Regarding the noisy neighbours

Some months ago, we made a complaint about our noisy neighbours, Midland Heart apparenty don't think that this is much of a problem, as they haven't bothered sorting it out just yet.

Frequently, my partner & I are woken up in the night by our neighbours banging about & screaming. On a number of occasions, the male has been heard shouting at the woman who we have heard running through the flat & screaming/crying. They have a young child, which is rather concerning when this kind of behaviour is going on.

I have been threatened by the male who lives in the flat, and was told by Midland Heart that I should have called the police as it is nothing to do with them.

Well, Midland Heart rented them the flat, and have referred to their tenancy agreement, so why don't they do something about it, after all, we part own our property whereas the neighbours rent.

Thu, 10 March, 2011 11:02:56RE: noise nuisance
From: David Williams Add to Contacts
To: Katie Dexeter


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Katie,



Just to advise that your neighbour has just
contacted me, and the visit has been re-arranged for Wednesday 16th March. I
will advise you of the outcome once the visit has been completed.



Regards,



David Williams

Neighbourhood
Services Officer

Wolverhampton Office

132 Compton Road

Wolverhampton WV3 9QB

Mob. 07775 702026






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Katie Dexeter [mailto:kdexeter@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: 09 March
2011 08:29
To: David Williams
Cc: Simone Hoskins ; Katie Underhill ;
Vicki Brownhill
Subject: Re: noise nuisance -



Hi David,



we haven't heard anything from you & were wondering what had
happened as a result of your visit to number 3.



We have noticed
that they have started parking their car on the main road so as to appear out,
and on Thursday, Ben heard someone knocking ta the door, which wasn't answered
by the woman who lives at number 3 who was, in fact, in at the time.



Katie




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: David Williams
To: Katie
Dexeter
Cc: Simone Hoskins ; Katie Underhill ; Vicki Brownhill
Sent: Mon, 21 February, 2011 16:58:29
Subject: RE: noise nuisance -
Hi Katie,



I have arranged
to visit Ben on Wednesday morning to collect the diary sheets, after which I
will proceed as per our policy and procedures.



Regards,



David Williams

Neighbourhood Services Officer

Wolverhampton Office

132 Compton Road

Wolverhampton WV3
9QB

Mob. 07775 702026






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Katie Dexeter [mailto:kdexeter@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: 21 February
2011 11:51
To: David Williams
Cc: Simone Hoskins
Subject: Re: noise
nuisance -


Can someone tell me what is going to be done about these
vile people? I may only live in the property (my name, as Simone pointed out, is
not on the paperwork), but I still have a right to feel safe & secure in my
own home. Oh, and I'm sure I do have the right to have a decent nights sleep.



My job requires a high level of concentration, and their
inconsiderate behaviour is affecting my ability to function properly at work.
No, I am not exaggerating, today I feel absolutely terrible due to lack of sleep
which was caused by the residents of *** .




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Katie Dexeter
To: David Williams
Cc: Simone Hoskins ; benjamin jones ;
Catherine Dexeter
Sent: Mon, 21 February, 2011 7:50:36
Subject: Re: noise nuisance -

Yesterday evening, our
lovelyneighbours were at it again. We (my partner, Ben Jones, my mother &
myself) had gone to bed at 10.30pm. At 12am we were woken up by the man &
woman at *** playing with the child, whilst the child squealed & repeatedly
banged an object onto some kind of hard surface.



At 12.40am, I
had had enough, so I got out of bed, and went & knocked on the door. The man
came to the door, and I said to him 'would you mind shutting him up' (he had the
child in his arms. He replied 'He's a baby', I said 'he shouldn't even be up at
this time & this is not the first time he has kept us awake' to which he
repliped 'fuck off' and slammed the door.



As I was walking up
the stairs so I could return to bed, the woman from number 3 came out saying
'I'm really really sorry about the noise'.

'He shouldn't be awake at
this time & this happens all the time, he is always waking us up! we were in
bed!';



'How can you hear him if you're asleep?!'

'He
wakes us up he's so loud! You do nothing to shut him up!'

'What do you
want me to do? Leave him screaming in bed?'

'You do anyway!'


You get the drift. The parents accept no responsibility for the
child's behaviour, and merely say 'He's a baby'. He is not a baby, he is almost
3 years old, and should be asleep during the night!


The woman from
number 3 threatened to call the police (for me asking for them to shut up), at
which point, the man from 3 came running down the hallway - still holding the
child - ready to hit me. In fact, had the woman not put her hand up and shouted
'Sammy STOP!', I am quite sure he would have hit me.


I am feeling
unsafe and uncomfortable in my own home as a result of their behaviour, and all
I have done is want a good nights sleep without being woken up by these
inconsiderate people.



She assured me that she has an appointment
to see you, is this true?



Katie Dexeter




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: David Williams
To:
"kdexeter@yahoo.co.uk"
Cc: Simone Hoskins
Sent: Thu, 17 February, 2011 9:36:02
Subject: Re: noise nuisance -

Good Morning Ms Dexeter,



Sincere apologies for not contacting you sooner. I have made
several attempts to contact the resident at ***but there has been no response to
my efforts. I will now be writing to her, but before I do, I would like to visit
you to collect the diary sheets and discuss the issues further. If you could
advise me of dates/times that are convenient for you and I will diarise a
mutually convenient appointment. I hope to see you soon.



Regards,



David Williams

Neighbourhood
Services Officer

Wolverhampton Office

132 Compton Road

Wolverhampton WV3 9QB

Mob. 07775 702026

My Reply

I think it only right that I post my replies to Midland Heart too, so you can see both sides of the argument. Well, it's not an argument, I want them to buck up their ideas & provide a GOOD service!

Dear Ms Watts

First of all, my name is Dexeter, not Dexter. Failure to pay attention is a sure sign of poor customer service.

We have not been told we need to contact Simone directly prior to my contacting her with a complaint, we have been given the number of the contact centre, which Simone herself has admitted doesn't work.

I reported that 2 of the 3 lights in the communal stairwell were not working, and I am mortified that you don't think that walking up & down 3 flights of stairs in the dark is 'not considered an emergency'.

The fact that I called and reported this issue, was given a reference number, which then, 3 days later I found out didn't exist, is my problem. If I was given a reference number, surely something should have been logged? It really is like pulling teeth with you people. You are supposedly our landlords, yet who knows what on earth we are meant to do to get in touch with anyone!

Simone told me before she was away (which I found out purely by chance when I tried to contact her via phone) that she would be writing to my partner to 'get his permission to talk to me' after I had made a complaint about Midland Hearts customer service, something that as far as I am aware, I am entitled to do. Simone never contacted Mr Jones, despite me providing her with his email address and mobile phone number. Now why on earth would she say she was going to do something & not do it?

I must say, I have no faith at all in Midland Heart, and find it terribly amusing that you continue to put up our rent & service charge, yet do not seem to adhere to your responsibilities as landlords.

We have received no mailings to say we should contact you in Simones absence, in fact, we haven't been told we should report any issues to her at all, obviously I know, because I had reason to complain in the first place, but what about the other tenants here? Please can you send out a copy of your procedures so we know what (or what not to) expect.

Are you also able to tell me what is going on regarding our complaint about the tenants at ***? I emailed a number of people yesterday, and no one has seen fit to tell me what they are doing about this matter. I am pretty sure that as tenants we have the right to live in peace and not be disturbed by thoughtless, disrespectful and violent neighbours. Especially when our flat was shown to us on the basis that *** was for 'young professionals'. Funny really, because when my mother (a proffessional) asked i you would rent to her, you said no, yet you seem to have let anyone live here since then.

Never have I experienced any problems like this with a landlord, it seems as though you are more than happy to take our money, but when it actually comes to doing what you are meant to do, you don't want to know.

I look forward to your reply

Katie Dexeter

P.S. When sending a copy of your 'procedures' please could you enclose a copy of your official complaints procedure.

CONTACT....Finally.

From: Amelia Watts
To:
"kdexeter@yahoo.co.uk"
Sent: Thu, 10 March, 2011
8:23:25
Subject: 4 Stour Court


Dear Miss Dexter



I write further to your email of the 14th February; I have now
received confirmation from Mr Jones that you can act on his behalf.



I am surprised by your comments and I can only confirm that
Midland Heart has tried to ensure all of our leaseholder’s know who to contact
to report a repair. This has been issued in the Leaseholder’s Handbook, regular
quarterly news letters and when Simone became your Leaseholder Officer all
lessees were notified of the change and her contact details.



With regards to the repair, external lighting is not treated as
an emergency repair, however this has been dealt with in a timely manner that is
in line with our procedures. The contractor is employed by Midland Heart and
therefore reported back to us and in turn Simone reported back to you.



The rent and service charge is reviewed each year and Mr Jones
would have received a letter stating what the service charge comprises of and a
breakdown of the charges.



However I note that you are not the
leasehold of this property and therefore assume this may be why you have been
unaware of the above.



I can confirm that any issues regarding
service charges or leasehold management should be reported to Simone in the
first instance. Simone is on leave for 2-weeks therefore please email me
directly if you have any further immediate issues.



Kind Regards



Amelia Watts

Leasehold Property Officer

Midland
Heart

Highfield House, St. Nicholas Street , Coventry , CV1 4BN

Tel: 0845 8501020 (Ex 5640)

Yes, I got this email today, ater sending an email on 14th February. So it's taken almost a month for someone to reply.

Apparently, Midland Heart don't see 2 out of 3 lights on 3 flights of stairs being broken 'is an emergency'. Have any of you, dear readers, ever tried walking up & down 3 flights of stairs in the dark? Apparently Midland Heart haven't...

Also, she spelled my anem wrong which really, really, riles me. It merely shows a lack of interest and attention. I think I may be fighting a losing battle here. I wonder what Mary Portas would think of all this.

Repairs

On Monday 7th Februaury, I called Midland Heart to report an emergency repair - 2 of the 3 lights in the communal stairwell had gone out, thus creating a danger on the stairs.

Tuesday came & went, as did Wednesday, and I called again on Thursday.

Completely baffled was the woman in the call centre. 'No record of that reference number' said she.

Bizarre, thought I, where on earth did the fella I spoke to on Monday get the reference number from if it is not recorded?

How long is it meant to get an Emergency repair assessed? 2 hours - 2 different members of staff at Midland Heart told me this.

So in keeping with my second report of the problem on Thursday morning, someone came out on Friday.

And it wasn't fixed.

And the person who had come to 'fix' the problem didn't even bother to tell us so, he just buggered off after banging about in the stairwell for a bit.

Finally, the repair was carried out a whole WEEK after it was first reported. Do any of you have landloards that would leave you in a perilous situation like this?!

What really takes the biscuit is I decided to complain to Simone Hoskins about the service that had not been provided by Midland Heart.

She referred my complaint to her manager (whose name I do not know as Simone never bothered to reply to my email asking for this information), and later contacted me to say;

Good Afternoon

Thank you for email, I have noticed from our file that the lease is in the sole name of Mr Benjamin John Jones.

I am therefore unable to respond to your queries without written authorisation from Mr Benjamin John Jones. I will be writing to Mr Jones today to ask for his authorisation.

As soon as this is received I will be happy to respond to your queries.

So, apparently living in the property for almost 3 years, and paying rent means nothing if your name isn't on the paperwork. So if I hadn't reported the repair, noone would have done. And apparently I'm not allowed to complain about the service provided (or not, in this case) because I haven't signed anything. I'm not sure that this woman understands what the Data Protection Act is, I wasn't asking for personal information, I was asking that they review what had happened that they provided such poor customer servcie!

Humm.

Welcome

This is a wee blog charting the awful service provided by Midland Heart. I feel very strongly about customer service, and when bad customer service is provided, it irks, but Midland Heart seem to surpass what is seen as 'bad' customer service. I'm not sure there is a word to describe what they do!

If you have anything to add, please feel free, this is not a personal attack on Midland Heart, merely a documentation of my experiences with the company.

I would be happy for Midland Heart to comment on the posts here, either via email or by using the comments form, however, I reserve the right to reproduce any correspondence here.