Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask plumber to pay for spoiled food?

10 replies

WkdSM · 07/01/2011 11:53

We are in a rented house. The boiler has been playing up and breaking down for months and the landlord decided to put a new one in.

Plumbers turned up yesterday with very little notice (email in morning saying they would be there) - boiler is in garage.

We had to leave house at 4.15pm so the estates manager said he would lock and unlock the house to let them in and out as necessary.

Got back last night at 1am to find all outside lights left on (OK, sigh) but when went in garage to check all OK found the big chest freezer unplugged and a load of their stuff piled on top of it. Turned it back on but could not check contents.

Were promised we would at least have hot water this morning but there was none.

Plumbers turned up at 10.45am - and totally denied unplugging the freezer - so I asked them who else they had allowed in the garage - 'No problem little darling - it is all no problem - do not worry your head'.

So - not happy - not happy at all. And freezing cold, and no water.

I don't think it unreasonable to ask for the plumbers to pay for any spoilt food. WWYD?

OP posts:
storminabuttercup · 07/01/2011 12:06

if the freezer was shut it shouldnt have defrosted

however id have had lots to say with the way they spoke to you!

charliesmommy · 07/01/2011 12:08

the food in the freezer will be absolutely fine

mutznutz · 07/01/2011 12:09

The food will be fine in this weather

kenobi · 07/01/2011 12:11

You can ask but you won't get any joy. They have denied it's them, though the fact their gear was on the top off it suggests they are lying.

I would register a complaint with your landlord about the fact the freezer was unplugged, the fact you still have no water and the way your concerns have been treated (little darling? do not worry your head???) Patronising in ANY language. I would also tell them that you are complaining about them, or get your DH to do it if they won't take you seriously as a woman.

And kick up a SERIOUS stink about the water. As a landlord I am legally obliged to provide amenities to my tenant. If I cannot I am in breach of contract and I have to pay compensation/provide somewhere else to stay. Check your contract.

Also, refuse to allow your landlord to use this firm with your property again.

starfishmummy · 07/01/2011 12:12

Just wondered why you plugged it back in? It is making it easier for them to deny......

RiojaLover75 · 07/01/2011 12:15

If the freezer remained unopened for the period it was unplugged the food will be fine Smile promise! 24 hours is OK as long as it's not opened or in the middle of a scorching summer.

I know how you feel about the builders! They should have more respect for your property IMHO!

Original poster
WkdSM · 07/01/2011 14:10

The Estate Manager has now emailed me to say they are happy to replace all the food in the freezer as they would rather do that than risk us being ill - I was only really concerned about things like prawns that defrost quickly and can be a bit dodgy.

I plugged it back in because I was not sure what time they unplugged it - if it was 11am when they got here that is a different matter to (I now know) 7pm when they left.

The estate ofice has sent round one of their oppos to have a word with the plumbers - and promised me it will all be fixed by end of play today. The plumbers are being very obsequious now.

TBF to the landlords it has been a nightmare month - the dishwasher has broken down several times and the new one delivered 2 days before Christmas is faulty (they are coming Monday). The washing machine flooded the garage on the day the dishwasher was delivered (new one fitted between Christmas and New Year) and the boiler has had so many parts repaired it is a new boiler in all but name (apparently the original design was faulty and this type is know to have issues).

We do pay a fair old wack on rent - and it is a lovely place to live - you just wish that things were simpler.

I only hope the plumbers are gone by the time DH gets home - he is fuming. He said he would not have expected to come away with all tackle still in place if he had spoken to me that way!

OP posts:
NoseyNooNoo · 07/01/2011 14:18

Gosh, sounds like you have a good lettings agent!

kenobi · 07/01/2011 14:19

Good lord - you have an even better landlord than I am! Grin So glad all sorted.

Original poster
WkdSM · 07/01/2011 14:33

It's actually a house on a private estate - the family own the estate and about 9 or 10 houses and additional workers cottages / flats. The main family are only here about 6 - 8 weeks a year.
It is nice in that if anything goes wrong I can wander to the estate offic eor call / email them and they usually try and get it sorted immediately.
We only dealt wit the lettings agent when we took the places (to set up TDS and tennancy) - the family kind of vet who lives on the estate - some one else had offered the same rent as us a couple of weeks before and been rejected.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page