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Original poster

fecking council!!!

42 replies

misdee · 19/07/2004 14:43

today me and mieow passed a council bungalow which is 3bedroom and basically what we need. so i phoned the council to ask about it. one officier said it was allocated, another said it wasnt. so i went above the housing officiers and spoke to the housing servies manager. she said the bungalow was allocated on the 28th june to someone with 70points. at which point i lost it completely, as we have 80points. my housing officier had put down that we could only take a ground floor flat, which is bollocks as the letter sent to me said the points must be used for a ground floor property, not a ground floor flat. a bungalow is a ground floor property, we were at the top of the list for it, so it should have been offered to us. i am so stressed about it all. i cant belvie we have lost a chance of having the ideal home for our needs as the council have f*cked up so badly. My dh is getting worse, the stairs are getting him down, and if they leave us here he is gonna end up very ill.

3bed ground floor bungalows rarely come up, so it looks like we have lost our chance to move.

OP posts:
Blu · 19/07/2004 14:46

Go straight to your local Councillor - the council will have a list of his/her 'surgeries' or e mail address.

Bunglie · 19/07/2004 14:50

Awe Misdee, I am so sorry I have no suggestions, just my sympathy. I used to live in a ground floor council flat due to disability and you are right, they are difficult, but the good news is that most councils now, keep 'special' accomodation out of the general allocation and so a ground floor place will 99 times out of a hundred go to a disabled person or to someone like yourself with enough points on health grounds. Don't let them get at you. If you get your consellor to write to the concil that can sometimes help, it helped me, but that was 20 years ago and I think things are different now. I am sorry but hey, it probably had dry rot!

Original poster
misdee · 19/07/2004 14:50

the housinf service manager is trying to find out what happened and should be calling me back. the bungalow hasnt yet been accepted by the people they offered it to. so there is a very minute chance they will turn it down, i wont know what happens after that tho.

OP posts:
mummytojames · 19/07/2004 14:50

i agree with blu i would get on to your local councilor and get it sorted out explain how it is physicaly afecting your dh and how you were passed over because of some mistake on there behalf and you would like something sorted because you cant keep living like this

Blu · 19/07/2004 14:57

Yes - it is a serious procedural mistake to give the bungalow to someone with less points than you just because of a mistake on their part - if a member of the Council asks officers a question, they HAVE to give a satisfactory answer.

Original poster
misdee · 19/07/2004 16:22

someone called back. they are passing it on to someone even higher up, as we should have at least been spoken to about the bungalow, as we are top of the list. apparently someone hasnt put onto the system that we can have a bungalow, only g/f flat. even tho it says on our notes that we would ideally like a bungalow as we are a young growing family and its not ideal to put us into a flat. i hope that my housing officier gets pulled up for this, she has a horrible attitude towards me anyway, and i would really like to see heads roll over this.

OP posts:
Tortington · 20/07/2004 11:16

ask someone to explain what went wrong in writing. then ask for a copy of the complaints policy- this is where managers crap themselves. if it goes that far fill in the complaint application - making a copy of it. write a letter to the editor in the newspaper and write to your local councillor.

i work in housing and its always the one who screams louest for longest that gets what they want.

Original poster
misdee · 20/07/2004 14:07

I am waiting now for the cheif housing officier to call me back. If they admit this was acock-up on their part, as someone has obviosly said we cant have a bungalow even tho my dh is disabled, then there are 2 houses empty which have downstairs loo's which would be a comprimise and am gonna ask about them.

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Original poster
misdee · 21/07/2004 08:11

chief housing officier called me back yesterday. he can see no reason as to why we werent offered the bungalow. he is now digging deeper into the files to see whats happened.

do u think now is a good time to demand the next 3bed property that comes available?

OP posts:
lou33 · 21/07/2004 09:00

Are they able to retract the offer to the other people and give it to you instead?

nutcracker · 21/07/2004 09:17

Oh Misdee, so sorry to hear this.
I have to be honest though and say that i doubt very much that it was a mistake. It's more likely that they hoped they would get away with offering to someone else, who may of moaned at them more.

Like everyone else has said, get on to your counciller, contact the papers, and basically shout to whoever will listen.

As far as the council go, take evrything they say with a VERY large pinch of salt.

If they cannot now get this bungalow for you then Yes i would say that you are definatly in a position to demand that you have first option on any 3 bed that comes up.

They are bloody w***s, it really annoys me

mieow · 21/07/2004 10:56

We have wondered if the council can retract the offer and give the bungalow to Misdee, as it has been over 3 weeks since the people were offered it, the tenceny would have started about 2 weeks ago, as this council only allow you 1-1 1/2 weeks to get moved in and start paying rent, as noone has signed the tenceny there is noone paying rent, so how long can they wait??

Original poster
misdee · 21/07/2004 11:47

i hope they can. will be phoning after 12 when the big boss gets out of meeting. just want to find out what has happened.

OP posts:
hovely · 21/07/2004 22:03

what happened misdee?

Original poster
misdee · 21/07/2004 22:08

big boss is waiting for the housing officier in charge of the area the bungalow is in to get back in touch with him to explain what has happened. Until he has all the facts, files etc so he can over them nothing can be done, tho on the face of it it looks like we should've had the bungalow. its still empty btw.

OP posts:
kalex · 21/07/2004 22:26

God Misdee, this is so sh*y, if nobdy has signed the tenancy, and hasn't accepted why can't they offer it to you? GGGGGGRRRRRRRR on your behalf

Original poster
misdee · 21/07/2004 22:35

probably because my dh is considered too young to need a bungalow. try telling people that a healthy looking (most of the time) 25yr old has a serious heart problem and is disabled, they look at you as if you are lying. as his disability is hidden and not many people know what it is (i think i read somewhere that 35 out of every 100,000 people have viral dilated cardiomyopathy) and what effect it can have on him, then we are effectivly educating most council officials as we go along without meaning to.

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Original poster
misdee · 21/07/2004 22:37

oh and if hear one mroe time 'cant he have an op to fix it' then i will shout at them. treatment is long term meds or a transplant. That usually makes people realise how serious it is.

think i really need to get more booklets from the BHF to hand out again.

OP posts:
kalex · 21/07/2004 22:38

I will cross all my fingers and toes for you that this is going to work out OK and the other people don't get it, and you do!

Original poster
misdee · 21/07/2004 22:39

thanks. sorry for that rant, but have explained things so much over the phone to people lately that i feel emotionally drained.

OP posts:
kalex · 21/07/2004 22:43

Why don't you pull some stuff of the net, and when people ask Stupid fecking questions, (which IMO are none of their G*ddamn business) hand them to them, Ignorance and stupid questions about things like this Piss me off

Sorry I too am now ranting, having read your other threads I really do feel for you

lou33 · 21/07/2004 22:44

Fingers crossed that you can get the bungalow misdee. We live in one, and it's perfect for ds2 and his disabilities

Original poster
misdee · 22/07/2004 07:56

if i pull stuff off the web for them i will make sure its the outdated stuff, which says things like '90% of people with Viral DCM die within 5yrs'. that should make them pay attention.

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noddy5 · 22/07/2004 09:57

I have a similar condition and totally sympathise with you.You should have been offered the bungalow and you are right people never think Im disabled when they see me and I have had several people comment on our disabled parking badge.I also feel really bad when I need a seat near the front of the bus and often stand because I can't be bothered to argue.I am praying you get the bungalow it will be such a big help to him good luck

Original poster
misdee · 22/07/2004 10:08

Noddy, i know you undertsand how hard it is. i feel bad for u being unable to buy the bungalow u wanted as it meant your son would've been out of catchment area (is that right?), surely the schools could've made an exception in your case. have u moved yet? or was that a while ago? if we dont get the bungalow then we are going to ask to use our points for a 3 bed house with 2 toilets, as 3bed bungalow rarely come up, and feel 2 toilets in a house would also benefit dh.

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