Tenant feared she would slip and fall after water leak left carpet ‘sodden’
PLEA FOR REPAIRS ‘WRONGLY PRIORITISED’
A PARTIALLY-SIGHTED tenant says she feels “totally unsafe” in her home following a leak that left her carpet and bed wet.
Jane Garvey, 68, has lived in her West Bridgford flat, owned by the Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA), for the past 20 years.
Ms Garvey says she hasn’t “got the energy any more” to deal with the issue, which started on February 19.
She says she has “pleaded” for contractors to come and sort out the issue, however, her request was not classed as an emergency as the cause of the leak was wrongly identified.
Although an initial dribble, the water started “coming down quite badly” as days went by and on February 22, Ms Garvey’s carpet was “sodden” and she had six buckets collecting water. By February 23, the “deluge” left the base of her bed wet.
Following many failed attempts to get help, Ms Garvey decided to contact NCHA’S CEO, Paul Moat, who sent out three maintenance workers to the property. Ms Garvey, who is partially sighted, said: “The leak came from a waste pipe upstairs and one of the contractors was so worried about me that he suggested I get a welfare check from NCHA.
“I have slipped several times and I feel totally unsafe. I can’t go on like this because I’m in danger of falling as I walk with sticks. When I called to see when I would get the welfare check, I was told I shouldn’t have bothered the CEO.”
Although Ms Garvey lives in a two-bed flat, she says she can’t use the other bedroom as it’s currently occupied by her son who has kidney cancer.
She was told it would be about four to five weeks before NCHA would decide whether to get a new carpet.
Ms Garvey claims that she was lied to by the company, as the contractors who came out to her flat told her staff members “weren’t far from West Bridgford” when she first complained to NCHA and could have checked out her issue. She said: “I just think they treated me poorly. I’ve been the sort of tenant that if I had a repair or I needed to do something, I’d do it myself, I’ve very rarely asked for help. But nobody’s been here and that’s what hurts the most. I’ve not even had an apology. If I hadn’t emailed the CEO, I don’t know where I’d be now.
“I was a nurse and if I had let somebody down, or a patient or a member of the patient’s family, the first thing I would be doing was getting on the phone and just apologising. You shouldn’t have to go to a CEO to get people to come down and see your home, because not only are you not able-bodied, you’re in danger.”
Martin Ebner, NCHA head of customer experience, said: “We apologise to Ms Garvey for not delivering the service she deserved on this occasion. We’ve spoken to her, and we’re investigating it as a formal complaint and supporting her compensation request.
“The cause of the leak was initially thought to be from the roof, and was wrongly prioritised. This led to the repair taking much longer than it should have. Once the true cause of the leak was identified, we’re pleased to say it was fixed that same day. Our service was not up to standard on this occasion and we accept that Ms Garvey’s concerns were not sufficiently listened to. This is not the level of customer service we strive to deliver. We’ve raised these failings with the team, as well as speaking to individuals involved.
“We’re working closely with Ms Garvey to ensure she has the support she needs, and we’re reviewing a claim for damage. We’re taking learnings from this incident so that we can improve the way we do things in the future.”
I can’t go on like this because I’m in danger of falling as I walk with sticks.
Jane Garvey