General Chat

Dare I admit that, as I take out my neighbours full bins (she brings in the empty ones), if there's room in her garden waste bin, I fill it up with my garden waste.
I also buy her a couple of bottles of prosecco a year.

Ann, you're so right about admin. I sent a tirade to the local councillors, and head of housing just before Xmas, when I was sent a threatening final demand for Council Tax.
I'd received a bill, paid it, then received a repayment. Then another 'final demand' appeared - no explanation. I'd applied for Council Tax Reduction but, despite being eligible, had been refused. I'd phoned to find out what was happening, with the Council Tax bills and refunds, but was just asked if I wanted to pay over the phone. No, I wanted to know what I owed, and how/why I owed it - in writing!!

I was furious.

I sent an Email pointing out that the 'hierarchy' were the people who were allegedly in charge of the staff, and therefore, responsible for the attitude of their staff, but apparently, from their 'high towers' the 'hierarchy' knew absolutely nothing.

I was unwilling to pay something just because it was demanded, and wanted a detailed Council Tax account, and a reason for the refusal of Council Tax reduction.

I also sent a copy of a 'diary' I'd written while the work on the house wasn't being done, where I said I'd been paying rent for a 2 bedroomed place, but had been unable to even access the 'spare' room for 5 months whilst waiting for the living room to be tiled, and paying 'bedroom tax' for this unusable room when unemployed.
It also detailed by date, the number of times the heating had broken down due to 'lack of pressure' - this was due to a radiator that had been leaking for so long, no puddle formed it just went through to the concrete floor (that I found) - but initially, I was to blame for 'breathing'.
I was apparently to blame for the broken tiles, as it was documented that I removed the carpet and found the broken tiles - I didn't - the Council/contractors removed the carpet and ignored the broken tiles - thank goodness for photos.

I also mentioned the lack of privacy, bodged jobs, operatives not turning up etc etc.- all with dates. The 3 official complaints that resulted in nothing but placatory words that didn't get the job done.

Oh, and there were a further 4 pages quoting WCC's own 'Asbestos Policy', and comments on how they had ignored it, and the law on Asbestos Management, and how it had been broken.
That's what comes from spending 5 months living in the kitchen!

The result ? Well - instant Council Tax reduction and a refund!
Am I a happy bunny?
No. It's another admission of their incompetence and blame culture.
If in doubt or deep sh*t - blame the tenant.

I now just have to go 'ahem' - and I'm asked how they can help!
Methinks WCC have realised they've actually really messed up.

Having in the past worked for a local council, I think part of the problem is being trained to do everything 'by the book' and the 'book' doesn't allow for area/boundary changes etc and nobody is taught how to use their initiative. Vera, your son had the right idea which obviously worked. Linda, when the council tax notification comes out for the coming year as it will soon, I suggest you copy it and send it to the garden waste department.

Our garden bin (garden rubbish only, no other waste which is in one of three bins (general recycling and food)) coats us £52 a year. It is the only bin we pay for and that is because "it would not be fair to spread the cost of collecting garden waste across everyone including those who don't have a garden." I could remark more on this comparing it across the board with other services, however I won't because I appreciate my brown bin as otherwise I would need to get to the tip to dispose of all the weeds and grass cuttings etc.

I know I shouldn’t laugh Maggie but your tussles with the Council do make me smile. Are they on the same planet as the rest of us?

Linda, your story brought back a memory. Yonks ago our son went to university as a mature student of 27. He had lived away from our home since he was 20. This was still in the days of grants so he applied to his local council for a grant, only to be told that he couldn’t have one as he didn’t live there! After lots of producing evidence and still being refused a grant he asked them to return to him with interest all the poll tax/council tax they had apparently taken from him illegally. Suddenly he got his grant :-)

Where local councils are concerned nothing changes does it?

By the way, we have to pay £57 for our garden bin collection.

I hope you get it sorted, Linda.

Have the boundaries changed there then :-S
Sounds like left hand not knowing what right hand is doing......

Florence, our Garden bin waste scheme is £53.00 a year.... bin collected fortnightly except for an approx. 2 week break over Christmas and New Year.

Linda, Sounds like you can save a lot in council tax then. ;-) ;-) ;-)

Gosh Linda, thats awful. We have 4 bins and there is no charge for any of them. All the garden waste, grass and anything of organic material, cardboard etc all go in the one large bin.

But how stupid, they say your address is not in the council area??? Your house hasn't moved has it lol

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Maggie :-D :-D :-D bunch of blooming twits aren't they!

I am banging my head on the wall trying to renew my garden waste bin licence, we have to pay £40 a year to get it collected. Despite the fact that I have an on line account and have renewed the licence lots of times before, it now insists my address is not in the council area. I will have to resort to paying over the phone and hope they can sort it out

:-D :-D

Oh no-she's been there quite a time, and in direct contact since last year.

She started off well, by not using my surname - or rather spelling it so wrong, so it wasn't my surname.
I asked if the email was for me - she said it was, I then said something like - gosh, you must have my email on automatic to get my name wrong, but the right email address - should I be worried?

Later on, she started an email 'Hell', and I said 'it is a bit'.

In another email she said I'd 'recently made a complaint', could I fill in a survey.
I said I'd made quite a few, complaints, could she narrow it down a bit - not too specific, just the date. Her response? Ummm - hang on, and then gave me the date.

Todays was the best, though :-D

She must have been new and not seen the 'don't tangle with this one' warning. :-D

I'm not saying the reparis on my house (ie bringing it up to a habitable condition) are becoming farcical, but I received an email from a Housing Performance Manager, asking me how the work was going, and in particular about a replacement window.

I told her it was measured on 1 February - since then I've heard nothing.

Her reply? One sentence - 'I can look into the window for you' :-D :-D :-D
I had to reply 'It would be nice to draw the curtains on this'.