ANY OTHER FORCES WIVES OUT THERE?

[frenziednester]

Just been chatting with 3andnomore on another thread and wondered if there are any more of us on mumsnet who would like a chat and a comforting moan? I am on my own atm - hubby away for 4 months, and would love to swap 'home alone with the kids' stories - good and bad, and also a good gossip about the other wives we are left with! A much safer outlet for frustration than the hive!

Whoops I've just realised that my carpet example was poor as that comes under contents but you know what I mean.

Don't quote me on this but I'm sure that if we needed any insurance for the house burning down due to a fallen candle, then my worry wart DH would have sorted it out.
Yes - you definitely need home contents insurance (a lot of forces policies will cover accidental quarter damage if you choose a good one) but you don't need buildings insurance as you don't own the house and that is the landlords (DE) responsibility. The home contents policy may have personal liability insurance up to a certain included on it but not sure. Any removal companies have their own liability insurance although they'll make sure you're properly covered for breakages if you do any of your own packing.
If unsure, you could always book a 1/2 free appointment with a solicitor and check out the contract. If you get a forces based contents policy (which covers all of your DH's kit etc as well as your normal contents, it should work out fine).

Drusilla - sorry for not replying earlier, completely forgot! I am informed by my mum that there is a creche at Ay Nik that takes LO's for sessions (rather than offering 8-6 care) from 3 months or similar. The nursery is like a pre-school, and takes them from three years, or just below. There is also a private nursery in the local village that a lot of people use. It's really really cheap (like £60 a week or something for full time care), and everyone is quite happy with it. Sometimes think about putting DS1 in for a few hours......

We have NAAFI kit & contents insurance, which also covers our possessions during a move. This cover isn't provided by the removals company as standard. You can opt for it, and pay for it seperately, but it isn't always included. Definitely check you have got this, and could claim for 100% of the value of your policy - there's not many times you could lose everything, and during a move is one of them I always up my cover before a move.

You are meant to have buildings insurance. Not everyone knows this, and 90% of people don't have it, but you should have.

From the DE website:

Where damage occurs to the structure and fabric of the property through no fault of the occupant, Defence Estates will pay for the repairs.

If you have reported a fault, and as a result of no action being taken damage occurs to your personal belongings when you had taken all reasonable precautions to protect them, you may pursue a claim for loss or damage to your personal possessions through the MOD Claims Branch.

If a situation has occurred through no fault of Defence Estates, you will need to claim on your own home contents insurance. It is strongly advised that occupants take out such a policy. Where you are found to be negligent, you may be held responsible for costs of damage incurred to the SFA

The candle analogy is correct, if you burn your quarter down, you are liable for the costs of rebuilding. This is in the QR's as well.

Hello all!! Can I just have a quiet rant about MHS???
We have had no back fence for 2 months now (it blew down during the gales of 18 January) and all MHS have done is put up an ugly piece of builders fencing held up with string! Our back gate now will not close properly as there is nothing to attatch it to. Subsequently it is held shut with a plant pot and everyone can see into my garden and my living room.
Now our garage door has broken too, but because it is not attached to the house, but is part of a block opposite the house, MHS are refusing to fix it. The door is stuck in the closed position so we cannot access the lawnmower, kids toys or DH's bike so he has to drive to work every day.
Remind me again why I am paying rent???!
Rant over, thanks for listening

Perhaps you should be having a word with your Unit Admin Office or something about getting a rent rebate on the garage. Not fair to pay rent if you can't even get in! Have you got any enclosed garden at all with the fence down? That's terrible.

Definitely get rent rebate on the garage for every day you can't access it.
Also, if the garden is not secure and you have children, it should be classed as an emergency (you can't not let the kids into the garden) as it should be secure for them to play in.
MHS are sooooo useless it drives me insane!
I'd threaten getting the house rent stopped until they act - as long as you're definitely right when it comes to the time limits for repairs (they might swing it their way). They are surely supposed to make the fence secure but if you don't have small children they not deem it necessary.

Done that, the blokey dealing with our case is on leave until next week and no-one else in the office knows anything about our case!!

Don't worry, I have done everything I need to do, I am just really frustrated with it all! I feel for any young wives (or husbands for that matter!) who are new to married quarters and perhaps don't know how to play the system. If an aged old cynic like me, who knows exactly who to call and what to say within and outside MHS is still not getting anywhere, how do more vulnerable MQ residents cope???

How long before MHS is on Watchdog?!

Never mind MHS being on watchdog, what about the whole MOD/DHE/MHS and Prime Contract (Scotland) being on watchdog.

I've just Emailed Huw Edwards in Basra. I am getting so annoyed by his constant referrals to "the Army" in Iraq. 6 of my DH's colleagues from the RAF are in iraq at the moment, but no mention of the RAF at all!

Hello all
Nell - That is so crap! MHS have no money left. My friend's dh did a march in for some one here and tried to refuse the house as it had no carpet on the lower stairs due to dog damage from previous occupants. There is no money to repair it and they were expected to take the quarter .
However it is NOT OUR FAULT they have no money. I have been waiting for new bathroom flooring since Feb 2006.
Is there a way of withholding rent?? This is the problem for us, it is just taken at source .
Incidentally we have no buildings insurance either.

Drusilla - I was in Akrotiri until Feb 2006 if you have any questions. We loved it and want to go back.

Incidentally did you hear of the heartbreaking tragedy at Akrotiri? There was a housefire and a father and his two children have been killed. It is so desperately sad. It is on the BBC website.
McDreamy, it must be awful there at the moment. I have been thinking of you a lot since I heard as I know how close knit the community is and it as a shock for us and we aren't there any more. Hope you are OK.

total change of subject how can i find out about schools in the larkhill/ salisbury area? dp is now in afghan we get married in 2008 and dd is due to start full time school sept 2008. all my friends here are all talking about putting there kids names down at schools but i dont know where to begin!

think im feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything, am missing him loads and have to deal with sorting wedding out and trying to sort school out for dd whilst staying all happy so dd doesnt pick up on the fact im feeling miserable and worried sick

Thanks for your kind words.

Yes it'a really quite subdued out here right now , I think everyone feels affected, it's really hard taking the children to school in the mornings as you can't help but think about it.

Loopy - That is where they get you. This family had to move in!
You can claim reduced rent I think. When we marched in here having been homeless for two weeks on the way back from Cyprus the workmen were still in the house and it needed cleaning again (just a bit) from the mess they had made. We got a rent reduction for one month. Not a lot but a gesture at least. However that was because we had a wonderful rep here and of course with the centralisation she no longer has a job . It is very crap.
McDreamy - Was it one of the bungalows? . We could hardly believe it when we heard.

Yes not surprisingly it was!!!

Yes it is a tighter community than the UK camps I have lived on, everyone knows or at least recognises veveryone else - sometimes a little too stepford iykwim! The community is really knocked and feeling desperately helpless!

Nulnulcat - you need to call the HIVE at Larkhill or email them and ask them to send an information pack out to you. You can ask exactly the sort of stuff you want to have sent/emailed - schools in the area/leisure facilities/local shopping etc and then you need to either visit schools you want your DD to go to to have a look or just apply to the nearest. The local LEA will send you a form but the forms for next September are already in but for forces families, you can apply later (you just need to fill out a different bit of the form). But don't worry as all schools are supposed to keep a certain number of places for mobile families (forces/travellers etc).
The woman in the HIVE will be really helpful and tell you anything you want to know and will probably be able to recommend a good local school.

McDreamy - hope you're OK

I believe the quarter was on Annes Close. Sadly it's not the first one to burn down - one did whilst we were out there, but AFAIK, this is the first one with fatalities. It's so unbelievably sad. The poor mum, she must be in pieces. There have been a few fatalities recently out there of single men, which is really awful, but for me, this seems far worse.

Loopy - things have got a lot worse now it's all been centralised at Warminster. It was so much better when you had local forces families officers who knew what was going on. Things like this wouldn't have happened, and standards were a lot higher. You had to leave your quarter in tip top condition, but at least it meant you usually got one in the same condition. Anyway, if you pitch up and it is terrible, you can ask if there is anything else. Also, you could request that the quarter is cleaned before your stuff is moved in (so much harder to do afterwards). Even an hour or two can make a real difference. If you end up doing this yourself, then make sure you request a rent rebate by way of compensation.

It's not too hard to withhold the garage rent. You can choose to not have your garage at any time, and then you don't pay for it, so you could just request to not have your garage until the problem is rectified. Rent for the actual quarter is different.

Loopymumsy - my only advice would be to try and take over the quarter before your furniture arrives. Remember if your move is at service expense, you should be entitled to one night in a hotel at service expense as well. If you can take the quarter over the morning before your furniture arrives, then at least you've got a chance to sort out any major problems that might arise. Fingers crossed it all goes well for you.

We've now got our date for moving - our furniture is being collected on the 20th April. Aaarrgghhh best get packing!

Hello! We were in Warminster 18 months ago and the quarters were fairly shabby then. What are they like now?