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Hi all hope you can help me with my problem.
Can the tenants sue the Housing Association for compensation?
A friend of mine has been a tenant in housing association property for 3 years. From the start of the tenancy he and his wife have complained that the central heating boiler did not work correctly. Sometimes they had hot water sometimes they didn't, sometimes they had heating sometimes they didn't and sometimes they couldn't turn it off at all. The HA had it reported to them time and time again. At some point it was discovered by the HA that the hot water supply was in fact being supplied by a boiler in a neighbouring property. This explained why a radiator would not cool down despite the boiler being switched off.
Finally the young wife snapped upped sticks and moved the family to a new build property with a different landlord in a different town. She did this whilst her husband was away with the territorial army and has explained to me that she had to do it because her health had begun to suffer. With two young children to care for and no heating or hot water that was reliable and a list of other dilapidations reported to the HA that been had shoddily repaired or not repaired at all depression and other associated problems had begun to manifest. Her GP prescribed a course of anti depressants.
Following correspondence with the HA they have admitted that they have made mistakes with regards to the boiler. They have offered £100 as a gesture of goodwill.
The HA will not entertain a conversation about any other complaint on the basis that no other complaint was received by them within the last 12 months they have said “in line with our Group Compensation Policy, I am only able to investigate issues and concerns which have occurred in the
previous 12 months. Therefore on one of your recent letters, items 1-5, I am unable to look further into these as they are over 12 months old when
originally reported.”
The tenants have an outstanding rent account of circa £630.
The tenants have rejected the offer of £100 as It is an insignificant sum when compared to the enormous upheaval and traumatic distress that has been caused to this family as a consequence of the failings of Housing Association.
The tenants have offered to accept the clearance of the rent account as settlement. The HA won't budge and are now writing demanding payment of the rent account.
So can the tenants pursue the HA for better compensation than £100 and if so what would be the proper grounds?
Thanks for reading.
Can the tenants sue the Housing Association for compensation?
A friend of mine has been a tenant in housing association property for 3 years. From the start of the tenancy he and his wife have complained that the central heating boiler did not work correctly. Sometimes they had hot water sometimes they didn't, sometimes they had heating sometimes they didn't and sometimes they couldn't turn it off at all. The HA had it reported to them time and time again. At some point it was discovered by the HA that the hot water supply was in fact being supplied by a boiler in a neighbouring property. This explained why a radiator would not cool down despite the boiler being switched off.
Finally the young wife snapped upped sticks and moved the family to a new build property with a different landlord in a different town. She did this whilst her husband was away with the territorial army and has explained to me that she had to do it because her health had begun to suffer. With two young children to care for and no heating or hot water that was reliable and a list of other dilapidations reported to the HA that been had shoddily repaired or not repaired at all depression and other associated problems had begun to manifest. Her GP prescribed a course of anti depressants.
Following correspondence with the HA they have admitted that they have made mistakes with regards to the boiler. They have offered £100 as a gesture of goodwill.
The HA will not entertain a conversation about any other complaint on the basis that no other complaint was received by them within the last 12 months they have said “in line with our Group Compensation Policy, I am only able to investigate issues and concerns which have occurred in the
previous 12 months. Therefore on one of your recent letters, items 1-5, I am unable to look further into these as they are over 12 months old when
originally reported.”
The tenants have an outstanding rent account of circa £630.
The tenants have rejected the offer of £100 as It is an insignificant sum when compared to the enormous upheaval and traumatic distress that has been caused to this family as a consequence of the failings of Housing Association.
The tenants have offered to accept the clearance of the rent account as settlement. The HA won't budge and are now writing demanding payment of the rent account.
So can the tenants pursue the HA for better compensation than £100 and if so what would be the proper grounds?
Thanks for reading.
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