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Posted: 30 April 2008 at 1:26pm | IP Logged

Oh god someone please help me, i am going insane...I have kept this quiet for such a long time but i can't do it anymore!

Some of you know that we got moved due to our last house being too close to someone who harassed us, well we got moved to a village and the house was a wreck when we accepted it, the garden was overgrown and was that of a bad growers garden, a right tip!

The neighbours were ok at first, but then the complaints started and they started spreading viscious rumours about our parenting skills such as that we let the kids play on the road on their own (its a main road and i ain't stupid!!) and that Diesel is viscious and mauled someone...complete strangers have met diesel and all have commented on how placid he is!

Then they started nit picking and complaining about pizza deliveries, and noise from kids crying (when they are ill they will cry!!), then they start on the garden, how messy and unsightly it is...need i remind them that it was like it when i got here and that the housing never once tried to do anything to make the other tennant tidy it up!

So i get weekly visits from the housing officer moaning about how unsightly it is, and that we should do this that and the other to make it tidy, only problem is all the things they want doing are gonna cost far too much money for us to do!

There is so much more to it than just tidying, it needs to all be dug up and grassed and its a really long garden, i am so angry and upset that people just won't leave us to live our lives! We wanted a quiet life and thought village life would be that, but it's worse, i would much rather live in my old house close to that criminal than live here where we are watched constantly and i am not joking, andy is out in the garden now putting some stuff in the shed and the next door neighbour is out there watching him!

They have called the RSPCA out claiming Diesel is neglected, they came out and dismissed it said he is in excellent condition and no concearns are raised, they have called the Social out about the kids welfare and they too pulled out with no issues!

I am living in fear about what next, they are making it so bad that the housing have actually said that if we can't get garden up to scratch they might serve a notice to quit on us!

They haven't kept to their side of the agreement of keeping the house in good repair, and failed to complete the repairs that have been logged since we moved in!! I still can't decorate the bathroom or hallway as the plaster is FALLING off the walls!

I honestly don't know where i stand with them, and feel under a lot of pressure to perform without having any help financially to do it! I am in debt up to my eyeballs and have no way of obtaining more credit to do these things.

I am sat here crying my eyes out because i really think it is unfair that the housing treat us like this, yet let the previous tennant get away with this!

does anyone have any advise for me? I honestly don't think i can put up with this any longer, life isn't meant to be this hard. I just want to live in a house and be left to it!

Posted: 30 April 2008 at 1:41pm | IP Logged

Thankyou flip i will do that!

The latest letter or many i recieve almost daily indicates they are informing next door of any progress made..surely there is a breech of data protection there?

Also the adjoining neighbours that have a shared access with us have objected to us putting a gate at the side of the house to prevent my kids running onto the main road!! They can do this as they have a legal right of way, but how petty that they wont consider my kids' safety!

Posted: 30 April 2008 at 1:42pm | IP Logged

I'm really sorry - I don't have any advice for you, as I don't know anything at all about housing associations - but didn't just want to read and not say anything at all. What a nightmare - exactly what you don't need at the moment. It's such a pity that there are so many people out there who can't just get on with their own lives, and let people live in peace. They must have so little going on themselves that they are sad enough to get their entertainment from making other people miserable.

I did have neighbour trouble years ago - it's awful - you need to be able to feel that you can be at home and relax. Try Shelter, as flip has suggested - I was going to say Citizens Advice, but Shelter would be even better if they specialise in housing.

I hope you can get some helpful advice, and quickly.

Take good care of yourself, and try not to get too upset. (I know, easier said than done)

xxx

Posted: 30 April 2008 at 2:58pm | IP Logged

  Oh Sam , do contact shelter as Flip has suggested and I was also going to say CAB as well. Some villages are very close knit communities who don't like strangers moving in, but that is no excuse to treat you like this. You are a great mum who is doing her best against all these obstacles and you should be proud of yourself for that. Don't keep everything bottled up and let us know how you get on. Wishing you all the best and a huge cyber hug xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Posted: 30 April 2008 at 5:06pm | IP Logged

Sam, i really do sympathise with you, on the complete and utter joke that housing assosiations have become!!
I'm not sure if you've read my post about us moving (or the lack of it to be precise), but i too was so so angry and reduced to tears yesterday, by the complete utter uselessness of the way they treat their tennants.

It seems your neighbours are being very immature and petty towards you and your family.
We've had many a fight about repairs and the condition of our house, and i know from experience, they very rarely keep to their sides of the bargain.. and always find a way to twist and turn things around into their favour.
It's so not right the way they treat people, especially young families with small children.
Speak to shelter and see if they can back you up and offer any advice!
I really do wish you the best of luck poppet.
Let us know how your getting on.
x-x-x

Posted: 30 April 2008 at 6:49pm | IP Logged

Thank you for your responses.

DH spoke to Shelter and they recommended we go to the CAB...We are just back from there and the CAB couldn't really offer us any advise today we gotta go back during the day so they can speak to Rooftop, however, the adviser didn't think it unreasonable forthe housing association to demand us have our garden completely finished by june this year! I mean it's just mud, it needs to be dug up and grassed, and i don't have that kind of money!!

Oh wait, i'll just look down the back of the sofa, maybe there's a spare couple of hundred quid hanging round in there!

I was reduced to tears again in the CAB as it's not what you want to hear!

I just can't stop crying!

Posted: 30 April 2008 at 7:16pm | IP Logged

Don't know what part of the country you live in but I have to say my housing association knocks socks off most of the others we've experienced.

I'll nip up to our loft now where we have the housing association complaints charter and check out your rights.

Back shortly.

A big hug from me DP & my DD til later.

I'm back.

The website for all housing associations charter is:

www.housingcorp.gov.uk The document is The way forward: Our approach to regulation - known as regulatory code

Firstly you have to complain in writing to your housing association

Then you can complain to Independant Housing Ombudsman Scheme

ombudsman@ihos.org.uk

website www.ihos.org.uk

The local offices are London, 020 7292 400

Leeds,Manchester,Liverpool, 0845 230 7000

Croydon, 020 8253 1400

Exeter, 01392 428200

Leicester, 0116 242 4800

Wolverhampton, 01902 795000

Hope this helps. I know it ain't easily to put stuff in writing but I hope it will be worth it.