DHE house repairs at weekends?

[D-IFF_ident]

My wife just called me to tell me the heating has failed in our DHE provided Quarter. 'No problem', says I; 'Call the emergency heating callout number'.

'Did that', says Mrs Ident; 'the rude lady on the other end of the phone said that they don't do callouts at weekends, I have to call DHE during the week. I mentioned our 1-year old baby who is not well and asked if he would have to freeze because my landlord was refusing to honour his legal obligations and she said 'yes' and that was that'.

So do I :

a. Call the SDO.
b. Rent a hotel room and claim the rates from allowances.
c. Call out a professional and forward the bill to DHE.
d. Fruitlessly call every DHE number I can find and hope my family survives until the callout rates are cheap enough for the DHE contractor to make an appearance.

Anyone help?

[The Gorilla]

Since the Services have nothing to do with this matter A and B would be fruitless. B is a complete non starter and would leave you well out of pocket.

I suggest C would have more merit than D.

I once had a similar problem. Was without heating and hot water for 6 days, never even got an apology!!

Hope you have some gooood luck!!

[whowhenwhy]

If you do C DHE will dig their heels in and won't pay it. The theory being that you've elected to call in an outside professional. If I were you (and I were in the country (are you at the minute?)) I'd ring DHE back and explain to the rude woman that it is their charter to provide emergency repairs of this sort if there are people in the house in "at risk groups" eg children. If they still winge tell them that it'll be their job on the line on Monday morning and that you will report them to the staish, Social Services and whoever else you can think of. They HAVE to repair your heating weekend, public holiday or the middle of the night if you have children in the house!

Hope this helps

[soddim]

Different circumstances but similar liability - when the OM boiler broke in the middle of a cold winter, OC Admin refused hotel accommodation. Fed up with living in an ice block, two of us declared UDI and moved into the Nag's Head and claimed rate 1s. Within the week everybody was accommodated in hotels.

I think it might take a while to recover the cost of temporary accommodation in your case but I think the landlord has liability.

[Lionel Lion]

I'm guessing you're in warmer climbs mate. HNY. Try:

http://www.rafcom.co.uk/housing/dhe_info.cfm

The occupants handbook is 3Mb but may be worth a try. You won't have this problem next May I bet!

[insty66]

the rude lady lies

We had to call out a plumber when the drains blocked and one pitched up inside 2 hours.
whowhenwhy is right kick up a fuss GET NAMES and hopefully rude lady will not be given the chance to be rude again. Also don't forget to complain the very moment DHE re-open bombard them with facts (childs age time without heating etc etc ) and make sure it is written down.

Very best of luck

[Lionel Lion]

Don't forget to try the DCF too mate. After all the sqn should look after at-home welfare etc if you're away

[The Gorilla]

Soddim

OM boiler totally different than this case. The Services have no authority over DHE. The housing stock is all privately owned, DHE is just a management agency. OM's owned by stations!! Quarters are not!!

C has most merit because it will be the fastest means of getting said baby warm again.

[Jobza Guddun]

I had exactly the same problem a few years ago at Tossiemouth, heating caved in on a Friday night in winter. Called the DHE helpline, pointed out there was an eight-month old baby in the house but they refused to call anyone out. And told me to go out and buy a heater for the babys room.

Eventually sought advice from the SDO who, as pointed out above, was unable to do anything, considered hotel/ call out heating engineer but discounted those because I knew full well I wouldn't be re-imbursed.

In the end contented myself with ranting at the Elgin DHE boss and put in a complaint on the Monday morning. Funnily enough I don't think anything has changed!!

As an aside, friends at my current location have had a water leak above their lounge ceiling since Xmas 2002, and just before this grant a workman came round to investigate and agreed there was a leak that needed repairing soon or the ceiling would end up having to be replaced! Still hasn't been done! Now when I rented my own home out, I was obliged to have repairs carried out immediately, so what's the difference here (other than money of course)?

Go get 'em fella

[Gainesy]

DIFF mate, the SDO might not be able to kick DHE or whoever into action but could easily arrange some warm overnight accom for your wife and child at (I assume) BZN?

If said SDO baulks at that s/he ain't worth the uniform.

[propulike]

SDO could easily arrange warm accommodation - but if DIFF accepts it he'll still have to pay if DHE refuses to. My advice would be to tell rude lady that 'no' is unacceptable and against the duty of care required by H&S legislation for landlords.

I've come across this problem whilst being duty bloggs and I've ended up very frustrated and of no use to the FMQ occupants. Good luck.

[FJJP]

First of all, keep a detailed log of all calls, meetings, visits, letters, etc, recording names dates times resume of what was discussed. The more detail the better. Always follow up a phone call with a letter confirming what was agreed.

Call the emergency number again. Record the call. Demand the name of the woman who said 'no'; when she gives it to you, tell her that the call is being recorded (you have to do that by law). Then advise her that 'time is of the essence' (another necessary legal phrase), because there is a very young, ill baby who will suffer due to a breakdown of the heating system. Tell her that if she does not call out an engineer NOW, YOU will, and then send the bill to DHE for payment. Tell her that should DHE refuse to reimburse you, you WILL take them to the Small Claims Court. Tell her that if she fails to respond to your reasonable request for emergency repairs, you WILL also inform the local and national press, radio and television, giving full details, including her name as DHE representative.

If that fails, call DHE Manager, OC Estates (or SSS or whatever he/she is called these days), then OC Admin, then the Stn Cdr until you get action.

If all fails, go hotel and then take DHE to the Small Claims Court to pay the bill. Tell the judge that you gave everyone in the system a reasonable chance to do what was necessary to allow you to carry out your duty in protecting your child. They failed, therefore you had to take action which led to considerable expenditure on your part. The landlord failed in his duty of care to his tenants.

Whatever else happens, make a formal, written complaint about the attitude of this woman, demanding that formal action be taken against her. Also demand that you be kept fully informed at each stage of the disciplinary process.

Good luck. Please keep us informed of your actions and progress - it will probably make DHE sit up and think when they see this posted on a Service orientated website (give the DHE Manager the link). It will also be of huge benefit to other DHE tenants...

[Gainesy]

Just get the SDO to sort it mate. That is what they are [supposed] to be there for.

Propp's comments accepted:
What is it the RN say? "Make it so".

[vascodegama]

So Diff what did happen and now we are back at work was there any progress?

[D-IFF_ident]

Thanks everyone.

Problem now solved. Went home and sent wife and kids to neighbour's house, opened toolkit and took house apart until I found the piece of poor DHE sub-contracted workmanship that led to fault. Fixed it myself.

Did look-up the DHE handbook and the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 though: DHE have a legal obligation to fix faulty heating systems and their policy is to prioritize the fault as an emergency repair when small children are involved. The only problem is that they don't actually employ anybody to do the fixing. Unfortunately I have neither the time not the effort remaining to take anyone to task over their legal obligations; I'm all 'fighting for my rights' worn-out now. But if anybody wants to know their rights regarding heating being turned-off in public accommodation over grant periods etc, then I can provide some good links...

[insty66]

D-IFF _ident,
Top marks for rescourcefulness but I wouldnt like to think that DHE have got away with it. I know that chasing after them is at times a thankless and soul-destroying job but the next poor sod it happens to might not be able to or in a position to do the same as you.
Please do consider following up the whole event with them because you would be doing every single DHE occupant a favour.
Well done and don't let the bu99ers off the hook.

[The Gorilla]

AIUI and I don't think things have changed, Service tenants are not protected in the same way as normal tenants. You occupy the houses under licence which means it is a completely different ball game when it comes to putting right all the wrongs.

Glad to hear Mother and child are warm again. I had to do the same thing some years ago. Ahh the wheels just keep on turning round and round, round and round!!

[BEagle]

D-IFF_ident,

Find out the hourly rate for a plumber, multiply that by the time it took you to fix it and send the bill to DHE.... Spell out that the repairs were needed due to DHE's failure to comply with their legal obligation and give them 7 days to reply in writing.

Nil nos trem, have you noted this thread?

[Impiger]

The landlord / tenant bit probably won't wash because I think in law the landlord is Annington Homes (unless you're fortunate to live in Scotland or overseas) and MOD is the tenant. As someone just siad you as occupier are a licensee - not sure of your legal rights in that case.

Anyhow the senior military man at DHE is Air Cdre Pellat and he would be fascinated to read this thread - I know I'll print it out and send it to him.

[Hydraulic Palm Tree]

He might give a toss if he can dedicate enough time outside of counting his Annington share certificates!