URGENT - Emergency Joiner/Burglary Advice

Tesco_points_addict

I'm so sorry I don't have any advice for you but really wanted to say my thoughts are with you and your partner, what a terrible way to start of a new year. Big hugs ((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))) and wishing you all the best.
Tesco points addict x

windym_2

Goodness what an awful thing to try and deal with. The only bit of advice I can offer is to ask the local police to install a Home Office Alarm. This is like a burglar alarm but is linked directly to the police station and is a temporary measure. You may have to battle to get it fitted as they are few and far between in some Forces. This will not cost any money and requires little more than a 45 minute visit by the local officer, but will give you reassurance until the door is secure.

HugoSP

Is there anyone who lives nearby that can go and effect a permenant repair to this lady's place out of goodwill?

A front door from B&Q or Freecycle if the LL is tight and a few hours work could sort that no probs as long as the frame is OK.

Then I would get some estimates then type up a reasonable invoice (cheapest) then ask her to discuss this with her landlord and arrange payment direct so that she is not out of pocket.

HugoSP

It appears that Redmandarin has returned - which is good news.

I hope all is well - you don't need that aggro over the new year.

Could you please let us know how you all are and whether you've got that door fixed yet.

redmandarin

Yes, I'm back!

I'm really sorry for not replying sooner, I wanted to, but we're sleeping (on the floor!) at a relative's house and last night I only had time for a quick log in on their computer, to press your thank you buttons!

Thanks to all of you for your hugs, advice and good wishes - I want to reply to you individually, but as we're relying on the generosity of a relative, along with trying to sort out the other problems, it's difficult . Having said that, we're both really moved by your support - and given our recent traumatic experience with bad people, we're very glad to be reminded that there are many good people in the world.:)

To update - we eventually managed to contact the landlord - apparently he'd been away on holiday. Luckily (amazingly) he's been quite sympathetic and has agreed to replacement front and back doors. We had some trouble getting a joiner to come out and do the job (as it was bank holiday - and New Year is a busy time for this type of work, it seems!). However, we've managed to get two quotes and hopefully (with the landlord's agreement) they can fit the front door (at least) at the weekend.

To be honest, if the landlord gets difficult about the expense, then the situation is not up for debate. We have discussed our feelings at some length and we both feel so traumatised that not only do we feel unable to sleep in the house at the moment, we really don't feel able to continue living there. Whilst we are aware that an incident like this is unlikely to happen again, we feel that the property would need to be much more secure for us to want to stay there (it doesn't even have double glazing). Principally, even if we could increase the securtiy, greatly, we still wouldn't feel at ease sleeping in the house where this happened - bad memories! We do need to get the door situation fixed, however, so that we can have our contents insurance reinstated, in the interim!

We're both off work at the moment and seeing our GP tomorrow to see if any help is available - counselling? but, as its the NHS, I wouldn't hold my breath! We are also in the process of looking for alternative (more secure) accommodation and packing up the house (during the day - we can't face being there at night) for the move and to get rid of or sell items that aren't crucial to us. It's times like this when you realise what your priorities are, isn't it? At least we have each other (and family and friends) and although we are badly traumatised, we realise that there are people who are in worse situations and that things could have been much worse for us.

Thanks once again for all your help and please accept our very best wishes. I promise to return in a couple of days with another update. x

shopndrop

Hope your GP is able to help tomorrow. Not much else I can say only big hugs and hope you are soon settled somewhere you feel safe and secure.

BobProperty

Hopefully your GP can help, plus I'd expect a visit from Victim Support who also may be able to help and advise you where to get further help, information and maybe security improvements done. (and yes 24hr Joiners are probably busy going round boarding up broken windows and the like at this time of year)

Poppy9

OMG what a terrible thing to happen to you.

Have the police managed to catch who did it? It seems such an OTT way of nicking a car. Did the police say if it's a common tactic locally?

I too wouldn't want to stay in the house. As a child our house was burgled while we were at home asleep in bed and they brought a bone for our dog to keep him quiet. It made my mother quiet ill and anxious to move which we did eventually.

Ask the police to send around the community officer who deals with home safety. I know my OH got our local one to visit his mother when she was widowed and they fitted extra locks on doors and garden gates etc.

My OH is a police officer and he advises always leaving your house looking like someone is home. If you use automatic lights vary the timers so that lights are switching on and off in different rooms. Do not leave things on show from the window i.e when we go out we close the living room curtains more so the TV isn't so visable and when we go on holiday he moves it into a corner where you can't see from the window at all. Don't leave keys in front door as they can be hooked out if letterbox close. I've argued with him about emergency access if a fire and fiddling for keys so we've agreed a spot where we all know a key will be. Don't leave keys for the house on a table or something near the front door that they could be hooked from via the letter box and he hides back door keys as well if we go out as he says that burglars break in via a window but use keys once inside to unlock doors to give easier escape.

redmandarin

Update
Hi folks! Sorry I couldn't update sooner, I was waiting to get my computer back. Thank you once again for your kind replies and good advice.

We are both still very anxious and afraid to be in the house at night and have spent the last 9 days sleeping on the floors of two kind relatives (alternately) and we also stayed a couple of nights in a hotel, as we don't like to impose on family - but we know we can't continue like this. We go to the house each day to try and get things sorted out.

Unfortunately, the police haven't caught the assailants. It is difficult for us to identify them because they were wearing hoods and had the lower half of their faces masked. Maybe they'll catch them the next time they do this - who knows? The car that was parked outside our house, which was the cause of the attack, has been moved. Apparently, the driver had “had some trouble” with the car at his house over Christmas and so had decided to park it at our house instead! Sometimes we see other people park there too and we go out and explain and ask them to move. We've had a new solid front door fitted and we are waiting to have a replacement back door, too (which the landlord has agreed to pay for). As a result, our contents insurance has been re-instated and we now have use of the computer here again.

The police gave our details to Victim Support, who contacted us. They were very sympathetic and understanding and said they'd arrange for a trained volunteer to visit us. The person I spoke to on the 'phone said that she'd worked there for a few years and had rarely come across anything like this. I expect she was trying to allay our fears (indicating that it would be unlikely to happen again) however, it made me feel a bit worse in a way - if it's such an uncommon crime, then we were very unlucky indeed - why did it have to happen to us? We know that it is unlikely to happen again, but nevertheless we feel too distressed to sleep at the house. Our GP has prescribed anti-depressants for me and my partner has been given tranquillizers (for use when he feels really bad). Now that the shock and numbness of the attack has worn off a bit, we are dismayed to discover that we each feel worse than we did at the start. We keep having flashbacks of the incident, aren't sleeping well and are both quite tearful and irritable. Victim Support said that this is normal and that they'd put us on the waiting list for counseling, should we feel we need it. They also said that we should both see a GP again to get on their list for counseling too, as we could possibly get that faster (but it's doubtful), so we've made new GP appointments.

The police also passed our details to a community scheme which supplies door chains and window locks, etc, free of charge, so they are going to visit us too. We were safety conscious prior to the attack and had window locks fitted, 5 lever mortise locks and bolts on front and back door and always left the downstairs lights in operation when we were out or when in bed. We never left our keys near the front door and always took them to bed with us - but the assailants still got into the house. However, it may be useful to get help and maybe they we could get some updated and more secure equipment in place.

We really don't feel safe in the house and can't bear to be in (or sleep in) the bedroom - where the attack took place. So we’re looking for an unfurnished apartment, which is above ground floor level and has good security. We will need to rent somewhere with a couple of weeks overlap with the tenancy of this house, as this will give us time to sell up here (we're getting rid of most of the house contents and the clutter that we've built up over the years) and it will also allow us time to move in, with things that we intend to keep.

This has cost us quite a bit of money, so far (taxis to relatives at New Year, bus fares, hotel fees, take away meals, phone calls and so on). Plus we'll need to pay two lots of rent for a couple of weeks, so we've been advised to make a criminal injuries board claim. We think we'll have a good case, but we don't know if we'll get anything or how much this would be and we know it can take ages for a claim to be processed.

On a positive note, whilst we do resent being forced out of the house by these very bad people, we have been talking about moving for ages and this should be seen as a good opportunity to do it. New Year, New start and all that!

Sorry this is long. Thanks again for all your help. I’ll let you know how we get on.