No help with my Broken not fit for purpose front door

melissatoola82

Advice needed please, in 2016 my front door was broken down looking for my ex partner on a drugs warrant, I was totally shocked and scared by this and obviously allowed the officers to carry out their duty assuring them they would not find anything under the category they were searching for including my ex partner, I had been in an abusive relationship with him and with help I got myself free from such relationship and had had no contact for a long period of time, the officers left having not found any of what they broke my door down for, I asked what would happen with my door which was completely smashed through, frame included, the door was not functional, not secure and unsafe! It was deemed non repairable and just left , I had to put a bolt on the inside of the door just to be able to close, there are major gaps in which a constant flow of air comes in, I’ve contacted police who say it’s housing responsibility and housing say it’s my responsibility and gave me the company name who provided the door, I contacted them and was quoted £3,900 just for the door, no fitting or frame! I couldn’t afford that! And still cannot, I’m a working mum of 4 with very little disposable income, can anyone please offer me some advice on what u can do as the door now 5.5 years later barely closes at all, sometimes gets caught and is unable to open, I’ve lied awake in worry for several nights over the years, one tap and the door would find through, heavy rain floods underneath it into my home, and if there should be an emergency would myself or my children get out in time? My children are unable to open the door with out help. It is definitely a safety hazard, even someone in authority has agreed it is unsafe and said he would state in a report to housing but nothing has gone of that either I didn’t do anything wrong but be in a abusive relationship prior to this happening, it took everything I had in me to escape this and then I was greeted with this from police! When their domestic abuse services had helped me prior, there was nothing to suggest my ex partner lived at this address and I was not involved in anything illegal nor was anything illegal found in my home, yet for nearly 6 years I’ve been living unsafely due to this. Any advice on what I can do or who is responsible for the replacement of my door would be greatly appreciated, I can not believe I should live like this or find thousands to repair when I have done nothing wrong
many thanks 

Ebe_Scrooge

If the police forced entry on the authority of a search warrant, then they are usually not responsible for repairs.  But it would be covered by your insurance policy.  If I'm understanding your post correctly, you're a tenant?  In that case, it would be covered by the landlord's buildings insurance.  Are you renting from local authority, housing association or a private landlord?

Alderbank

You need to give us more information about the raid nearly six years ago.

If the police search an address in error, they must pay to repair any damage which is caused – including damage to a door. This is such as when they have a warrant but raid the wrong house number or flat by mistake.
Did they have a warrant?

If the police search is lawful and the force used was reasonable, proportionate and necessary to gain entry, the occupier of the premises is responsible for any repair bills which result from the police forcing entry.
If you are the tenant, your landlord may ask you to pay or seek to take the costs from your deposit. My experience of Social Housing is that they make safe and add the cost in instalments to the rent. What discussions did you have with your maintenance department?

MalMonroe

This really is awful, so very sorry you've been suffering for all those years.

As someone has said if you are a social housing tenant (I am too), you could ask the council if it's possible for them to claim for the damage on their building insurance. Where I live, the council pay for buildings insurance (and repairs them when they are damaged) and I pay my own contents insurance. A door should be covered by their buildings insurance. In my city council tenants also have 'neighbourhood officers' who we can call on when we need some help and support. Is that something your council does? If so you could try asking your officer for help.

Why don't you contact your local councillor and your MP as well? Where there are four children at risk (and you, too, of course) I think it really is outrageous that nobody is willing to help. 

You can find your councillor and MP online here  -  https://www.gov.uk/find-your-local-councillors

MP here  -   https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

Send an email to your councillor with a copy to your MP because councillors are more likely to respond sooner. I have to say that my local councillor is very good at responding. Just copy and paste what you have put on here, if you like - that explains your situation really well - but I'd get it off as soon as possible because you need help immediately.

However, I really would try phoning your landlord again too (if it's the council, then it's them) and really stressing the point that you cannot afford to replace the door which was kicked in through no fault of yours, you pay your rent regularly and on time and you have four children to worry about. Really stress the point that it has been almost six years and you are all at great risk. Not just from the elements but also from your ex partner or his pals - or anyone else who feels like breaking in through your inadequate door. Your heating bills must be very high, too. Don't let anyone fob you off. They have a duty to ensure that you and your children are safe and warm. 

I do hope you manage to get things sorted out very soon. But do be firm with the people who can, and should, be helping you. You deserve much better treatment than this.  

Slinky

That cost seems very high. I've just had a new composite front door installed, including new frame and fitting for £1350.  Is yours a fire door (mine wasn't).

Alderbank

MalMonroe said:

Where I live, the council pay for buildings insurance (and repairs them when they are damaged) and I pay my own contents insurance. A door should be covered by their buildings insurance. 

To keep their costs down, councils self-insure for relatively large amounts (like you choosing a high excess on your policy). I don't think they would submit a claim for less than about £50,000 (could be much higher).

Sandtree

MalMonroe said:
really stressing the point that you cannot afford to replace the door which was kicked in through no fault of yours

Its not clear from the original post if the partner was an "ex" at the time and even if so, for how long. In either case, if they lived together, formally or informally etc. Clearly the police had reasonable reason to believe that he'd be found at the property.

Unless you can definitively show they were ex beforehand and not living at the property etc then its more of a domestic matter and not one that one partner can claim "not my fault" and finger point the other.

Unfortunately I've dealt with a couple of insurance claims involving self immolation due to affairs/breakups etc and its a complex subject to deal with.

MalMonroe said:
Where I live, the council pay for buildings insurance (and repairs them when they are damaged) and I pay my own contents insurance. A door should be covered by their buildings insurance.   

At the most basic level insurance premium = (estimated claims + operating costs) x risk margin x profit margin x tax

When you own many thousands of properties cars etc there is no point insuring everything because you know without doubt that every year you're going to suffer thousands of damage and so if its £100,000 a year why'd you pay £125k to cover that plus then the extra premium to cover anything above?

Corporates and councils etc have large aggregate deductibles so will cover the first £X of all claims before the insurance kicks in... cant remember any council's policies but international car hire companies can have an aggregate excess of $100m plus

bex2012

Have you thought about sourcing a second hand door? When we had our front door changed, i know the company put the old one on a local selling page - they said people are always looking for doors for outbuildings etc. Might be worth giving some local ones a ring, the worst they can say is no.

onomatopoeia99

Slinky said:

That cost seems very high. I've just had a new composite front door installed, including new frame and fitting for £1350.  Is yours a fire door (mine wasn't).

You've forgotten to add the mark-up for public sector procurement that gets creamed off the top.  To be honest, three times the price would be low so I suspect it's a £400 door they're quoting nearly £4000 for.

Norman_Castle

melissatoola82 said:

 I’ve contacted police who say it’s housing responsibility and housing say it’s my responsibility

Have you returned to the police with the HAs expectation that someone else pays? Did the police need to damage the door and frame so badly to gain entry?

Alderbank

Norman_Castle said:

melissatoola82 said:

 I’ve contacted police who say it’s housing responsibility and housing say it’s my responsibility

Have you returned to the police with the HAs expectation that someone else pays? Did the police need to damage the door and frame so badly to gain entry?

As I said above, the police are only liable if they raid the wrong house. Of course after six years the officers involved may not remember the incident too well. They could be retired by now.
In the past I have worked with police and HAs to come up with safe ways to force entry. The police only use minimum force, not least to protect their own health & safety. It is ironic that quality locks are now so good that they can't be picked or drilled and the damage to the frame is not because of excessive force but because composite doors and locking mechanisms are so strong and secure.

We are not getting the full story here. Police never walk away leaving the premises insecure, even if it is unoccupied. They call out their 24hr emergency contractor who re-glazes, boards up or fits a temporary steel security door as necessary. The police leave once the premises has been made safe (but with the occupier left to pay the bill!).

For us in Scotland the procedure is here https://www.scotland.police.uk/spa-media/lajoe5z2/forced-entry-to-premises-sop.pdf but it will be similar for forces in England and Wales.