SNAGGING LIST

We decided at a preliminary resident's meeting to list the faults with each flat here, noting we have a time in which to repor them all to Notting Hill for fixing - those cracked windows, leaks etc.

Just add a comment with your details and your flats defects.  Please note down all of your contact with Notting Hill and what did or didn't then happen.

As mentioned at the meeting, residents at the Isokon have told us that they only got action after getting media attention, for example: Dream flats turn into nightmare for furious residents and a 'letter to the editor'.

I'm assuming things have improved and Notting Hill will be on board working with us.  If not we can pool our contacts and devise a mini media plan.

Comments

[Chris C]

RE: BALCONY REPAIR

I have to say that Paris's call to announce the dates of the work - this month! - took me by complete surprise. And, just to add, I have attempted to find out from Notting Hill what the workers will bring with them to protect carpets, furniture etc, especially given that the time of year they have chosen to due this overdue work it is likely to be wet. This has not been made clear and this is one of my biggest concerns, along with how they are going to prevent the glass on the balony doors and surrounds from being scratched/chipped. If anyone else manages to find out anthing please let can you let us know. Thanks.

[Chris C]

BALCONY WORK LATEST

I had a call from Paris at Notting Hill just now. They are starting work on balconies this month. She says it will take two days and involve taking up all the paving stones.

Chris, Flat 621

[Chris C]

Hi Nia

I've just had the most ridiculous conversation with Francis Chinery from St George which ended with him putting the phone down on me - very rudely...

Can you give me a call? It is to do with all the defect work at Hanover which they are apparently carrying out on behalf of Notting Hill. He refused to arrange a time with me for the work to be done, telling me to call Notting Hill instead. My work number is 0207 261 5099.

Thanks.

Chris

[Nia]

Hey Chris - I've not had one of those letters, but did have one about my glass which for me too was utterly pointless. Might be worth investigating the EC Harris letter though... Sounds very strange.

[Chris C]

Yesterday I received a letter from St George telling me - somewhat amusingly - that a 'multi-skilled operative is working his way through the EC Harris end of 12 month list'.... does anyone have the fogiest idea what on earth this means in plain English? I assume everyone else got the same letter.... Last week I had one asking if I wanted my scratched glass to be polished... I didn't even realise I had any scratched glass.. so I rushed into the flat to check and couldn't find any anywhere - very disappointing really.

Chris, Flat 621

[Chris C]

Just spoke to Peveral’s Neil Sedgwick. He said last night’s power failure was caused by a National Grid problem (EDF Energy), affecting our block and Nine Elms area.
He also said that the water system maintenance - which was scheduled to take place yesterday - did not, after all, take place. A re-scheduled date for this work has yet to be decided.

Chris, Flat 621

[Manuel]

There you go again. This time it was not just the water (for 4 hours!!!!), it also had to affect the electricity.

I really think this has got too far. More than two hours of no electricity and by 9.15 pm still not a sign of a water drop through our pipes.

What are we supposed to do? to demonstrate around St Georges Wharf with big posters until we are taken seriously?

[andrew]

i wonder what we can do about the lift situation? as manuel says the right hand side lift has been out for days and that surely means that any time now the other lift will go. surely it cant take 5 days to fix?

i know its annoying for everyone but those of us up at the top of the building sometimes think its better to stay in at night rather than go out only to have to climb 13 floors.
btw while taking rubbish down to the basement yesterday i noticed how much nicer the lifts are for the other flats.

[Gavin]

Hi Manuel
We all need to ring Notting Hill and Peverel - Nia's already on it but suggest we all do something...

[Manuel]

Hi there everyone at Hanover House. I am writing here to seek some advice regarding what else we could do with the lift situation. At the moment, as you all know just one of the two lifts is working and it is just about time that the one left will break down soon as it is being over used.
And then, everyone will have to go upstairs in a rather sporty way, especially those who live in the upper floors.

Is there anything we can do to get our lifts fixed before both of them are down?

Just a thought. Thanks

[Lucy HS]

I've had a problem with the bath, it had a chip when i moved in and i reported it. The guy from St George said it cracks where the feet are, there are loads like it in the complex and he was going to report it to the manufacturer as a default. The result will be a new bath - eventually, anyone with this should report it as its clearly a common problem. The washing machine plug blows the trip and has a 1 inch gap underneath where its not tiled in properly but this has now been fixed. Its nothing though compared to trying to get my electric registered...

[Chris C]

Has anyone else noticed how hot their flat is at night? We have tried keeping the windows open but it's just too noisy!

[Manuel]

Last night it has been quite of a nightmare. The firefighter's lift got broken and an alarm was on for the whole night. It was still on when I left for work at 8.30. I think the worst floor for this is the 13th, where I am, as there is no noise whatsoever on the ground floor, and the other floors have only some low noise.

I reported this to the concierge about 1 am, and all they said is that an engineer was in his way, however this has not happened as yet.

It is very annoying, and I had to sleep using headphones as earplugs.

[Sara & Michael]

Hi guys
Overall, NHHG is completely useless! Shortly after we moved in, we discovered that a lump of mastic had been stuck over to conceal a fairly large dent in the bath. This has since washed away, leaving the 1.5 cm dent clearly visible from a distance as the enamel is chipped away, revealing the black layer underneath. There is another smaller dent nearby -it looks as it something (perhaps a tool) heavy enough to cause damage was dropped in the bath, and then the resulting damage was covered up instead of properly fixed. We reported this to Jamileh back in the beginning of February, but since then we have heard nothing about when it will be fixed (apart from the builder that wasted our time by coming over to declare that he was unable to do anything).

Our balcony also gets flooded when it rains so please let us know if you do hear back from them regarding this issue.

Since NHHG's staff are generally useless (and they only stay for a few weeks) it might be worth submitting all our issues in a document to them and send it directly to the manager. Please let us know what you think.
Cheers, Sara & Michael (Flat 577)

[Chris C]

I agree with you - it is totally unacceptable. Ask to speak to his manager who is called KEVIN DUNLEAVY (not sure correct spelling), as I had to do last week. He sounds more switched on. Good luck

[Sabine]

Mohammed, Mark's replacement, is quite the most useless, clueless, unhelpful Notting Hill employee yet. He told me that my bathroom floor problem is not his responsibility (despite Mark/Adele arranging and cancelling contractors to fix it three times previously). He asked for my name, flat number and snagging issues over and over again. Why is this stuff not already on file?

[Chris C]

Anyone know why the paving on the riverfront has been dug up? I thought maybe an outdoor swimming pool was going to be put there in time for summer...

[Chris C]

BREAKING NEWS: and what a joke.... Mark at Notting Hill has now also left the job - as of yesterday - and his replacement didn't seem to have much of a clue when I phoned today, as it's his first day apparently. Ended up speaking to a manager called KEVIN DUNLEAVY about the ongoing swimming pool on balcony problem. He seemed pretty helpful... well so far anyway.

[Sabine]

Flat 571

Dodgy door lock which requires strength and a technique to open or close.

Yellow staining all over bathroom floor that looks like wee but they've said is glue. Notting Hill have twice cancelled a visit from contractors to come round and fix it.

[Darren harmston]

Problems at 633

Problems so far:

1. bath chip which they sent a contractor round and I have ended up repairing myself as they said it was not covered??!!.

2. Intermittant intercom broken again

3. Sticky front door.

4. Non draining balcony.

[Nigel]

A St Georges representative is coming round to view balconies that are affected by water pooling next Wednesday, 17th May 2006. If you are suffering from this problem and have not yet had it resolved I suggest you contact Mark McLellan at Notting Hill ASAP. MMclellan@nhhg.org.uk

[Marilisa]

I had so many problems since I moved in that I wouldn't have enough space to list them on this page. Flat 616
They have sorted most of them but the following are still outstanding. I've been calling Notting Hill every week and they tell me that they have passed all defects to St.George and that they are not getting back to them about when they are going to send someone to fix them. Other times I call NH and leave voice messages, they never call back. This all started when Adele was working there and now I'm speaking to Mark but to no avail.
1. The shower lid is broken and it licks. They sent a technician 2 months ago and he said that they would need to order a new one but they never came back to replace it.
2. The white surface of the bath is sort of peeling away. They said that they would have to send a specialised engineer to check it. It has already been a month since it started and nobody came.
3. There is a crack on the kitchen wall after only two months from moving in. Nobody has come to check it yet. Do you think this is normal?

[Ros Smith]

Would it be easier if we just hand you details of our problems as I have loads and not sure it's worth putting them up on the site. Re the 6 month check - they came to do mine and nothing has been fixed. I think I'm going to have to take it all further. Oh yes and the mould thing also happened to someone on the 7th floor - now fixed. I don't have it on the 3rd but it seems to be a problem with water getting in rather than comign up from the floor Rosx

[Victor&Manuel]

At the moment we have a door (flat 658) that does not close and even though we've contacted them several times just got a visit two week ago that has proved to be a waste of time.

[Ronan]

Once you've been in your flat for 6 months Notting Hill will be in touch to let you know that they will be sending someone around to make a note of any defects that you have encountered while you've been resident, and should then pledge to fix them for you.

I've had a few minor, easily fixable defects, which they've mostly sorted out, including the locking system on my door jamming. But alarmingly, over the Easter, while I was having a spring clean, I pulled out my wardrode in the corner of the room (I'm in a studio) and found a scary damp/wet, mouldy patch, coming up from the ground and spreading up the wall to knee level!! I got in touch with Nottinghill right away of course and after a few days they'd established where the leak which was causing the problem was coming from (a leak at the top of the building apparently, which they've now fixed) and sorted out any damage caused. But this made me wonder why my flat, on the 4th floor should suffer the effects of a leak on the roof of the building. Has anyone else had a similar problem? I'm in the flat nearest the refuse chute, facing the offices and the courtyard.

I am also having trouble with Peppiats, via Nottinghill, who refuse to accept that a dark stain on my wall which has been left by the (fairly crappy) electric rads aren't as a result of my leaving stuff on it while on. Despite my protestations they are, according to Nottinghill, 'refusing to budge and accept that I'm not responsible for the rad leaving a stain'. I have Mark on the case (who as far as I can see so far is a great deal better than either Jamileh or Adele were) and I'm hoping to resolve the problem soon, ie get a replacement rad installed.