My Housing Officer is very unhelpful

27/04/2011 3:01 pm

Personally. I'd e-mail the Chief Exec and board members as a housing association tenant and would suggest that council tenants e-mail the person in charge of housing, the Chief Exec and the councillors dealing with housing and copy in the local media.

All this providing there is written evidence of inaction by staff.

27/04/2011 3:30 pm

I would contact the Local Authority to see if can advise you accordingly (who's land is that) if you fail then.

I would ask the Housing Officer for the Manager's name to look into the issue, concerns you have.

If that fails put in a complaint via the Complaints Department under Stage Number One. (this has to be investigated and a written response normally within 10 working days) (Look on the website of your RSL to see how to put in a complaint) or speak to Customer Services of the RSL

28/04/2011 10:17 am

If a housing officer has given you repeated "I don't know" answers to your questions you should start a official complaint against this officer.  A good - and by that I mean a 'normal' housing officer will say "I don't know but I'll find out and let you know" or "I'll pass your inquiry to someone who knows and they will get back to you."

Forget the tree and complain about the housing officer to your landlord. 

28/04/2011 8:11 pm

Are you kidding me Rick?

"Personally. I'd e-mail the Chief Exec and board members as a housing association tenant and would suggest that council tenants e-mail the person in charge of housing, the Chief Exec and the councillors dealing with housing and copy in the local media.

All this providing there is written evidence of inaction by staff."

I really do hope I'm being naive and that you were being sarcastic, because that is just the most bizarre way to react.

I'm a Housing Officer and a damn good one at that. I have around 10 tree enquiries a month that come through and I don't have the answer to half of them as i'm no tree expert. I simply send out tree surgeons to inspect and advise if it's a hazard of any sort.

Rick your response is half the reason short notice inspections happen,Pointless complaints that have no basis. Furthermore this type of nonsense means many good housing staff simply feel they should move to another career when they end up spending all their time dealing with nonsense like this.

I'm still confused as to whether this post is a joke or not.............

30/04/2011 12:04 pm

Rick no one is trying to attack you. I think you have maybe just had some realisation.

Trees are overhanging in someone's garden from other land and you feel that because a 'housing officer' is unsure of how it can be resolved you should contact the chief exec. and then local press.

I'd love to watch the conversation with the local press because they would laugh. As for a chief exec. he would no doubt be dealing with far more important things such as the changes to housing with a new government such as the effects of the localism bill.....................but no, your right, why tie his time up with nonsense like that when there is a tree to be cut.

It's not an attack Rick, I can see your rather defensive about it. I just want you to understand why your response is so far out of proportion, Housing Officer's also have far more important matters to be dealing with such as vulnerable people coming from vulnerable situations requiring support.

Trees........................................be serious people. Cut the branches off. Oh and if the local bobbies turn up because the land owner has claimed theft of his branches then get in touch with local media and the chief constable yes?

30/04/2011 1:03 pm

Anon @ 12-04pm

The original post and topic is about the frustrated tenant NOT getting housing advice, the tree as a "for example" is, therefore, as such, a secondary issue

My initial response was in relation to the alleged unhelpfullness and I sent a secondary post in relation to the tree branches.

My 'defensive' was indeed in defence as the Anon poster questioned my initial post and indeed suggested that the way I would act (in seeking housing advice was bizarre and then goes on to suggest that my response was "half the reason short notice inspections happen,Pointless complaints that have no basis. Furthermore this type of nonsense means many good housing staff simply feel they should move to another career when they end up spending all their time dealing with nonsense like this."

Am I not allowed to defend such an accusation and accept what this alleged "damned good housing officer" says without response? And by the way, the self-proclaimed "damned good housing officer" judged my response whilst knowing nothing about the circumstances of the response or, indeed, my circumstances. 

Perhaps there are people who see tenants as the lowest of the low and merely something that is to be treated derisivesly at every opportunity?  This would normally lead me to a rant about the demonisation of the poor, vulnerable, social housing renters, elderly, etc.  but on this occasion I shall forego that and defend the attack on me.

As for the tree, if one housing officer is receiving 10 tree issues a month then the likelihood is that others are receiving some -- this would indicate to me as a tenant that sending a tree expert out (not a cheap option) MIGHT not be a solution that the frustrated tenant would prefer.

Obviously with so many tree issues there is a quite a problem and I would have thought that the landlord of the self-proclaimed " damned good housing officer" would at least survey the trees and come up with a rolling programme.

Before I forget, my initial response included All this providing there is written evidence of inaction by staff." This was to be taken as advice to the frustrated tenant to revist the issues (not just the darned tree by the way) and keep a record -- I assumed that knowledgeable people would realise this -- indeed some posters went on the point out the steps the frustrated tenant shoud take before embarking on my method (if s/he even wanted to).

01/05/2011 4:25 pm

Anon @ 4-13pm

I pointed out what I would do in similar circumstances -- but I would have gone through the landlord's processes (indeed I would have sought advice and guidance on here too) -- I would choose to 'ping' the Chief Exec's radar (a great expression which I shall unashamedly use in the future) only after approaching the housing officer's line manager and senior managers before going along the 'complaints route'.

I supposed I really should have explained my reasoning when I first posted on this threrad but often posters criticise detailed explanations.

03/05/2011 9:23 pm

Rick,

You are correct on the tree front.  You can cut the branches that overhang at the point they overhang but you have to offer them back to the neighbour as technically they belong to the tree!

B

03/05/2011 10:05 pm

And to reply to the original question.

The housing officer will know who is responsible for the trees. Well they will know if its tenants or HA's responsibility.

As for who owns the trees. Anyone think the housing officer may not know?

If its in a neighbours garden its the neighbours responsibility. If its public land chances are its the councils responsibility. Sometimes with contested boundaries its not black and white who owns the trees. But may I also state that every tree does have an owner.

Would it be a reasonable request of a housing officer to spend days on one small case trying to find out who owns the trees?

M

04/05/2011 9:25 am

If the tree is not on Housing or Council land, it is highy likely that the Housing Officer does not know who the tree belongs to. The complainant should check with the land registry.

Before cutting anything back, you also need to check that the tree is not covered by a Tree Preservation order.

Also, how has the tree request been made? Has it just been thrown into the conversation whilst the housing officer has been on site, or has a formal question been asked? I think a lot more detail needs to be given on the matter prior to any complaint being made.