Problem encountered in London...Need a solicitor... | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Problem encountered in London...Need a solicitor...

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by arizonaitalian, Dec 14, 2019.

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  1. Wheels1

    Wheels1 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 23, 2007
    3,520
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    Grant
    As Pete was saying, if your shower runs off a combi boiler, make sure you don't run any other tap's or flush the loo/ washing machine/ dishwasher at the same time as taking a shower, it's a common problem with combi boilers if the shower is the furthest way from the boiler. The way to tell if its a combi boiler is trun your room stat off so the heating and boiler goes out, then turn the hot tap on and see if the boiler starts up in a few seconds.
     
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  2. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
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    Mar 25, 2009
    12,655
    London
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    Sid Korshak
    dodgy landlords don’t like them, but citizens advice are toothless buddy for any decent one. If a tenant tells me he’s gone there about something, I laugh and hand him his section 8, and wish him well in his new place.

    my suggestion was to go to task on the mice issue, as that’s the one that will elicit a response, but start involving CA and the landlord will let them dither around and talk nonsense. Direct action on it will work, and I have also provided the details of a good solicitor that I AS A LANDLORD use, so he knows all the landlords ways of avoiding stuff, so Arizona will win!
     
    of2worlds likes this.
  3. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
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    Mar 25, 2009
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    Sid Korshak
    unfortunately, as he is not authorised to offer sub-tenancies, legal or illegal, that would open him and his partner up to serious legal issues, compensation for all costs incurred in both removing the scumbags, and restitution for any repairs and expenses involved as a result of their illegal occupation. Tempting as it may be, the result would be financial ruination and the inability to ever lease a property anywhere in the country again
     
  4. A348W

    A348W Formula 3

    Jun 28, 2017
    1,741
    North Wiltshire, UK
    Yup as Sid says, unless like our tenants they skipped the country the day before the bailiffs turned up; with clearly no intention of returning as court order is still outstanding, as are our costs plus 6 months rent!!!
     
  5. intrepidcva11

    intrepidcva11 F1 Rookie
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    Jan 12, 2009
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    Saratoga Springs NY
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    Seth
    Do I understand that landlady actually told you about the mouse issue five minutes after you moved in? To me that sounds like clear fraud.
     
  6. arizonaitalian

    arizonaitalian F1 World Champ
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    Oct 29, 2010
    19,894
    Wyoming
    yup, she literally pulled me aside shortly after we arrived on move-in day (and after I prepaid 6 months rent) and the movers were half-way done getting our boxes into the house and whispered to me "I didn't want Ania (my parter) to hear, but thought I'd tell you I saw a mouse".
     
  7. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
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    Mar 25, 2009
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    S
    sounds bad in context of what you’ve experienced, but ‘think I saw a mouse’ isn’t ‘by the way the place is a mouse haven’
     
  8. intrepidcva11

    intrepidcva11 F1 Rookie
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    Jan 12, 2009
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    Seth
    ...it sounds like a bad warning sign to me
     
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  9. arizonaitalian

    arizonaitalian F1 World Champ
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    Oct 29, 2010
    19,894
    Wyoming
    #34 arizonaitalian, Dec 21, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2019
    yup...she's a bit of an eccentric. I then saw many, many mice in the next few days. So...yeah. She left some parts of the flat disgustingly dirty and mold-filled and got very offended when I pointed them out. I've since met her handyman and she knew the pest guy already it turns out and they actually used the word "eccentric" to describe her. Not an ideal first-time landlord. She actually freaked out when I complained and had to turn me over to some older lady friend of hers to talk exclusively to her rather than to the landlord. Then she finally hired the letting agent to also be the property manager.

    They haven't been any help either. They don't return my calls or emails, except perhaps one of the 5 times and then after some time. They have a policy of dealing with plumbing issues on their website of 2 days, and its been a week since I asked for one to come re the shower.

    To be clear I had already asked the landlady, her handyman, and her friend who took over, each several times dating back to Dec 3 to send a plumber. Now the prop mgmt company hasn't gotten one either. I called to shake their tree after the 2 days expired and they were that famous Brit "kind-hostile" passive aggressive with me and didn't seem phased at all that I've been waiting for a working shower for weeks.

    Its maddening but I'm now traveling and out of the flat for a week and not going to let this ruin my christmas, so going to not think about it until I return. We did lay out a line of sticky traps while we are gone and will see what that captures when we return..(note the broom in the pics that we now keep out and handy for mouse chasing encounters).

    The sticky paper trap line is along the base of the cabinets and appliances because I literally saw a mouse run under there a few minutes before I decided to built the Maginot Line (I hope its more successful than its namesake).


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  10. arizonaitalian

    arizonaitalian F1 World Champ
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    Oct 29, 2010
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    #35 arizonaitalian, Dec 21, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2019
    btw, here is a pic of the shower handheld sprayer on "full". There is a similar handheld sprayer about 1.5 meters away in the bathtub that would chip porcelain it is so strong...

    You can see the water strength isn't even sufficient for it to come out of the holes, rather it just falls down to the bottom and pours out a bit. The holes are not clogged, if I hold it facing down the water falls out evening from all holes, its just got so little pressure that there isn't sufficient force to project the water out when you hold it vertically. I'll attach a second pic showing what happens when I hold the sprayer horizontally pointing upwards. It doesn't come out at all. (try this at home with yours for comparison).

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  11. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
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    Mar 25, 2009
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    Mate, ring the letting agents (or give me your details and I will ring in a particular tone that will make them jump) and demand the shower is fixed, and tell them if it’s not done by 2nd January, refund of rent demanded until such time as the work is done to your satisfaction, followed by a legal action to enforce the tenancy agreement and the terms and conditions that apply to BOTH sides.

    with regards the mice, do the same, but also contact the local council offices and ask for help from their pest people. They will log it, and inform environmental health, kicking up a storm. I’ll pm you my cell if you want to discuss offline
     
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  12. Rene

    Rene Formula 3
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    Jan 5, 2004
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    René
    Impressive.

    I'll know who to call when I have a problem:D
     
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  13. Wheels1

    Wheels1 F1 Rookie
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    Oct 23, 2007
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    I think you will have a cartridge in the valve control on the shower [ the large cylinder part where the handles attach in the photo] which will need changing, but that’s a guess as I am not a plumber but just going on a problem I had in the past.
     
  14. Ferrari 308 GTB

    Ferrari 308 GTB F1 Veteran

    Feb 21, 2015
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  15. arizonaitalian

    arizonaitalian F1 World Champ
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    Oct 29, 2010
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    update - nothing repaired. Much delay and more occurring. Will update hopefully with news next week. Not happy. Far from it.
     
  16. arizonaitalian

    arizonaitalian F1 World Champ
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    #41 arizonaitalian, Feb 14, 2020
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2020
    so, my stress level over the apartment has abated due to simply being overwhelmed. The landlord and prop mgmt company fought tooth and nail to avoid spending any money. They admitted the shower valve (cartridge) was defective, but delayed and lied and lied some more, and ignored calls, didn't fulfill promises, and finally no parts ever came. I did finally get a plumber and he brought a new cheap plastic handsprayer and plugged it into the top showerhead fitting and that somehow made a bit more water come out. So we are just living with that (more on why in a moment).

    The mice seem to have been reduced. I've only seen 1 since jan 1. We haven't been here a for a couple of weeks, but I think there aren't many or any...

    We came back from that two week trip to a smell and...woah! Sewage leak from above and onto the reception room. Soaking a couch and a rug and covering a coffee table and the floor. Luckily (?) the leak started only earlier the day we returned. (we later found out it was caused by a plumber that was called to the flat above to clear a blocked toilet...he did something wrong and "knocked the cover off of the back of the macerator". We don't have such things were I come from, but I'm told to picture a machine that grinds up and pumps out poop. He didn't catch it and left. It took another plumber to come and figure it out and stop it. So sewage was pumped into the ceiling space and ultimately leaked thru and into our reception room.)

    The property mgmt company had the ruined rug and couch removed and the floor and table cleaned up a bit within 3 days. Yay?

    Now they say they will "redecorate" the shyt-stained ceiling. I asked for it to be cut out and cleaned up there and removed...but nothing has happened and it will be one week tomorrow.

    We are clearly cursed.

    We are also clearly leaving this country at first oppty.

    Which, is now June 1. The landlord and I agreed to terminate the one-year lease at the end of the period covered by the 6 months rent I had prepaid. I asked for sooner, they wouldn't agree to any refunds of what i paid. So the compromise was to end at the 6 month mark.

    We were prepared to ride that out and enjoy the flat, but then **** came thru the ceiling.

    Good times.

    Thanks for following along. I'm done worrying about or thinking about or stressing over this. If anything more goes wrong, we will just leave the country early and eat the prepaid rent.

    I'd be either in jail for murder or dead myself if I was treated as I've been here in my time in the USA. I've been lied to countless times, and called out those people with responsible jobs on the lies, and they have zero shame. They don't even say "sorry", they just stare or sit silently and then wait for me to press the issue again. Lies over pretty much anything...large, small, doesn't matter. Its as if lying and cheating and trying to screw the other guy are accepted and normal behavior here. Its been pretty much everyone I've dealt with in regard to 3 flats we leased (the other two were so bad we had to leave and they gave us our money back). And taking care of flats is piss poor. These places are all dirty and people just trash it and don't seem to care about their surrounds. I'm sure its all been me and picking poorly...you know, trying to live cheaply in Bayswater :rolleyes:. But I'm used to a different standard. Even Ania, from Poland, can't live here given how dirty it is and how people let things go. She moved here as a typical "self apologist" for her eastern European country. Now she sees that Poland is far better than the UK in pretty much every way. So, at least she gained that confidence.

    Anyways, I know, I know, I come here and ***** and complain. So I'm sure the return sentiment is - at best - then get the hell out. We agree! We are getting out asap...only staying long enough for her to honor her professional commitment to the NHS. Not a day longer.
     
  17. Ferrari 308 GTB

    Ferrari 308 GTB F1 Veteran

    Feb 21, 2015
    7,716
    Tropical
    Sorry it didn't work out at all for you guys. Landlady sounds like the bitc$ from hell.

    There used to be tons of very skilled plumbers/carpenters/painters etc from Poland in the UK .

    Guess what, many of them moved back home to get better pay /living conditions.Can't blame them.
     
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  18. tomc

    tomc Two Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 13, 2014
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    Tom C
    Wow! What a nightmare.
    T
     
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  19. A348W

    A348W Formula 3

    Jun 28, 2017
    1,741
    North Wiltshire, UK
    Damn. sorry to hear that.

    When we were landlords none of the above would have been remotely acceptable.

    We had a leak in the fresh water side of a toilet in our rental property, we paid about £200 for two plumbers to fix it; neither could. It took me about 45 minutes, 30 minutes of which was going to the hardware store for a part!! There are a lot of very crap trades people here, and the good ones are very very busy! No surprise there.

    I hope you manage to enjoy the remainder of your time. (If you want a bit of pay back..."small claims court" is cheap and easy! Nothing like a little letter through the post to appear in court to make somebody think twice; put the management company and her on it; then leave the country with a smile on your face!)
     
  20. JonnyH

    JonnyH Rookie

    Nov 17, 2012
    24
    Glos UK/Barcelona ES
    Had a professional (IT) young Japanese lady rent for a couple of months an apartment.

    Poor kid had had enough, sought me out. She told me she would like me to see to the shower
    as it wasn't working properly!!! I duly entered the apartment only to find she forgot to pull the
    pull cord (electric). The poor girl endured 3days of freezing showers without complaint.

    Wife and I took her out to dinner, resolved.


    Best wishes to all
     
    Patrick Dixon likes this.
  21. spaghetti_jet

    spaghetti_jet Formula Junior

    Jan 5, 2005
    846
    Europa
    Full Name:
    Bob
    simple solution:

    sublet the apartment to a bunch of students/migrants/ex-cons/etc. etc.. Cash in hand, up front. The new tenants pay per bed, and it will be more than you pay in rent. Use the cash to rent another place and the surplus to cover the loss of deposit. Problem solved ;)

    the landlord thinks he has control because he's got your money, but in reality you have him by the nuts because you've got his property.

    There are variations on this direct control approach, such as coming back from a weekend away and discovering that the faulty shower has "somehow" leaked, flooded the property and rendered it uninhabitable requiring a total rebuild etc. With a bit of imagination you can "take back control". There are many ways in which you can give karma a helping hand..
     

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