Sorry don't no where to post this so putting here for it to be moved.

Hi All

Trying to help a friends Nanny. Sorry don't no her name so will refer to her as Nanny.

Nanny is Very ill has been given 6-12 mths to live.

We are assisting her with house sorting so it can be sold when she does pass on. This is a mid terrace house 6 of the rooms share a wall with the neighbouring house, obviously, these are 3 bedrooms bathroom, kitchen diner and living room. The problem is the neighbouring house. Nanny our friend and one other family member use to Rent the neighbouring house. Nanny brought the current house of the guy that owned both. Everything was fine at first then Nanny started having problems.

Every time they turn the cooker on the houses electrics trip. It only happens with the cooker. The Kitchen is all built in and when We looked under the cooker and found it was plugged into a extension lead. The ex owner at first said they done the electrics but now suddenly he cant remember who done the electrics.

Further to this the neighbours house has not been lived in since they moved out. The owner started work on the house and for the past 3 years the house has been a shell of some sorts. the internal walls have no plaster upstairs flooring non existent and the owners seem to have disappeared as well. Nanny is battling a mould issue on the connecting walls. She has brought and her grandson has used mould paint several times. The bathroom was only done in November last year and the damp/mould is back already. I have used a damp and mould cleaner on all the walls and expect to be doing it again soon.

The other side of house with only 5 connecting walls had no problems and has a lovely family living in it.

She does not want to cause a fuss or problem, as you can understand, but this clearly is not good for her or any ones health. How would you advise nanny/the family move forward. Informed Enviro health but they cant act as the owners have not responded to letters.

Forgot to add the house next door to the empty one is occupied but they don't speak or read English. so could not understand what l was saying.

I think they speak Chinese and/or Indian. I no both takeaways opposite have a notice to say they go to the house on them and the lady did say something Chinese l recognise and a male spoke a different language

if an extension lead has been in use for a seriously long time is a semi damp environment

then i'd suspect the plugs pins will be blackened.

unplug the cooker from the lead and check.

another test might be to temporarily use another extension lead and see if it still trips.

if it doesn't theres your issue the lead

but ofcourse you know it shouldn't even be run on one in the first place!!

how big [KWH] is the oven?

or get its name/model

as for the damp

you'll never sort that till you sort the offending 'otherside' of the wall

Does the empty property have a roof, doors, and windows (all in reasonable condition) ?

If the house is weather tight, I'm not sure Nanny can do much about any damp coming through the party wall.

As for the electrics. If it is a separate hob/oven, then it isn't that unusual to see a 13A plug on the oven. It shouldn't be on an extension lead, and the hob certainly shouldn't be wired in to the same bit of flex. By the sounds of it, it would be prudent to get an electrician in to take a look at the wiring in the kitchen and isolate the fault.

Re the cooker.

Some can be put on a plug as long as under 3000 watt. This one is 3500 watt. You cant easily get to the extension as its behind the kick boards and l cant reach that far back, nor am l willing to touch it, They have had a electrician out and they did not seem concerned. They don't cook at the house its normally family or friend houses or take out.

The empty house yes does have a roof and the doors and windows at the front seem to be of good quality we cant see the back as no access to back garden. they are the uPVC ones that got put in yrs ago.

My thought is that the council seem to be giving in at the first hurdle. Surly they should know who to send the council tax bill to. They must get some a Ctax as the one we got said it still needs paying if empty and they only give 6mths grace so as its now 8 yrs then why have they not took further action.

Is the property owned or rented (private or housing association) ?

Andy

Both owned Empty is the house they use to live in and is owned by the guy that they brought the one they are in off.

Well that's based on the last time they sore him and the builders.

TBH l have not known Nanny that long, about 2 yrs, the grandson via a friend for about 4 yrs.

So is that yes its owned by Nanny or no its rented by Nanny ?

the house they live in is owned by Nanny.

The empty house is also owned. They think it is still by the same guy who they use to rent it off