Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Help and advice needed for vulnerable friend
I wonder if anyone can make any suggestions as to what to do in this situation.
I have a friend who owns a flat in a house in Islington that used to be a council house. She owns her flat but the downstairs neighbour is a council tenant. The electricity supply to both flats can be switched on and off from the downstairs flat. She does not get on with the neighbours and they have been a few issues between them in the past. Now for no reason they have switched her electricity off. They said it was because there was a leak from her flat. Someone from the council came round as said there was no leak at all. She has been without electricity for nearly a week. She complained to the council and eventually someone came from the council and told them to switch it on , but the next day it went off again and still is 4 days later. The neighbour refuse to answer the door when ever anyone tries to speak to them. She called the police who were not at all helpful and told her not to call again.
I know this is a problem for the council to fix as soon as possible but it just seems wrong that she has to live like this. She is scared of the neighbour and isolated in her house in the dark .
Has anyone any suggestions as who could help or how to get Islington council to act urgently to sort this out as they are doing nothing at all ?
Thank you
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Brian Mahoney on
-
It might be time to consult a solicitor and try to get the MP involved. Good luck. That's a ludicrous situation.
-
-
Hi
Why not get the electricity supplier to separate the supply would not think it is legal to only have one meter for 2 flats taking into account one is privately owned,just a thought.
-
Permalink Reply by Sarah on
-
I would definitely get the electricity supplier involved.
She should also keep calling the council. This is a serious issue they should enforce under the tenancy.
-
-
Hi Bamako,
First I would suggest, keeping record of every incident or issue in a notebook. Second, your friend would benefit from speaking to a local ward councillor, and see if they would put in a members request for a review of the issues. Third, Brian is correct, this is a legal matter and your friend would best engaging a brief. The Islington Law Centre would be a good place to start https://www.islingtonlaw.org.uk/projects/evening-advice-sessions/ They have evening drop-in clinics where you friend can avail of a pro-bono initial consultation to review the merits of any potential case. I would imagine, the first step would be mediation of some sort and with a bit of luck, this would be enough to resolve it. If not, you friend should try to appear reasonable and stay composed, after all on the face of it, they seem to have the stronger case being the aggrieved party suffering without their creator comforts.
Ultimately, it is always best to avoid these types of spats with your neighbours. I wish I could...
Best
C
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
