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

someonehadmyusername

but isnt it wrong that i have to pay full to live in a horrible house???

and if they do offer me a house in an area that i dont want coz of ex etc, can i say no

its their fault that i have to move now-not mine! i would have waited to get where i wanted to be
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margaretclare

someonehadmyusername wrote:

but isnt it wrong that i have to pay full to live in a horrible house???

Wrong? Excuse me? Look at your rent book/tenancy agreement. Didn't you commit yourself to pay the rent asked, when you accepted the tenancy?

If you get into rent arrears you'll find that your problems are worse. You'll be listed as a 'defaulting tenant' and the consequences can be serious. If you're evicted for non-payment of rent then, in many areas, you have NO chance of being rehoused, and especially not into a better house.

Don't do anything to make the situation worse than it is.

Aunty Margaret

Fran

margaretclare wrote:

Wrong? Excuse me? Look at your rent book/tenancy agreement. Didn't you commit yourself to pay the rent asked, when you accepted the tenancy?

If you get into rent arrears you'll find that your problems are worse. You'll be listed as a 'defaulting tenant' and the consequences can be serious. If you're evicted for non-payment of rent then, in many areas, you have NO chance of being rehoused, and especially not into a better house.

Don't do anything to make the situation worse than it is.

Aunty Margaret

There is also an agreement that the council makes to give people habitable housing! It's disgusting the council repairs that need doing in some places which take ages, are of poor quality and affect people's physical and mental health.

Paying rent is a different issue, and yes you should keep paying it, but I don't think OP suggested they weren't going to pay!!!

margaretclare

This is what SavvySue wrote in response to the OP 'why should we have to pay':

"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."

So yes, there has been some suggestion of not paying.

Aunty Margaret

rizla01

What disgusting treatment you have recieved. I feel very sorry that you have been let down by the people that are SUPPOSED to care for those in your unfortunate circumstances.

I always wonder how much better you may have progressed in life if they had kept to their original promise and moved you a couple of years ago. You dont get those years back, do you?

My line of action in your instance would be to approach the local newspaper and see if they would run it as a 'public interest' story. Explain your circumstances as you have done, so well, here, and ask if they would be prepared to help. The response to a story about the local council going public is usually pretty good.

Otherwise get yourself pregnant:):) (Only kidding but expectant mums get priority where I live).

Good luck, anyhow.

Savvy_Sue

margaretclare wrote:

This is what SavvySue wrote in response to the OP 'why should we have to pay':

"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."

So yes, there has been some suggestion of not paying.

Not directly, only a question about isn't it wrong to have to pay full rent in substandard housing. But the bottom line is that arrears WILL NOT HELP if you are trying to be rehoused, even if you have put the arrears into a separate account ready to pay the minute the house is repaired. Apart from anything else, few people are sufficiently disciplined to do this, AND when the arrears reach a certain level - either in £ or no. of weeks - it is extremely likely that the council WILL take you to court. Regardless of the fact that you are unlikely to be evicted at a first hearing, you WILL be liable to pay court fees, and these WILL be added to your arrears.

EVEN IF the judge listens to your explanation of WHY you withheld the rent, I don't believe s/he has the power to say "OK, that's a good reason to withhold your rent, you don't have to pay until the council fixes the house." I may be wrong, but the people to advise you here are Shelter.

Plus there's the stress of a court hearing, time off work to attend, etc. Your energy is better directed into getting the house repaired: local councillor, local paper, MP etc if you are getting nowhere with the repairs dept.

And my suggestion of putting something away relates to the fact that the OP's entitlement to HB and CT WILL be reduced by the fact that she is now working and has a partner living with her. I believe that councils are supposed to respond to revised claims within 6 weeks, if she notified them of changed circumstances in February then they're overdue on that front as well.

If you have a named Housing Officer, phone or make an appointment to see that person and ask what has happened. If you can't get to see that person, ask to see a manager. And if you get nowhere with that course of action, ask for a copy of their complaints procedure and follow it.

But try to stay out of arrears! And if, because of their delay in telling you what you were liable to pay you are already in arrears, do not try to pay it off faster than you realistically can. Work out what you can afford to pay towards the arrears month in, month out, even when your kids need new shoes and it's Christmas. Try to make an agreement to pay that amount, and pay it. Once you break that agreement (ie don't pay it) you can find yourself (back) in court rather fast.

Savvy_Sue

someonehadmyusername wrote:

and if they do offer me a house in an area that i dont want coz of ex etc, can i say no

I thought I'd answered this once?

Savvy_Sue wrote:

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'.

Admittedly in the middle of another post.

Although I don't pretend to be as up to date and knowledgable as Kasswan should be!

elvis_bloggs

Take the council to court.

cozzie

Wooooooah, take a step back, first things first-try to get a move and then start legal action.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned getting environmental health involved, the cab can help you with this. Then go to the doctors and "breakdown" in their office, ask them for a letter to explain how this is all affecting your health, physical (asthma, respiratory etc) and mental (depression). Not only will these two things scare the housing/council but they will also give you extra points and hopefully move you up the list.

http://www.luton.gov.uk/internet/housing/council_housing/housing_allocations/Housing%20Allocations%20-%20allocation%20points

This is a rough guide that I have tea-leaved from another post in another thread.

If after both of these you are still getting no joy, then, go to a solicitor and threaten legal action. At least doing it this way, if it were to goto court, then you would look like the rational, reasonable and tolerant party and the council will just look really unhelpful and uncaring.

Keep us posted, I know quite a few people who have been in virtually the same situation and they are all rehoused now.

Good luck.

someonehadmyusername

ok

i am not suggesting for 1 minute that i am going to refuse to pay my rent!

i am not

i have put money aside

so when they FINALLY decide they want to sort out my claim (made 14/2/05)
i will pay them

(they keep telling me, if nothing happens by next friday, call us again. the last time i called was two fridays ago and they said it was in 'the last stages of being processed' but heard nothing since)
i have a job/business/ family etc to take care of never mind chasing them for this!!

my question was that i thought my rent should be reduced as they are not providing the 'in reasonable repair' accomodation as stated in my tenancy agreement


there are lots of plans of action suggested here

dont know which one to go for first

scared to go to papers as i dont want horrible ex and his family/friends to see me in it

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