housing officer! Harrassing me!

[xsparklex]

Hi,

Wondered if any one could help? Im getting really upset with my housing officer, were in council accomadation have been here for 2 yrs but just recently have had a our next door neihbour complaining to the council about parking!

 

I park my car in front of our garage but apparently im obstructing a path public right away,weve just received a letter about it now but its the way that this housing officer is going about it!

 

She stopped me in the middle of the road twice last week trying to talk about it but the conversation just gets hyrated! I told her i didn't want to talk in the middle of the street in view of my neihbours who complained and that she was upsetting my son,so i walked away and rang up the council and spoke to her boss and was told she would speak to her about it!

 

But today she was hand deliving these letters and posting them to all the residents in our road about parking but instead of just posting my letter like she was doing with everyone elses she knocked on my door and thought she would tell me to move my car and went on and on about parking i told her i didn't want to talk to her at the door, as she was being loud and aggressive which woke my son up and ended up shutting the door on her and left her outside shouting stuff out!

 

What can i do about this? It seems she can do what she likes? Its really upsetting me and my kids and i really fely angry today about it!

 

Becky

[jackieandwayne]

Ok, the HO isn't handling this very well at all. You are right to complain if you feel like that, and you can ask for another HO to review what is going on.

 

However, I assume you are on an estate somewhere? Let me explain about estate management. It is the HO's duty to trawl the estates she manages, on a regular basis, and it is important that she is seen to do this by the residents. Any problems she encounters during these regular checks should be dealt with there and then, and yes sometimes she may need to approach you directly. She;ll be looking for graffiti, burnt out cars, ASB, any problem you can think of. Also checking blocks of flats for problems in communal areas.

 

However, it is the way in which she deals with the problems that counts. Say she found a group of hoodies causing problems - she has to be able to make them understand that they will stop it now, immediately, she should know who they are as a matter of course, and be ready to visit the parents straight away. So that's the reason she's tried to collar you, part of her day to day duties.

 

But in a case of you parking in front of a garage, there is no need to deal with it like that! Its not the crime of the century. However, it is a tenancy breach if it continues and she has to find a way to make you stop doing it.

 

I would have expected that, on receipt of the letter telling you not to park there, you would have stopped parking there. She's been round checking and found that you have not complied with her request, and has tried to talk to you about it, and it has upset you. She in turn has got frustrated because after all, what sort of HO is she if she cannot get you to move a car? Don't forget, all the other residents' eyes are on her at the moment to see what she does. If she can;t get you to move your car, how will she be able to stop Fred Blogg's from threatening his neighbours? Get the idea?

 

Now, if it is the case that you are parking where you shouldn;t then I would advise you to stop. Because, if you continue to park the car where you shouldn;t there are further options the HO has to use. She can have your car towed away. She could serve you with a Notice of Seeking Possession for it as well. And your neighbours have the right to know what she has done to help them with the problem, and she will tell them. She won;t give any other details than what she has done, no personal info would be given, but the complainants do have a right to know.

 

If it were me, I'd have written once to ask you not to park there, and give the reasons why. Ask, not tell. I'd have made regular checks that you were complying and if I found you weren't I would make an impromptu visit to you to discuss it further, and then I would tell you that you were going to move the car. Failure again and I would remove it for you and serve you with NOSP. But all done with respect and politeness, never any need to shout.

 

Can you not put the car in the garage in future, make your complaint about the attitude, and then that should be the end of it for both of you.

 

Post backif you need more help.

[xsparklex]

Hi

Thanks for your reply! Been speaking to all the neihbours about parking today and they have heard that the ho is going to put stickers on the cars and charging £150.00 for removel of cars/vans.Have now read the letter she handed me yesterday and in it does state about breach of tenancy ect and how they can end your tenancy at county court ect...

 

Also saying you can park on the pathway if a buggy can pass thru ect.. but then in another breath saying not in front of your garage ect..

 

We spoke to a police officer yesterday about this ongoing parking issue and was told the council couldn't do much .. but im unsure of this! The problem is there just isn't enough parking bays in our road for everyone most people in our road either have 2-3 cars or vans, i have a car in my garage already but do have 5 kids youngest is 6mths and my son 18mths suffers badly with asthma most days struggles to breath let alone walk up the road to a parking bay!

 

So i have parked my car a differant way today in front of my garage,not on the pavement,on the road not obstructing any driveways allowing room for pushchairs lol and have filled a complaint form out about the ho on the councils website.

 

She has told me once afficially in my house,twice in the road stating shes seen my car 3 times outside my house ect and moaned again yesterday!

 

I have pictures of other cars parking more dangerously,obstructing ect including the police mans wagen but its me that seems to be taking the brunt of the complaint!

What a nightmare! Wish they were more concerning about house repairs lol ive been waiting two years for a bath panel to be replaced and a year for a new backdoor!Our guttering leaks,our windows are crap with gaps between the frames causing draughts and needs repairing but they never have any money in the budget!

 

I don't have to talk to this ho again do i,or have her in my house i can't stand her shes,rude aggressive and talks to me like a 2yr old! Thanks Becky

Edited July 10, 2009 by xsparklex