Damage caused by workman in HA property

[Dave421]

Hello there. 

 

I'm a tenant of a housing association property. Recently I had an issue with the toilet flush system. It came under general wear and tear so they sent someone out to sort it. The guy was totally useless and on the first visit didn't have the right parts. The second he did but he bodged it. He didn't fix the flush issue but now it refills faster so I can flush again quicker. 

 

After he left, I was outside my home later that day and saw water dripping out of the overflow pipe. Concerned about this I took a look inside the tank. What happens is it fills to the peak level but doesn't stop. It carries on with droplets and eventually gets to the overflow pipe levels and comes out the side of the house. 

 

Of course, it's costing me money in water waste. Would I be due any compensation for this (to cover the definite increase in my next water bill)? It was the plumbers fault entirely. Possibly he didn't tighten some bolts enough. I don't want to touch it as if anything goes wrong, I become liable. (I've requested a repair job on this and still waiting for them to send someone round). 

 

 

My second issue is with a fence. As we know with terraced homes it tends to be the responsibility of the tenant/homeowner to secure the fence on the left hand side. 

 

There was already a fence on the left hand side which the neighbours (also HA tenants) had put up before I moved in. It's on their land on their side of the boundary posts. 

 

A few months ago they left, stripping the house bare and damaging the fence in the process. The fence is now pretty much broken completely due to this. 

 

The property has been empty since and so I've contacted the HA about it. They told me the fence is my responsibly and that's that. 

 

Actually is it though? It's not my fence. The former neighbours bought and put it up before I even moved here. So how can I be responsible for someone else's property?

 

If the HA has accepted the property back, doesn't that mean the fence is now theirs? 

 

Do I have a case for being mislead into the tenancy agreement? As when I moved here, the housing officer told me the neighbours have taken care of the fence so I don't have to. Had I known I'd have to pay for a fence I wouldn't have signed the tenancy agreement (as I can't afford it) and I would have remained on the gold tier bidding system to find something else. 

 

Thanks

 

 

Edited March 17, 2020 by Dave421

[Dave421]

Scrap the fence issue. I've sorted that but now it's just about the toilet situation with water loss through overflow pipe. 

 

Thanks

[AndyOrch]

Adjust the ballcock.....small screw on the arm...or on newer systems Find the float adjustment screw between the fill valve and the flush valve.

 

Its a 2 min job.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Adjust+the+ballcock.&oq=Adjust+the+ballcock.&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Manxman in exile]

16 hours ago, Dave421 said:

 

My second issue is with a fence. As we know with terraced homes it tends to be the responsibility of the tenant/homeowner to secure the fence on the left hand side. 

 

 

 

I know you've sorted this problem now, but for future reference, we do not know that because there is no such general rule.  If it was a freehold property you'd probably have to check the deeds to see who owned the fence.  If it's a tenancy I assume you'd have to check the tenancy agreement to see who was responsible.

 

(Whether it's worth starting an argument with a neighbour over the upkeep of a fence is another matter).

[Dave421]

51 minutes ago, Andyorch said:

Adjust the ballcock.....small screw on the arm...or on newer systems Find the float adjustment screw between the fill valve and the flush valve.

 

Its a 2 min job.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=Adjust+the+ballcock.&oq=Adjust+the+ballcock.&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

It's really too complex for me. I haven't even got the right tools. 

 

Plus I had a look earlier and there's a round...pipe screw/connector? The sort of thing you see under the sink linking pipes. There's a seal of some kind there and water is spraying out if that seal. 

 

When I pull the ballcock up, the water still comes out of the filler part (whereas it should stop if it's an adjustment issue?)

[Dave421]

23 minutes ago, Manxman in exile said:

 

I know you've sorted this problem now, but for future reference, we do not know that because there is no such general rule.  If it was a freehold property you'd probably have to check the deeds to see who owned the fence.  If it's a tenancy I assume you'd have to check the tenancy agreement to see who was responsible.

 

(Whether it's worth starting an argument with a neighbour over the upkeep of a fence is another matter).

 

There isn't but when properties are built isn't it fair to say that if there's a boundary post in place, the fence would be built in front of that post on the land belonging to that home? So when it's sold the buyer is purchasing that fence on their land too? So generally they would be responsible for their fence?

 

I guess I just grew up thinking the left side would always be down to me to maintain, unless as in this case, the fence is clearly located on someone else's land and it is known to belong to someone else. 

 

In the end the HA said I was given wrong info and that I was indeed correct that I'm not responsible for that fence due to the land it's located on and the owners of it. 

[AndyOrch]

2 hours ago, Dave421 said:

 

It's really too complex for me. I haven't even got the right tools. 

 

Plus I had a look earlier and there's a round...pipe screw/connector? The sort of thing you see under the sink linking pipes. There's a seal of some kind there and water is spraying out if that seal. 

 

When I pull the ballcock up, the water still comes out of the filler part (whereas it should stop if it's an adjustment issue?)

 

 

Sound like it requires a new cistern valve then...

 

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Bottom-Entry-Cistern-Ball-Valve/p/421636

[ericsbrother]

new cistern valves a doddle to replace and usually somehtinmg you are responsible for with LA/HA rental.

 Turn the water off, drain toilet and use adjustable spanner to undo the locking nut where the pipe connects to the valve assembly. Take old valve to plumbers merchants and buy identical one,

[stu007]

I have to disagree that a Tenant is responsible for the replacement of anything within the Toilet Cistern whether it be the ball cock of the entire internal valve this is the Landlords/Housing Associations responsibility responsibility to repair and never the tenants.

 

Housing Association like to try and pull a fast one with things like this but it is their responsibility to repair so simply contact them and report it as a repair as you would with any other repair.

 

 

[ericsbrother]

It is written into the tenancies of some councils (eg Croydon, Lambeth, Northamptonshire from personal experience) that internal plumbing fittings are tenants responsibility so tap washers, bathplugs, toilet cistern valves etc fall into this. Now if your tenancy DOESNT expressly say that they are your responsibility then they are the LL's