarden my areas of choice but i dont want to due to ex and also dont see why i should after waiting patiently for so long -why should i take whatever house they want me to because its not my fault the whoole house is falling down

what happens if they offer me a house where i dont want to be

ive tried citizens advice, and local councuillor but no good

what can i do?
i am running out of hope
getting depressed about it all

council is easington council (east durham homes)

someone please help me!
x

Scarlett1

someonehadmyusername wrote:

i moved into my council house in nov 2000 with my daughter
i have a violent ex partner who was harrassing us, and after a letter from my solicitor 1 year later, the council wavered the 5 year rule and let me put in a housing application to move to be near my family

so i was put on list to move (shortest waiting tim for my areas of choice 1.5yr, longest 3.5yr) in august 2001

i didnt mind waitin as long as i got to be close to my family
and i was planning on putting my daughter in thhe school there

i have been fobbed off time and timme again

i am so depressed with it all

it been 3years and 10 months now

before christmas, well last autumn, my living room carpet went mouldy-sounds awful i know, so i pulled it up and there were enourmous cracks in the floor (the mould ruined my carpet and my sofa, both had to be thrown out-my mam bought herself a new couch and gave me her old one, and i bought a new carpet for make-do) so i informed council

they sent out scructural engineer (after taking their time and me and 4yr old with no lin=ving room carpet and freezing)
he said i had sulpher attack and would need new floor downstairs, also, the wall upstairs is brik supported by timber so is making my ceiling sag in the living room so a new wall is needed also

so major structural work needs to be carried out (as well as i have been left with a double glazed french door which needs taking out and fiting again for over 2 years i have been waiting/ the structural engineer says i have damp and rot in the skirting boards in living room and kitchen and various other things)

before christmas they came to do tests on the floor and drilled two huge holes in the living room floor
they filled them with cement

a homeless officer came to see me in january and put me on the homeless list
she sounded optimistic (i am down for 3 areas-still being harassed by ex and dont want to live in other ares of the town due to him hanging round/his family etc-i need to be near my family and daughters school)

so in feb 2005 my partner moved in and i started work, the council still havent sorted out rent and council tax so god knows how much we will owe??

question: will we have to pay full rent and council tax (our rebate forms are in but we dont earn much mmoney) after the rebate
i dont think we should have to pay to live in a complete disgrace of a house in such bad repair

i called last week and all they ever say is that there is nothing in my area and there are people above me on the list

i dont mind waiting as long as i get to where i want to be, but ive already waited 3 yr 10 mth

she was so snotty and horrible on the phone she made me cry, saying i would have to broarden my areas of choice but i dont want to due to ex and also dont see why i should after waiting patiently for so long -why should i take whatever house they want me to because its not my fault the whoole house is falling down

what happens if they offer me a house where i dont want to be

ive tried citizens advice, and local councuillor but no good

what can i do?
i am running out of hope
getting depressed about it all

council is easington council (east durham homes)

someone please help me!
x

Sounds awful

I dont mean this in a harsh way, buy If you are working and you have a partner why cant you privately rent ?

Im a single parent and when I had to move out of a property I wasnt given the option of a council house and was told to rent privately, I have roughly 6 years leg up on the council list and nowhere near getting that first property.

Im not saying that you should be grateful for what you have, but you do have the choice to make a better life for yourself, so if it meant moving out of your unsafe and unhealthy house then maybe you should consider it

someonehadmyusername

there is no privately rented houses left!!!!!!

cant afford to buy a house either

x

someonehadmyusername

they lie too (council)

i know that in 1 of my areas (im down for 3) there has been at LEAST 3 2 bed houses in the last 6 months gone

but they tell me theres been nothing for over 1-2 years!!!

they blatantly lie!!!!

and when this 1 woman who works for the coucil split up with her husband and moved out with 1 small child- guess who got a house within 2 weeks????

its a small town but they try and fool everyone!
x

Fran

Are you also on Housing Association lists in those areas (if there are any)?

You need to find out your rights re living in these conditions. What does it say in your tenancy agreement re this kind of thing?

If you are "homeless" have you spoken to Shelter?

Scarlett1

someonehadmyusername wrote:

they lie too (council)

i know that in 1 of my areas (im down for 3) there has been at LEAST 3 2 bed houses in the last 6 months gone

but they tell me theres been nothing for over 1-2 years!!!

they blatantly lie!!!!

and when this 1 woman who works for the coucil split up with her husband and moved out with 1 small child- guess who got a house within 2 weeks????

its a small town but they try and fool everyone!
x

I know what the councils are like, they said to me that there are no council houses left, but a couple of times I have walked past empty flats :mad:

What you could do, only a suggestion, note down the address of any empty houses you come accross and go to your council and ask them about the properties and say that you would be willing to move into one of them immediately

someonehadmyusername

no housing association in this town
what could shelter do?
havent spoken to them?

tried writing/calling the council about one empty house (4 page letter etc etc)
it was 2 doors away from my auntie and her friend (an old lady ) was moving to more suitable accomadation

i found out early because she is friends with my auntie
really tried to get it

and they gave it to someone else!

helppppppppppppppp!
x

Fran

Shelter are the experts in homelessness. (See link in previous post for contact details.) They can advise you on the best way forward and might have other info re housing in your area. If the council are calling you "homeless" it's definitely worth contacting them.

kasswan

im a housing manager in a big city for council. i can understand your frustration at all of this i cannot imagine how you must be feeling, it doesnt sound as though you are being treat fairly

there are a few things that I'd advise.

all incidents of harrassment should be reported straight to the police no matter how small. keep a dairy of what and when things have happened to you. I advise this to all of my tenants as this ensures you are being proactive about the situation and you are genuinely being harrassed.

get the councils allocation policy which should be available on line or from your local housing office if you have one. look though and see how they allocate properties and quote it back to them if they are not following it.

find out what there 'values' are this will be there pledges for how they treat customers and quote this back to them if they are not meeting it.

speak with the head of the council not local councillor for the area all councillors have local telephone number and explain to them the way you have been treated.

speak with citizens advice or local legal section also about this as they may push towards legal action

every counccil house will have someone allocated to deal with repairs quote your tenancy agreement which will state that the property has to be of a certain standard take picture and insist that someone looks at the property again. if this fails ask to make an OFFICIAL complaint which is regulated be quality and performance so has to be responded to. if this fails then appeal to the osmandson which are regulkated by the government and wiull be independant from the council.

shelter, housing aid, womens aid, social services and if your child is still young surestart may also be able to give you advice

good luck if you need more advice dont hesitate

Savvy_Sue

It would definitely be worth talking to Shelter because they will also take up issues of sub-standard living accommodation and it sounds as if you are in some ...

The council shouldn't offer you a property in the 'wrong' area, but if they do, they may want to count it as a 'reasonable' offer and you may have to appeal because of your ex. If it's not in one of your 'areas of choice' you should be successful and the offer then won't 'count'.

It is tempting to withhold rent if you feel repairs aren't being done but being in arrears won't help to get you rehoused. How much rent and council tax you'll be liable to pay depends on your and your partner's income, but it would be wise to put something away towards what you will owe when they do sort out your entitlement. Shelter or CAB or local Law Centre should be able to chivvy council up about this as well.

And there's always writing to your MP!

margaretclare

No - no - no - never with-hold your rent or council tax!!

Aunty Margaret