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Offer of council house take back due to no landlord reference

11 replies

Laila362 · 17/12/2013 14:40

I was VERY lucky. I bidded on a council house in my dream location and was the bidder with the most points. I was SO excited. I was contacted by the relevant officer and she asked for my landlords number to contact for a reference. My landlord is a housing association and they said while they couldn't discuss my rent account on the phone, they would send a reference to the relevant office in the post the same day. When I had heard nothing back the next week I contacted them and they told me that because they had no received the reference in time they had overlooked my bid and given the house to someone else. I was so upset I couldn't talk. Council housing is my only opting of a home and I cannot stay in my flat much longer as I have a newborn baby. I won the bidding on the house through good luck and I feel it is so incredibly unfair. The came just a day after they asked for it and if I had know. It had to be in the same day I could have walked and picked it up. I would have done anything. I am in tears right now as I know that kind of luck won't come along again and it could be years before I am offered anything else. The house hasn't been viewed by the other person yet so do you think I could complain in some way or do you think it's fair enough? It is so hard to get council housing, I should have been told I would be overlooked if the application wasn't on the same day and given the chance to get it in. They should have given me the time to bring it in. Any advice?

OP posts:
tenminutestory · 17/12/2013 14:42

Really sorry! Have you called the CAB? You need to find out if it is legal to offer the house to someone else if the reference has not been received.

applejacket · 17/12/2013 14:45

OMG thats shit op :(

i would say contact CAB as well. poss shelter may be able to help as well

how unfair, i hope you get it sorted Flowers

CallMeNancy · 17/12/2013 14:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Laila362 · 17/12/2013 14:50

Callmenancy I have arranged this. I would have done that previously had I known the reference was needed straight away

OP posts:
Blu · 17/12/2013 14:50

I would write to both the Housing Association and the Council giving an account of what happened,saying that because of no fault of your own you had a good offer of a flat withdrawn, that you are seeking legal advice to establish your rights in this situation, and could they please forward their official complaints procedure.

Laila362 · 17/12/2013 15:06

I just rang them again and they said because there is a need for council houses to be allocated quickly they are not able to wait longer than a day for the reference. But while they overlooked me the next day they actually took another week to re allocate the property. This is longer than my reference would have taken. So they could have waited. Starting to think I don't have a legal leg to stand on but a bit of understanding and compassion would have been nice. At least they should have explained the offer was subject to me getting the reference in the same day.

OP posts:
comingintomyown · 17/12/2013 15:11

No advice but that sounds very upsetting have you tried pleading with them ?

Blu · 17/12/2013 15:12

They should have followed up the HA ref. They must deal wtih HA refs all the time, they could easily have called the HA and said 'where is the refernfce' and asked the HA to send it immediately by e mail.
And explained the whole thing to you.
I think the HA were negligent, too.

I would write to both and complain. The council should be able to see quite clearly that this is not your fault.

Blu · 17/12/2013 15:12

I would talk to your local Councillor and explain exactly what happened!

Laila362 · 17/12/2013 15:16

The housing association is newcharter in tameside. Would I contact them directly or tameside council offices. I feel they should have chased up the reference. Obviously they felt this was too much work.

OP posts:
shrleyb65 · 28/07/2018 08:51

I live in north Ayrshire Scotland in a private rented flat landlord just informed me that my local council office asked him for reference not sure why any ideas

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