We are being evicted, some advice please...... the date has arrived......

blue_monkey_2

Hi everyone (MH, not managed to PM this morning, a few things to sort out and a bit of a migraine so not on for long but thought I would post here what had been happening).

It went OK, MP managed to get info from the council that told him how they were dealing with us, it was as we thought that they were waiting until last minute and that they still had 'time' to deal with us. Fine, I am happy knowing our issues have not been swept under the carpet and am happy with that - I just wanted to know and I got the answers I wanted. They undertand that a hostel would be unsuitable for us because of DS condition. I am happy he chased this up. Also choice based lettings are coming a week on Friday so we might be able to look for somewhere then and apply for somewhere that they might not have thought acceptable for us. It transpires they did not have down all the places we would be happy to accept so I have called them this morning and made sure they have them all - but that becomes irrelevant once the CBL comes into effect anyway. MP told me to call council to verify and also to call my local counsellor and he HAD the power to deal with things at the council and he would have my notes by the end of that day (Sat).

OK, took the bull by the rather cheeky horns this weekend and went to see the chap over the road and explained the situation to him, asked if maybe we could help each other out in that we could help him get what he wants and then in turn he would be leaving the house over there available for us. He then said that 17 people were waiting for his house (he found this from the transfer list). I explained that we was being evicted and take priority over those people and would have enough points to get the house but there is no houses available. As we had help from the MP then would could get him his 2 bed and we would get a 3 bed and again he said 17 people were waiting for his house and he could not find anything suitable, I tried to explain about points and it was nothing to do with transfer list but after that I realised he did not understand so I gave up and left it at that as he didn;t seem to understand what I was saying to him.

So, this morning I called council and they were fine about the areas, added on the ones I wanted. I am working on hubby to go to one of the big towns, the council told MP that most of the houses have come up there so I have told hubby we have to consider it. He is not keen but I said I would rather live in town than nowhere and if we was in a hostel and kept on refusing to apply they might kick us out. We will see what happens and what is on the list and can go from there. The woman from the council did tell me though that getting housed in town was difficult to get into as so many people want it. So, whatever, I am not sure what happens there. I have a place until Mid April at least will see what CBL brings up and the like. There will be 3 publications of the list before our court date so we might get lucky.

Then I called the councillor,I said MP should have told him about my case, also said he might recognise my name as I had emailed him a few weeks back - his council PC is broken apparently and he has not had access for a few weeks. LOL, at this. Anyway, he asked me to explain the situation, I did this and told him to call me when he had the notes as he would have a better understanding. I then told him about Mr X living over the road and his situation and I told him the house number and it turns out he knows him. not sure whether that is good or bad tbh, but hubby said maybe he would speak to him if he knows him and explain things a bit better than I did.

I have also asked a couple of people to 'put the word out' to see if anyone is interested in moving to a smaller property as we could then see if there are places for them leaving their place empty for us. There are a lot of old people in their 80's still living in 3 bed properties as they moved here in the 1945 when the houses all went up - sad as it is we are waiting for them to die or go into sheltered housing for the houses to come available, there are 3 that we can see looking out of our window but there are many more in the village. Apparently the councillor has the weight to get us housed in the village if there is a property available because of our circumstances so there might be a way, they also get the help they need as well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained after all.

I am thinking I would travel back and forth to the school each day if need be, also if Ryan gets statmented at that school then we would get funding for transport as well so that would not be such a bad thing - will wait and see.

I am taking it as it comes DH is just the usual man about it - leaving it all for me to do but then moaning if I don't get the answers he wants (ladies, you know what mean!!) but I do feel better knowing we have not been shoved the the bottom of the pile, the CBL will gives us more of an insight as to what is available, I am going to ask the courts for 6-8 weeks for eviction as if it gets past having a date and nothing local has come up then we will start applying for town and I'll travel each day.

I feel happier today overall but have a virus or something that is giving me a huge migraine/headache and I feel so tired!! Hubby has hidden all the tablets and the like as DS managed to get them yesterday. I think they are on top of the kitchen cupboards and I can't get them!!

Thanks for asking Chev, we are OK thanks and bearing up on top of this. We have the odd moment but we are all doing OK.

Oh yes, I have told the kids we are 'giving Nanny her house back and are looking for a new house'. On Saturday morning when we had the meeting with the MP they were both whinging to go home and I said we had to go speak to a man and then I got 'what man, what for, etc...' so I decided to tell them that we want to let nanny have her house back and we will see if we can get somewhere else to live that is our house but the man is going to help us. they were fine, in fact my DD wants her new room painted pink!! There has not been another word or worry about it - typical really, all that time I was trying to protect them. I guess time will tell when we actually go we shall see how excited they are but it feels better having told them now and that when we start driving around to look they will understand why.

MummyHol

Is the old gent across the street on the exchange list? If he is then thats done differently to the bidding system- people apply to exchange with him and then he can either agree (if he likes their place) or dissagree if he doesn't like it or its not suitable. What he could mean is that 17 people have offered an exchange to him but he doesn't like any of their places (for whatever reason).
Also, with exchange properties the council don't help you at all- it just a mutual exchange between 2 council tenants and you agree to accept the property in its current condition (i.e they won't give you decorating vouchers or replace out of date bathrooms/kitchens). Obviously they are still legally obliged to replace certain items if they're damaged.

Pleased you're finally getting come answers BM, hoep you're feeling better xx

In_Search_Of_Me

Just caught this & wanted to send a hug...cant offer more than pepys have already but just wanted ou to know I was thinking of you:)

blue_monkey_2

Hi MH,

Yes, he was but came off it as nothing he liked came up, I was trying to explain to him that is was different (in that we could have got him what he wanted and us havehis place) but he just did not understand. I've spoken to the councillor since and he knows him so he is going to speak to him about it as well. Councillor and MP even said that it was daft he has that place when we need something and need to stay in the area.

I think maybe more he was faced with the possibility of moving and he does not really want to go. Maybe that is why nothing was ever suitable.

Never mind, the list comes out next week for the first time so maybe there is something on there.

blue_monkey_2

Well, the list for CB Lettings is out already and there is nothing, not even a 2 bed we could take and have one child sleeping downstairs (this is something we'd consider as well if we could). There was 2 x 3 beds available, one was disabled only, the other was 2 council districts away There are another 2 councils that could have offered this property so that is cinfusing, it is 20 miles OUTSIDE our district border. But that was it, got all excited for nothing. still, it's not the end of the world. I will call the homeless department a week on Monday and 'book in' with them as if the court only give us 2 weeks we will be out Mid April.

2 cats are offto the animal shelter on Tuesday, I was told I had to give 2-3 weeks notice but I called in and they offered me Tuesday, I've been putting it off for such a long time but decided I have to get my finger out and do something. Vetshave had to certify they are in good condition (which they have done for me tonight) and then it's £40 a cat donation to the centre. They will not take one of the cats as she is half feral and can't be rehomed by them. So that is it, a start, the grim realisation that this is coming soon. This weekend we start moving some stuff into storage, what will be will be.

I will keep you posted if anything else happens.

mumoftwins

Hi BM,

Would you remind me again please - when is your court date?

Are you sitting amongst packing boxes at the moment? I remember the grim reality of this time that you are going through too well - week upon week of sitting with the light blocked out of the lounge window by the stack of packed boxes waiting to go into storage. Very little housework being done as no point really The whole place just wasn't home anymore and I just 'existed' amongst those four walls and wasn't much better when I was out.

Its a real feeling of limbo isn't it?

I'm still in limbo now but more there is light at the end of this very long tunnel and there will be for you too BM:grouphug:

blue_monkey_2

Hi J,

2nd April. Calling homeless people a week Monday.

Yes, I am there. Packing boxes in every room, the kids keep on getting things out of them, we are going to start shifting some stuff tomorrow morning but only have 3 hours on a Saturday to get everyone done. Housework, pah, I keep it clean and have a whizz round if there is a veiwing due - but you know it is the in Limbo feeling. The carpet in the lounge is filthy but there is no point in cleaning it. I just do hat I have to do and sod everything else.

We do have a garage but that has my stock in it - so that is being moved first then we can start moving stuff out of the house into the garage over the weekend too. i did say to my husand last night that once all the boxes are out then I can pack the bits I can;t see behind the boxes and start to live some sort of normal life. However, it also makes you realise how much crap you have that has been packed away and you have not missed, LOL!!

Will drop an email over to my MP and also the counsellor tonight and let them know what is happening. If I keep them informed once I go to the homeless department at least then we will have them up to date.

Yes, it has been almost 5 months already, I am sure we are halfway there - just got to get past the other half now!! The most we have here is 10 weeks.

Elderly neighbour stopped me the other day - he and his wife in a 3 bed on their own - asking if the council had found us somewhere and asking where we would go..... I smiled and said 'don't know'. I hate to say this but it iss awful to think that you are waiting for people you have known for many, many years to die, just so you can get somewhere to live, but that is the sad and very grim reality I guess.

mumoftwins

I remember having packing boxes everywhere and trying to pack into holdalls what I thought we would need for a couple of weeks in temporary accomodation - how wrong was I here we are some 18 weeks later still using the same few clothes which were packed back then and no sign of a moving date yet!

Make sure you pack for the spring BM and put in as many toys, activity things as poss for the children - I'll try and think of what I had forgotten to pack and needed and let you know so as to jog your memory because if its anything like mine was you'll be amazed at just what cr*p you pack!!

blue_monkey_2

Hmmm, thought I answered this but it is not showing. Yes, got rid of some boxes this weekend tothe storage unit so now I have to start paying for that. I am stuck in the middle of not being able to pack the clothes because knowing my luck the sun will come out and everything will be packed. I know the bits I am taking for the kids to be honest, that and clothes, I guess everything else will have to go into storage as well. i guess we are 'lucky' in regards the fact wecan leave it here and sav some money on storage until te house sells. Do you reckon we will never be allowed back in the house without my mums permission? It's a weird situation to consider. I am amazed a how much stuff we have thrown and given away though!!

blue_monkey_2

Today - feeling

I had to take 2 cats to the shelter today. I laid in bed for hours last night trying to work out whether I should tell the kids or whether I should just say they had not come home and take them on the quiet. In the end I figured I would tell them the truth and just deal with the fall out so they could say goodbye to them and hoped they would understand.

My son took it the worst as he does not understand. I locked the cats in this morning and explained to my son why - and when I turned my back he very quietly turned it to open and pushed Jess out - I caught her half way out the flap and had to drag her back in again. When I went to put them in the car he ran out to the car, threw himself on top of the cat box saying 'please don't take Jess, please don't take Jess, I love her'. I had to take a very deep breath and explain again that we would not be able to take her to a new house and a new family would love to look after her.

I drove up there OK and got them from the car, as soon as I opened the door of the reception room I just burst time tears and I was still crying when I left an hour later. The lady there was lovely but I felt an absolute !!!!!, that I was just dumping them, worse because I had to make a choice on who I left here and who I took for rehoming. I was still crying when I got into the car and was driving home. My son has mentioned the cats a few times tonight and I have told him that when we find a new house we can go back and see if we can have them back. This opton is possible s the shelter told me today, but I guess it depends on how long it takes to get housed and whether there is a cap on how many cats we can have there.

Today has been the hardest so far and it really bought to me just how much further we have to go.

And tonight I feel an utter !!!!! and I feel empty inside, I feel exhausted and tired and totally drained. I have got 3 cats around the house sniffing in all corners, clearly trying to find the other cats. The 'baby' (this is the one I also tried to get to the shelter but they would not take her as she is quite timid) is crying and trying to get the other cats to play with her and 'cuddle' her like Eddie did and they won't so she is looking a litlte lost. They all clearly know that something is missing fro the house but how do you explain to cats.

My heart is breaking. I guess this signals the start of everything now and how much life is going to change for us in the next few months. 3 months tomorrow until the court date. I thought I was ready for everything, now I don't know if I am and I don't know if I am strong enough to get through this and hold everything together for the sake of the children. I thought I was fine today until it came to walking in the door with the cats. I wished I could have waited - put off the inevitable - but it was inevitable wasn't it.

I guess this is the start of things to come.

Right at this moment I hate my bloody mother and I can;t wait to get out!!

Sorry for moaning, just feeling very I know have had a few PMs and I have read them but feeling a little emotional at the moment and just trying to keep my head elsewhere and doing other stuff but if you are reading this I promise I'll get back to you in a few days time when I am feeling much better and I've got my head together. Sorry. xxx

I have my son's appointment with the Child Developement Unit tomorrow as well.

I got the DLA forms in so that is another job out of the way.