Council House Drains - Page 3

accymel · 06-12-2006, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

I had this a few years ago and i found out something then that not a lot of people know and United Utilities dont admit to. If you can prove your house was built before October 1938 then all the outside drains and sewers that run through your garden belong to United Utilities. So if anything goes wrong with the outside drains and sewers ring United Utilities and they will come and unblock them for free. They came and did mine. If your house was built after October 1938 then the sewers and drains belong to the owner of the house.

OOhhh i wouldnt know when Jack built this house

as far as im aware its the house owners aka hyndburn homes hehehehehe as they sorted it & best not dare to try the charge on & convienently loose the paperwork!

entwisi · 07-12-2006, 08:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

It just annoys me that everyone blames HBC for what is someones else's fault.

Quick question Neil,
Who allowed HH to take over and change the contract such that tenanats became responsible for drains etc in the first place? Oh yep, that will be the council. They should have protected the same rights that the tenants had previously in the sale of the properties to HH. Whilst its HH who are making the charge, its the council that allowed them to change the terms in their favour. I don't recall any tenant having any say on the sale?

WillowTheWhisp · 07-12-2006, 09:20

So who are Hyndburn Homes? Are they an independant private company? Was the house originally rented from the council and then the council sold it to a new landlord? If the new landlord had new conditions shouldn't they have informed the tenants?

entwisi · 07-12-2006, 09:40

"But the changes were on display ..."

"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."

"That's the display department."

"With a torch."

"Ah, well the lights had probably gone."

"So had the stairs."

"But look, you found the notice didn't you?"

"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying Beware of the Leopard."

Apologies to Douglas Adams but this sprung immediately to mind.

entwisi · 07-12-2006, 09:58

Or this

"People of Earth, your attention please," a voice said, and it was wonderful. Wonderful perfect quadrophonic sound with distortion levels so low as to make a brave man weep.

"This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council," the voice continued. "As you will no doubt be aware, the plans for development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system, and regrettably your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The process will take slightly less that two of your Earth minutes. Thank you."

The PA died away.

Uncomprehending terror settled on the watching people of Earth. The terror moved slowly through the gathered crowds as if they were iron fillings on a sheet of board and a magnet was moving beneath them. Panic sprouted again, desperate fleeing panic, but there was nowhere to flee to.

Observing this, the Vogons turned on their PA again. It said:

"There's no point in acting all surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display in your local planning department on Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years, so you've had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it's far too late to start making a fuss about it now."

The PA fell silent again and its echo drifted off across the land. The huge ships turned slowly in the sky with easy power. On the underside of each a hatchway opened, an empty black space.

By this time somebody somewhere must have manned a radio transmitter, located a wavelength and broadcasted a message back to the Vogon ships, to plead on behalf of the planet. Nobody ever heard what they said, they only heard the reply. The PA slammed back into life again. The voice was annoyed. It said:

"What do you mean you've never been to Alpha Centauri? For heaven's sake mankind, it's only four light years away you know. I'm sorry, but if you can't be bothered to take an interest in local affairs that's your own lookout.

"Energize the demolition beams."

Light poured out into the hatchways.

"I don't know," said the voice on the PA, "apathetic bloody planet, I've no sympathy at all." It cut off.

There was a terrible ghastly silence.

There was a terrible ghastly noise.

There was a terrible ghastly silence.

accymel · 07-12-2006, 10:48

Hyndburn Homes is a regeneratd version of the council incorporating a Housing Association called Contour, basically the reason for the change over to HH than stopping as the council was that HH can claim regeneration grants in order to bring housing stock to required standards by 2010 set by Gov. If the council stayed as it was it would receive no such grants & thus housing stock wouldnt be improved. There was a vote for this change by the tenants a year before the changeover took place, but face it council tenants were encouraged to vote a yes as it implied if no change happened then our homes would not be upgraded & would only survice as many homes like mine still in the dark ages would remain so as no allotment of revenue would cover the cost of upgrading, ie necessary heating systems, im still on econ 7 blowers & old emmersion; re-wiring; glazing; poor standards of kitchens & bathrooms. Under new system there is supposed to be a rent freeze where it goes up every year for the next 5 years as previously with council & it would be an improved & better service for tenants. Unfortunately we all discover that the same staff as was once previous council are working for HH & there have been teething problems already. They mentioned a lot of the positive imputs the new Hyndburn Homes would bring but of course certain things wiithin repairs have now changed but notice we have to sift thro the small print now & not expressed as to what happened before & how it is now - till u ring & get a shock. Yes i was as many others a council tenant before the transfer & now is tenant of Hyndburn Homes.

Tinkerbelle · 07-12-2006, 11:01

LOL! I like those entwisi

entwisi · 07-12-2006, 12:06

Have you ever read/listened to Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy?

Top bloke was old Doug(no not that one!)

WillowTheWhisp · 07-12-2006, 12:13

So does HBC have a stake in HH as well as this Contour?

accymel · 07-12-2006, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

So does HBC have a stake in HH as well as this Contour?

They'd claim not but i think they will have, HH are using most of the previous HBC housing staff

WillowTheWhisp · 07-12-2006, 12:18

It sounds like a way of HBC being able to pretend it's not their responsibility then.

entwisi · 07-12-2006, 12:18

They were probably outsourced under TUPE or similar

accymel · 07-12-2006, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

It sounds like a way of HBC being able to pretend it's not their responsibility then.

Well they'll say its Hyndburn Homes & nowt to do with us blerb

WillowTheWhisp · 07-12-2006, 12:23

Even so, Hyndburn Homes must be responsible so if it's the same staff it comes down to them to get their act together doesn't it?

accymel · 07-12-2006, 12:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Even so, Hyndburn Homes must be responsible so if it's the same staff it comes down to them to get their act together doesn't it?

Well yeh as i proved yesterday, but if the crap hits the fan u watch HBC distance themselves further hehhehee