Windows

Last February our housing association got Anglian Windows to come and measure all the houses round here up for new windows and doors. My wooden frames are completely rotton and bits are falling off both inside and outside and the curtains get blown about in the wind and we even get the rain come in through them too.
Anyway we heard nothing so in August I started phoning the housing association to see what was happenning as I couldn't bear the thought of another winterwith cold wind and rain inside the house as well as outside. They told me they were being done in Sept. Well every month I have phoned them and every month i am told it will be the next month.
Finally i said I couldn't live like this waiting indefinetly for someone to come and fit them so they had to do something as its affecting my COPD badly. Last night a repair man turned up to do some temporary repairs and he said the windows and frames were the worst he had ever seen in an inhabited house and were beyond repair, as he touched them more of the frame holding the glass just fell away and his finger was going straight through them. He couldn't put mastik round to seal anything because the frames are so rotton and wet the mastik would just ball up and not work.
He rung in to the office to tell them and they have said if they can't be repaired I will have to wait till the new windows are fitted, which should be january or february . So in other words nothing will be done and I am stuck with it.
I have phoned Anglian Windows themselves and they have said our housing association have never come back to them about the quote they put in.

Oh Bev, that is absolutely disgusting.

I cannot offer you any advice, just loads of (((hugs))) xx

I wonder who regulates the housing associations? Aren't they linked to the council these days? If so, I wonder if something like the environmental health can get things moving for you. Might be worth a pop in to your local Citizens' Advice as they might know of an effective route to get things sorted for you.

I am on phone to the housing association as I type. They are phoning the repair man and have me on hold.

Good luck with them. Surely they are obliged to keep your house protected against the elements and also safe for you to live in. Keep at them

Good luck Bev, hope you get some joy today. If not then environmental health could be your next stop, along with the local paper, tv etc etc.

She can't get hold of anyone (there is a surprise) , but she did say it was on my notes they are being done this month. I told her Anglian windows have told me they won't be and they havn't got a date as yet. I told her i also want a rent reduction to pay for my heating. She said she can't deal with that and couldn't give me the high and mighty mans number who could.
She said she will ring me back later. I will not hold my breath

Try Citisens Advice.. They are often more help than anyone else as they are not tied to the council etc

We have similar here in Irelan d and they worked a miracle for me when it took 7 months for Rent Allowance to come through in that bad winter. Saw that the welfare had made a huge basic error.

It is not the time of year to be without proper windows

Meanwhile can you get building grade clear polythene..

Bev, this is awful. I agree with the above. If you phone your local council and ask for environmental health dept. and explain to them, maybe you could persuade them to come and assess your house to see if they can chase the Housing Association.

Could you see your doctor and explain to him how the damp is effecting your COPD. Maybe he would be kind enough to write a letter if you gave him the address etc.

Surely the Housing Association has a 'duty of care'..... mind you I know how frustrating it is to try and deal with local government departments

Until something can be done, it is amazing how well 'gaffa' tape (2" wide tape) works and you could tape around some of the worse windows to stop the draft/rain. Cling film also works really well as a secondary glazing

Good luck Bev, and I really hope something is sorted very soon.

That is absolutely disgusting Bev,

I am so sorry your having to live like this it's unacceptable and H/A's like L/A's have no legal duty of care which I find appalling However they do have an obligation to carry out repairs in a reasonable amount of time,and having rotten windows which let in the elements and they know about it and have ignored the problem for months is unacceptable.

I am pretty sure sure this wall fall under housing disrepair and you can take further action under section 82 environmental protection act 1990,we did against the council and also claimed compensation,we won our case.

I really hope you get this sorted asap,


http://england.shelter.org.uk/get_ad..._for_disrepair

Bev there is a free phone number on this link it may be worth giving them a call and having a chat and see what they suggest http://www.hja.net/what-we-do/housin...disrepair.aspx