The Dogmother Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 That's terrible news aunty e - go for it girl! Do you want to borrow my cattle prod? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nina Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Hi Aunty e Speaking to your Cllr/MP/Ombudsman would be a good route as they can act as a mediator between you and the council. (I think this would be a last resort). They probably sent a letter as a matter of course from the complaint they recieved. If Hackney council is anything like the councils I know of their departments probably have very little internal communication. (Customer Services and Housing/Leasehold/Tenancy) So, getting your housing officer onside is a great move. I would be surprised if Hackney Council progressed matters. I know that permission for chicken keeping has been given to tenants and leaseholders in Havering. Let us know what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Hi Aunty E! We're just over the border in Islington and I phoned the council before we got our chooks to ask if there were any by-laws against keeping chickens. The officer told me that as his grandparents had kept them in this area in the war, it must be alright. I'm sure that people must have done this in Hackney too, and so there surely must be precedents of this being allowed. Maybe someone in the Hackney museum would know about this? There are good reasons for keeping backyard chickens now too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prongs Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Hi Aunty e They dont stand a chance against you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 You don't have to go to a call-box: just dial 141 before any number you dial from your phone at home, and your number will be withheld. Aunty e has a different position with her council from other home-owners, as they own her freehold: this is nothing to do with byelaws. Let's hope the letter was a fake, and that this person does not go on to make a complaint to the council. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UkButton Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 If the letter is real it will have a ref no: on it. You could ring the council say you are calling refrence the no... if they have no record hang up and forget about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 Letter written so we'll have to see where we get to. If the worst comes to the worst, we'll take the chooks to my parents-in-law and put our house on the market. I'd LOVE to escape from everyday dealings with Hackney council, they're incompetent and see leaseholders as a pot of money they can do up the council stock with. We got landed with a bill for £300 for new water tanks, in a block that has 62 flats. Seemed pretty pricey to me, until I realised the council weren't counting the flats they still own. Just the ones which had been bought by tenants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 That is outrageous AuntieE I am sure you can do something about that as they are the landlords and as such are responsible for the upkeep of their properties and the SHARED bills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Help! We've just had a letter from our council (who own our freehold) that we have to stop keeping chickens! They say that it's against the terms of our lease, which to be fair is true, but according to our lease we're not allowed to keep ANY animals, especially not cats or dogs, which means everyone is breaking the terms of the lease. And then they told us (in their barely literate letter) that they 'have been advised that to keep such animals and other livestock, we need a license'. Which is a big fat lie. We're wavering between being conciliatory or just hiring a lawyer and taking them to court. Anyone else had this problem? Hello AuntyE, really hope that you can resolve the situation with Hackney council. Perhaps you could write to them with a Freedom of Information request (more info from http://www.foi.gov.uk/yourRights/index.htm) asking them for more information about the number of people that thay have succesfully taken action against for keeping animals against the terms of the lease. You can also ask them all sorts of other questions whilst you're at it such as breakdown of total costs of new water tanks...... Good luck, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted July 23, 2007 Author Share Posted July 23, 2007 Hee hee hee. I work in the central government FOI clearing house. That would be hilarious, I could tie them up in knots. I'm off to draft my request now! I never even thought of asking them about the outrageous leasholder charges!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Look forward to hearing how you get on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 oh, good idea Lorna! I like that one. Fingers crossed Aunty E, let us know. If worst comes to worst and you need a temporary home for your Cube, I have got quite a lot of garden (as you know) - not sure how I'd cope with your flock, but I'm sure it could be managed. However, I hope that things don't reach that stage. Do keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenlass Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Yes best of luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Good Luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfrock Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 We got landed with a bill for £300 for new water tanks, in a block that has 62 flats. Seemed pretty pricey to me, until I realised the council weren't counting the flats they still own. Just the ones which had been bought by tenants. Umm - not sure that is legal. I have to split things between all the properties not just the leasehold ones. Routine maintenance budget pays for the housing association ones and owners for their share. I think you need to take this to the Housing Corp. BTW I haven't forgotten the original issue. My friend with the best knowledge is on leave too. I'll get back to you as soon as I know more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Hope it all gets sorted Aunty E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
