Council building work, nails and car tyres

[Justyou]

A few of the council houses in our street are getting external work done, mine included. Over the weeks there have been lots of screws and nails left in my garden and in the street. Tonight my car was making a crazy noise when pulling away and I had a flat tyre- on inspection it had a screw punctured through it and I found several nails and screws lying along the kerb/roadside. Do I have a leg to stand on in demanding the company the council is using to replace my tyre? I am disabled and rely on my car a lot and really can't afford a tyre at the minute.

Yes I m really grateful that we have a secure home but we really are treat awful at times, even during a recent bathroom fit the boss of the contracted company kept saying " your just council tennants you're just have to put up with getting the crap stuff" he had me in tears sometimes the way he spoke to me.

I knew they would lie about it OP Seen it too many times before

Its all too common OP despite others insistence to the contrary.

My neighbour is having to claim on her contents insurance which will shoot her premiums up and will have to take time off when her flooring is done (plus extra time off to allow for no shows) all because of shoddy workmanship which will cost her God knows what.

www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/bromley/8380677.ORPINGTON__Tenants_take_hostage_in_kitchen_renovation_war/&sa=U&ei=rLRkU-2FDsu3yASYoYKIBg&ved=0CEAQFjAH&usg=AFQjCNEzL-n8PF2m7y5ckvf9UU2pqZ-tWw/

during a recent bathroom fit the boss of the contracted company kept saying " your just council tennants you're just have to put up with getting the crap stuff" he had me in tears sometimes the way he spoke to me.

Good grief. That is appalling. I'm a Council tenant AND a Council employee in the Housing Dept. Very ocassionally I've come across this atittude with private contractors in work. My reply is always 'It keeps you in work though, doesn't it? So let's not go there.' Then I report them.

My advise for the situation you are in is to contact your local councillor. The housing estates team have to respond to complaints/issued raised by them. I've done it in the past as a council tenant and had a very quick response.

OP did you get any further with this this afternoon.

Hi no got an e mail from them stating that it could have been a household screw and they deny responsibility and will not reimburse us.

Household screw? What bullshit. Are they due to do any more work in or around your home?

They are still doing it halfway through the process.

As they are denying responsibility for something which was their fault how can you trust them in the property again.

Ask them how you are meant to believe them when they have already said it would be a 2 day job which also wasnt true.

Seems you have to be well off to live in social housing these days to cover other peoples recklessness and lack of respect!

The council should reimburse you They are responsible for choosing these knobs so have to take responsibility.

How did it go today OP? Have they been back.

Found this......absolutely appalling.

www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?341879-Flooded-out!

Just another e mail after I sent them around 20 photos of screws and nails lying around to say yet again they can't trace some of them and they are not their responsibility. They tidy as best they can but its not just our house they have to tidy up so I should take that into account.

Not just your house to tidy up? They are the ones that chose to take on the contract and when they did they would have known what it entailed. They have definately got the "you are a tenant so should be grateful attitude"

The greedy lazy fuckers obviously wanted the contract and all the money for it but not have to do all the job and tidying up is part of the job.

Please complain to your council because a. your tenancy agreement is with them.
b. they chose to give the contract to these tossers so its their responsibility.

Still no joy after that? Does your local paper have a facebook page or twitter account.

I would post on there That ought to focus their minds.

Oh and i would ask them if they have these three things.

1. Public liability insurance.
2. contractors risk all insurance.
3. Employers Liability insurance.

And from the consumer action link....

• You require a copy of the Complaints Procedure.
• You require a copy of the Repairs Policy and Procedure. (You want both)
• you require a copy of the Housing Association Insurance Policy.
• You require a copy of the Right to Repair.
• You require a copy of Customer Care Standards

Not all of those from the link may apply but the HA or council insurance policy certainly will and the customer care standards.

Public liability and contractors insurance is something they are supposed to have because they are working with the public and in and around their homes.

Thank u !

I.live in a council house we have just had lots of work on my estate too new front and back doors and new roofs they didn't just walk in and out when they felt like it though they always knocked and told me when they would be doing something common courtesy I would have thought?

I really hope you get a good result OP.

These contracts are a real winner for the companies who can secure them. They get to make a lot of money without being responsible if something goes wrong (because the tenancy agreement is between the tenant and the council/HA ) so they can balls up as much as they like and the HA will be the ones having to pay out (although a lot will try to wriggle out of it as stated in my earlier posts and the consumer action group link.

its a big win for the companies chosen for the contracts because its maximum money and minimum comeback when they fuck up. This is why companies compete for these contracts It really is the goose that lays the golden egg.

But with social housing being slowly decimated the goose may soon stop laying.

Any joy OP?