That house next door....

Surely the mortgage company is the ultimate owner of the property - has your solicitor ever approached them?

Alie I am sure you will be spared that

Look back to post 4 Riverwalk....I have

A lot of solicitors offer free thirty minute consultations Alie - is that worth exploring?

What I am doing at the moment - how do I find one?

CAB here is being no help...

A lot of university law departments run free advice centres. I expect you get a student but I also expect they refer tricky questions.

Alie, I just Googled 'free solicitor consultations' and about a dozen firms in my own area came up as offering 30 minutes free - some on specifics, such as divorce, but most on any subject.

This is the Law Society's 'Find a Solicitor' web site which the local CAB should be aware of. Evidently they aren't doing their job very well.

They pointed me last time at a mediation service that wasn't there!

Still trucking, thanks both

www.claim-advice.com/nuisance.html
The above might be useful background reading Alie before you see a solicitor.
Have you thought of a group action with other neighbours, or does that not really apply?

Have been trying to find a local solicitor who would give free advice - no go.
Finally rang Barton Advice Centre in Oxford, who put me on to Shelter - at a free number! - who were surprisingly helpful.

Basically to get at the council more re the Environmental Health Act especially Section 82 and if necessary make a formal complaint......
- this could go on to the Ombudsman
Get it on record that the situation is affecting my health at GP's
Write to local councillor again

Re Neighbours, they could possibly get a Home Repair Grant.

jane I had thought of a petition. What sort of group action were you thinking of?

Alie where a group of people with a common interest make a claim against a defendant - probably the most common example would be where people have been affected by a particular drug and jointly sue a drug manufacturer.

If your other neighbours complained as well as you about the house next door it might carry more sway.

That sounds good, after all anyone nearby who owns their own property will be affected.

Alie As the Council originally sold the house and put the covenant in the lease that says that it should be kept 'decent' then they can be requested by others affected by the failure to enforce the covenant. When you see a solicitor it is important that you draw this to their attention

I will have to think about how to put it to other neighbours. It's a good point.

Writing emails to council and councillor tomorrow. - today I am out for my sister's birthday

I hope you had a lovely time!

Your house-next-door sounds much worse but I have one too. It belongs to a housing association and has been empty for nearly 5 years. It needs a lot of work doing and the HA tried to sell it but weren't allowed to, quite rightly because it should be available for a family needing a home. The HA seems content to leave it empty indefinitely and it's making the houses each side very cold and damp. We are all Listed Buildings but that doesn't seem to matter.

So sorry to hear that this problem is still ongoing Alie. Have you spoken to your MP? Like others have said, I also think approaching other neighbours might be useful.

Alie I met your MP last week. He seemed very pleasant and approachable. I would take up Eloethan's suggestion.

Yes a pretty good day on saturday.
Have written to the councillor but need to take pics yet - and there's no sun!
Thinking about MP - I did look him up and I would never vote for him, but he's the one in town.....I see he has a local surgery.

I wrote to both the environmental health woman's boss and the councillor a fortnight ago and have had no answers.

However, someone else yesterday suggested that my house insurance (which doesn't cover slow damage) could include legal advice and even action - and it does. I spoke to their legal advice people last night and now have a claim form via email, very quick.
I still have to contact next door first though.

Speaking to my doctor on Monday re why I have this stress-related condition colitis.....hasn't come up in all the medical contacts!

MP has a local surgery next Sunday, thinking of going anyway.

Make use of him, Alie. It is a 'him', I believe. What else is he elected for but to represent the interests of constituents? I have found that MPs do sometimes have influence with local councils and on the run-up to a General Election, they may well be keen to accumulate 'good service' stories.

Yes - I shan't say much about the legal possibilities (yet) to either him or the council, just see if he can influence the SODC!
I have plenty of evidence for anyone.....