Local Housing Authority Complaint Repairs

tomsolomon

Not sure where I should post this,,,
Our home has recently undergone home improvement by our local authority, thats dangerous and incomplete.
Whenever we try and complain we are told, "let them get on with it they know what they are doing".
There are dead waste pipes sticking out of the wall, lose electrical sockets, a hundred millimeter drop over half a meter of the kitchen floor, the joists in the bathroom have moved, we have movement in rear of the building, they have damaged the front door, the back door, our electric hob has been damaged, there are gaps around the windows, nothing is level, and they have wired new elecrics into old 20 year old cabling, and this is just a few of the things that are wrong.
Now Im not an expert builder, but I have been known to work in the building trade, Ive never seen anything like it in my 20 years onsite.
In fact the only one of the tradesmen who seemed to take any pride in his work was the painter and decorator, but then he was working for a seperate contractor from the builders.
Is there anyone I can complain to? Ive been to the top of the housing authority and the contractors, but it seems that nobody wants to listen, right from the start its been one bodge after another.
Can anyone help please with any suggestions or advice? We have a toddler 18 months old and my wife is pregnant with our second.
We realy need this sorted out straight away.
Should I go to the CAB or the newspapers Im getting desperate.

olly300

Go to the local papers and make sure they send a cameraman round to take a picture.

adandem

You could try your local councillor?

Ice_2

I would start with your local enviromental health people usually found at the local council due to health and safely issue's also trading standards and complain to them about the company and ask if anyone else has complained...
I am with a local housing association landlord absolute nightmare...they took on this contractor for 5 years for 5 million pounds...but when they came to mend the leaky back door (plastic) they used some clear sealent......I'm sorry but this is just not good enough...then they replaced the radiator in the kitchen...it still leak's...they put scaffolding up a week before christmas to re-new the guttering it's still there and no work has been done on the guttering...the window's are not water and wind proof they don't care...I would move if I could get a swap but no want's to to a swap...I started a 3 stage complaint's precedure...waste of time...1st stage you say it not good enough they investigate 2nd stage you say it's still not good enough they are suppose to chase up the contractors 3rd stage they get someone else to do the job...they haven't I am still waiting I am still flooded whenever it rain's I am still freezing whenever it's windy...they don't care...I have started health precedure's via enviromental health department...I have got some letter's from my GP about my health or rather lack of it since I moved into this house 8 years sgo...I am going to speak to a solicitor about it to see where I can go from here...:mad:

jezmyers

i have to go to work but if people bear with me i'll post the solution to this when i come back. (yes, i work for an LHA as a service manager)

Ice_2

well the work men turned up today for 1 hour....when I asked why they were going they said "no one's taken the old guttering down and it's a specialist job so we can't do anything" so I phoned the company up and asked what the hell's going on...they said another company will come on monday and take down the guttering then the other contractor's will come back on put up some new ...one day it will get done but I hold out NO hope of it being this year....the contractor's said "don't worry luv it'll be done for the summer"....
I asked the company "what's happening with my other repair's " them "what other repair's" they are sending me batty...

why can't they just get thing's right
why do I keep having to phone them every week with my repair's
for them to come back with "we know nothing about them "
thick b@st@rds is all I can say and WHY did my landlord have anything to do with you lot...next time leave your horses where I can see them so I can see that your cowboys...

suelees1

Find a solicitor who deals with housing disrepair

http://www.clsdirect.org.uk/en/directory/directorysearch.jsp

Ice_2

suelees1 wrote: »

Find a solicitor who deals with housing disrepair

http://www.clsdirect.org.uk/en/directory/directorysearch.jsp

thankyou...:D

Fran

Go to the Ombudsman. They cannot force the council to do anything but it's surprising how quickly you will find the work sorted out.

Government Ombudsman - England.

Do a google search if you are not in England. There is one in Wales...

suelees1

Ice, if you don't financially qualify for legal aid try Shelter. I don't have the web address but just search for it and it'll come up easily. They're very helpful.

Ice_2

well they were suppose come way back when and they didn't then they said they'll be hear on tuesday last week well they turned up took a look around and went again...:mad:then two fella's came last night at 6pm in the dark with torches...saying they would send someone back on wednesday to take it down then put up the new guttering ...I wait with baited breath for morning...I'll let you know what happen's in the mean time they haven't bothered with the leaky radiator or the leaky window...