Southern Housing Wiggle Out of Repair Costs

MrAliMcCalls

Please could someone give me some advice about reclaiming money I am owed from Southern Housing? Southern are the housing agency that own the block I live in. 

A month ago our toilet blocked due to the fact that the main plumbing stack of our shared block of flats was scaled. We found this out after first having to call a plumber and then subsequently a drain specialist.

Because of the urgency of the situation we paid the drain specialist to fix the issue straight away, but, because Southern are in charge of the exterior of the property, assumed we would be able to claim back, especially given as our invoice shows that the issue was outside of our property.

After waiting a month of waiting for a response,Southern have emailed to say they will not refund us as we should have used their contractors. The trouble is, Southerns contractors take months to change so much as a light bulb- it took them a month even to respond to my email- and I couldn’t manage with no loo for that long! 

How should I proceed with this? Does anyone here know?

Thanks,

Ali

buglawton

Do you have evidence that either Southern don't offer an emergency call out service, or if they do, that they did not honour it? Keep that evidence on file.

Next, establish proof that you have submitted the bill and Southern confirms it's refusing to pay. Keep that on file.

What is the size of the bill?
Is it a group of people owed money or just you?
If it's a group, are you willing and able to work together getting the repair paid for?

If Southern then prove stubborn and the amount of money is non-trivial, a Small Claim maybe be the best way to go. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/small-claims-court/

They are almost guaranteed to (grumpily) pay up/settle before adjudication if you do that.
Longer term, if Southern are just a management company and don't own the freehold, you can get specialist advice in transferring to a better management agent, using this case as an example of why.

Hasbeen

Op. Why did you not call the agency first?  https://www.shgroup.org.uk/contact-us/useful-numbers/

Why did you immediately call a plumber?

I would say as you rent it would be the same as a council tenant calling a company in, to fix a drainage problem rather than call the council who have the responsibility? Would the council then say we will pay your bill? That would be no?

That looks like Southern Housing are now saying?

But if you want to pursue this then do as buglawton suggests and go down the small claims route etc.  

MrAliMcCalls

Thank you both very much. Southern have now agreed to refund albeit, as you rightly say, grumpily...! Nice work you two!