Online Credit Repair Secrets
Is it legal for Caerphilly Borough Council to leave a young family in accommodation which is?
unfit for human habitation if: They own the property and They are unable to raise the £1,700 "personal contribution" towards a Renovation Grant? We are in this situation (please don't suggest ways to raise the money we have tried everything including: Loans (can't get one due to low income and poor credit) Savings (we have none!) Borrowing more on Mortgage (refused due to low income even though I explained it was for essential repairs to the house) Family (mine can't help. His refuse to help). We have a 13 month old baby. Due to severe damp and a failed heating system he is constantly ill and I can't even bathe him in the freezing cold damp bathroom or prepare his food in the damp, cold mouldy kitchen. The council simply said that if we can't raise the contribution tough luck and we don't get the grant. When I asked what will happen to us in an unfit property (which will get worse without the work) they just said it wasn't their problem. Any advice? And what are they doing with the £80 Council Tax we pay them every month? I also want you all to know I will not take this lying down. I have already contacted CAB, Shelter, my local councillor and MP, next stop is local and national press plus TV. I will sue them if I have to. They will not get away with it. I'll make Gordron Brown himself answer for this one! CBC crossed the wrong woman when they tried it on with The Moonlight. Selling up may be very problematic due to negative equity as a result of the deterioration of the extension due to the damp. Alan - the survey did not reveal any problems with the property, other than that the heating system was antiquated. the extension roof and drainage has since failed (extension has been shoddily built circa mid 1980s), yet this defect does not seem to have been evident on the survey. The Council has been lax and lazy in its investigations and still are not 100% sure what is causing the damp. I have a meeting with the Head of Environmental Health for the council next Weds, if that comes to nothing next stop is a solicitor and the press! Paul D - I guess then I can stop paying their extortionate council tax bills if they are "not responsible" for helping me then can I? My Grain - the Council do not own my house, the Council give Renovation GRANTS to enable house owners whose houses need work to meet fitness for human habitation standards. Apparently you only get the full Grant if you are not working. If you work you have to pay a "contribution" towards it or you do not get the Grant.
Public Comments
- I really do empathise with you over this. I've been following your questions over the last few months and really do hope you can get something sorted out. Unfortunately though, I can't see what else you can do. If you were council tenants living on benefits, not paying tax and generally not contributing to society, then they'd be obliged to take care of you. As it is, you made the hard (but right) decision to be self-sufficient, to buy your own property and not be a burden to taxpayers and it is just plain wrong that no help is available to you in this time of need. The only advice I can give you is to see if there's a local co-operative group who can lend you the money. I'd also suggest contacting your local MP and your local newspapers as they would hate to receive adverse publicity over this kind of issue. I'd also contact the local CAB to see what advice they can give you. It just seems crazy to me that you cannot find some sort of financial assistance somewhere to enable you to free up the grant money. In all true honesty, if I had the money myself, I wouldn't hesitate in helping you out. Is there no-one in your family network that might be able to assist? Just one other thought. Did you have a full structural survey done when you moved into the property and did this show the damp problem? If not, there might be scope to take action against the surveyor and/or seller if they either missed the damp, or deliberately concealed it. One further thought. Contact your local MEP. They might be able to help also; http://www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/wales.asp EDIT - In that case I would seriously consider seeking legal advice. This should have been flagged up as a potential problem in a full structural or a valuation survey. I'm very surprised there was no mention of it at all. Definitely contact a solicitor.
- try the cab office they will help
- It is legal though it is horrendous...there are many families living in poverty in England and Wales today...overcrowding so severe that children are forced to sleep in bathrooms! I was in a damp and mouldy one bed second floor flat with a baby and the council did nothing to help me...go to your local paper and tell them.
- I would sell up and rent. Not worth the damage your doing to your familys health. If you do get a loan it would probably be at an awful interest rate which could put you more in the mire.
- It's your house, why should the council pay for repairs it's not responsible for? Edit: Council tax is not to bail you out because you let your property go to pieces, it's to cover grants for low earners, maintaining pavements, street lighting, libraries, rubbish collections, etc. YOU are responsible for maintenance and repairs to YOUR property.
- Don't understand ,you tell us in previous questions you have a mortgage on your house then you say the Council own it.If you have a mortage and you are fortunate enough to be able to buy then the Council have no liabilities to help you!! If it's a Council House -yes they have to do something about your situation! Please make it abit clearer-thanx!
