Tenant told 'don't flush at night'
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/3667803.stm
Tenant told 'don't flush at night'
A Swansea Valley woman has been told by her council landlord not to flush her toilet at night because it is disturbing a neighbour. Swansea Council has written to Elvira Davies asking her to refrain from pulling the chain at her ground floor flat in Craigcefnparc.
The 45-year-old is now taking legal advice and says she is flabbergasted at the request.
The authority says it is obliged to follow-up complaints from tenants.
Ms Davies said she had taken to using her toilet in the dark at night after a housing officer told her the noise of the light switch was waking her neighbour.
Now she has received an official letter from the housing department asking her to stop flushing the toilet as well.
It reads: "I am writing following a recent visit to your neighbour to ask if you could refrain from toilet flushing during the late night hours, as the noise is breaking your neighbour's sleep and is affecting your neighbour's health.
"I appreciate that it is difficult when living in a flat to keep noise levels low.
"However, your neighbour's concern is mainly late night and early morning hours."
Ms Davies, who has been a council tenant for 27 years, said it was the first time she had received a complaint.
She said: "I could not believe the letter when I read.
"I have shown it to my friends and like me they are just flabbergasted.
"The toilet is not loud - it's just standard. It's very rare that it's used after midnight.
"I could understand if I was a noisy tenant who played music or the TV too loud but I am a quiet person who lives alone.
Her partner Mike Nedin, who occasionally stays at the flat, said: "You would think the council would have something better to do.
Her partner Mike Nedin says the letter is worrying
"I've never heard of anyone living in a council flat before being told they can't use their own toilet.
"It's trivial but on the other hand I find it quite worrying when an official letter like that just comes through your door.
"All we want to achieve is an apology from the council and to have it in black and white that she is free to pull the chain when she needs to."
A spokeswoman for Swansea Council said: " This is a very difficult situation which we hope can be resolved as quickly as possible.
"We are obliged to investigate tenants' complaints, and we previously met both residents to find a common sense resolution to the issue.
"We then wrote to Mrs Davies, and, as explained in the letter, we are happy to meet her again.
"We apologise if the letter caused upset, and we plan to visit both residents in the near future to help resolve the situation."
Tenant told 'don't flush at night'
A Swansea Valley woman has been told by her council landlord not to flush her toilet at night because it is disturbing a neighbour. Swansea Council has written to Elvira Davies asking her to refrain from pulling the chain at her ground floor flat in Craigcefnparc.
The 45-year-old is now taking legal advice and says she is flabbergasted at the request.
The authority says it is obliged to follow-up complaints from tenants.
Ms Davies said she had taken to using her toilet in the dark at night after a housing officer told her the noise of the light switch was waking her neighbour.
Now she has received an official letter from the housing department asking her to stop flushing the toilet as well.
It reads: "I am writing following a recent visit to your neighbour to ask if you could refrain from toilet flushing during the late night hours, as the noise is breaking your neighbour's sleep and is affecting your neighbour's health.
"I appreciate that it is difficult when living in a flat to keep noise levels low.
"However, your neighbour's concern is mainly late night and early morning hours."
Ms Davies, who has been a council tenant for 27 years, said it was the first time she had received a complaint.
She said: "I could not believe the letter when I read.
"I have shown it to my friends and like me they are just flabbergasted.
"The toilet is not loud - it's just standard. It's very rare that it's used after midnight.
"I could understand if I was a noisy tenant who played music or the TV too loud but I am a quiet person who lives alone.
Her partner Mike Nedin, who occasionally stays at the flat, said: "You would think the council would have something better to do.
Her partner Mike Nedin says the letter is worrying
"I've never heard of anyone living in a council flat before being told they can't use their own toilet.
"It's trivial but on the other hand I find it quite worrying when an official letter like that just comes through your door.
"All we want to achieve is an apology from the council and to have it in black and white that she is free to pull the chain when she needs to."
A spokeswoman for Swansea Council said: " This is a very difficult situation which we hope can be resolved as quickly as possible.
"We are obliged to investigate tenants' complaints, and we previously met both residents to find a common sense resolution to the issue.
"We then wrote to Mrs Davies, and, as explained in the letter, we are happy to meet her again.
"We apologise if the letter caused upset, and we plan to visit both residents in the near future to help resolve the situation."
This'll be one of those things where they have peeved eachother over something and now they are getting petty. Frankly i dont understand people who complain about normal things. I can hear next door large clock when it chimes. You dont see me complaining. If you live in flats/a terrace you just have to accept that some things create noise that you will hear.
Yep - I heard it too. I thought Concorde had just re-entered service. Also, the person who was complained against by the neighbour went straight to a solicitor, rather than discussing it directly with her neighbour. It does beggar the question that there might be a bit more behind this story than meets the eye.
I actually think that newspapers and the media have an agenda to undermine and ridicule authority at every opportunity. I am pretty sure that a lot of our negative atitude to "petty" authority and silly application of rules is being fueled by such reports. My approach now is to question the fullness of these stories and not immediately assume that a local council official or politician is "prima facie" an idiot.
I actually think that newspapers and the media have an agenda to undermine and ridicule authority at every opportunity. I am pretty sure that a lot of our negative atitude to "petty" authority and silly application of rules is being fueled by such reports. My approach now is to question the fullness of these stories and not immediately assume that a local council official or politician is "prima facie" an idiot.
If I was the tennant I would make sure I would make some really odd noises, then see what happened when the prat in the flat told the council abut them.
"I was awoken again last night by the sound of an Elephant trumpting"....
"Last night I was awoken by a loud train station platform announcement".........
"I was woken up by the mating call of the Kookaburra"..........
Etc.
Not many needed before they weren't taken seriously and told to pi$$ off.
Ironically the BBC make special effects albums
"I was awoken again last night by the sound of an Elephant trumpting"....
"Last night I was awoken by a loud train station platform announcement".........
"I was woken up by the mating call of the Kookaburra"..........
Etc.
Not many needed before they weren't taken seriously and told to pi$$ off.
Ironically the BBC make special effects albums
But this womans been a Council tenant for 27 years. 27 YEARS !!
Thought that such properties were only meant as a short term measure whilst people could afford to buy their own place.
Tell you what love, why not go out and buy your own place instead of bleeding the taxpayer dry and you can then flush your toilet to your hearts content.
Thought that such properties were only meant as a short term measure whilst people could afford to buy their own place.
Tell you what love, why not go out and buy your own place instead of bleeding the taxpayer dry and you can then flush your toilet to your hearts content.
My grandparents and parents lived in the same council house from about 1920 to 1971. They did buy the house eventually (in Ireland, buying your council house was ALWAYS an option, unlike in the UK). The point I am making is that council housing was for a very long time seen as an entirely legitimate way of providing housing - there was very little stigma attached to it. For most of British history the only alternative for most people was to rent from a private landlord. The idea of everybody being able to afford to buy their own property is quite new - it really only dates from the beginning of the 1960s but gained massive momentum in the 1980s with Mrs T's "dream" of Britain becoming a nation of property owners (and hopefully Tory voters too).
So, don't automatically "slag off" a person who has lived in council provided accomodation for "x" years. There are all sorts of reasons why this may be so - and not necessarilly anything to do with the person's character. The fact that council house dwellers seem to ellicit these types of automatic assumptions shows how powerful the Thatcherite propaganda machine worked and how many people are conditioned by it.
So, don't automatically "slag off" a person who has lived in council provided accomodation for "x" years. There are all sorts of reasons why this may be so - and not necessarilly anything to do with the person's character. The fact that council house dwellers seem to ellicit these types of automatic assumptions shows how powerful the Thatcherite propaganda machine worked and how many people are conditioned by it.
MILF said:
Tell you what love, why not go out and buy your own place instead of bleeding the taxpayer dry and you can then flush your toilet to your hearts content.
Care to explain this comment?
I live in an Ex LA house, bought last year, I have lived here with my Mum for 7 years, in ALL of that time my mum WORKED and paid Council Tax, Income Tax, National Insurance and RENT on the house.
Since when did living in a LA house mean you were bleeding the tax payer dry??
MILF said:
But this womans been a Council tenant for 27 years. 27 YEARS !!
Thought that such properties were only meant as a short term measure whilst people could afford to buy their own place.
Tell you what love, why not go out and buy your own place instead of bleeding the taxpayer dry and you can then flush your toilet to your hearts content.
Some people (myself included) cant afford to buy a house at the pathetic prices money grabbing bastards want for them
Sometimes I get the impression here on PH that everyone thinks people living in LA accommodation are "scrotes", scroungers living off the taxpayer, etc. etc.
But not everyone wants to own their own house - there are many reasons for this. Many people rent privately, others rent from local authorities. Why shouldn't they? That's why council houses were built in the first place, isn't it? To cater for people who don't have a lot of money to splash out?
Just because you're poor doesn't automatically make you a "scrounger"! Of course, many people milk the system for everything they can get (including cheaper rents), but others do actually do a decent day's work for a pittance and simply can't afford a deposit on a house. Many of the people I went to school with wouldn't have a hope in hell of raising enough cash for a deposit on a place - but they're not (all
) scrotes just because they're poor.
The problem is that a lot of poorer people do take the p1ss out of the ridiculous system we have which allows people to essentially live their entire lives without even attempting to get a job and do something useful. But that's only partly their fault - if the Nanny Government did something to encourage them to work, instead of paying out huge sums of money for every sprog (for example), they wouldn't be tempted to take advantage. Funny how work can seem like the attractive option when the alternative is "starve".
So what am I trying to say? Just this: please don't confuse "poor" with "scrote". Just because some people aren't blessed with the resources most of us on here seem to have, that doesn't make them some kind of underclass. Sure, some of them are scrotes - but that's a different story entirely.
But not everyone wants to own their own house - there are many reasons for this. Many people rent privately, others rent from local authorities. Why shouldn't they? That's why council houses were built in the first place, isn't it? To cater for people who don't have a lot of money to splash out?
Just because you're poor doesn't automatically make you a "scrounger"! Of course, many people milk the system for everything they can get (including cheaper rents), but others do actually do a decent day's work for a pittance and simply can't afford a deposit on a house. Many of the people I went to school with wouldn't have a hope in hell of raising enough cash for a deposit on a place - but they're not (all
) scrotes just because they're poor. The problem is that a lot of poorer people do take the p1ss out of the ridiculous system we have which allows people to essentially live their entire lives without even attempting to get a job and do something useful. But that's only partly their fault - if the Nanny Government did something to encourage them to work, instead of paying out huge sums of money for every sprog (for example), they wouldn't be tempted to take advantage. Funny how work can seem like the attractive option when the alternative is "starve".
So what am I trying to say? Just this: please don't confuse "poor" with "scrote". Just because some people aren't blessed with the resources most of us on here seem to have, that doesn't make them some kind of underclass. Sure, some of them are scrotes - but that's a different story entirely.
This would seem to be more of a council maintenance issue than whether the tennants are rich/poor/chav's etc. If it was a private flat the owner would have to fix the noise disruption rather than ask the other tennant to stop flushing - it would seem that the council are trying to pass off a maintenance request as a noise complaint.
Hi tonker,
You're right - council housing per se isn't the problem, it's the lowlifes who milk the system for every penny. They just so happen to live in council houses for the most part.
Unfortunately, that's the way the system in this country works. This govt of ours seems to reward idleness and system-cheating, while people who play by the rules, get jobs, pay their taxes and actually take a pride in their achievements are penalised. Nope, not going to get into a speed camera debate here, we're off-topic enough as it is!.
It wasn't taken that way. But you have to admit, there are people on these hallowed boards 
who seem to think that all council house dwellers are kappa-wearing, tattooed slobs who think of nothing but where their next dole cheque is coming from. As I said before, being poor isn't the same thing as being a scrote.
Although I have to admit that one does often lead to the other....
You're right - council housing per se isn't the problem, it's the lowlifes who milk the system for every penny. They just so happen to live in council houses for the most part.
Unfortunately, that's the way the system in this country works. This govt of ours seems to reward idleness and system-cheating, while people who play by the rules, get jobs, pay their taxes and actually take a pride in their achievements are penalised. Nope, not going to get into a speed camera debate here, we're off-topic enough as it is!
. anonymous said:
[redacted]
It wasn't taken that way.
But you have to admit, there are people on these hallowed boards who seem to think that all council house dwellers are kappa-wearing, tattooed slobs who think of nothing but where their next dole cheque is coming from. As I said before, being poor isn't the same thing as being a scrote. Although I have to admit that one does often lead to the other....
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