ANOTHER Letter

A duplicate of the letter from Bristol City Council that was discussed in the last posting arrived today.  Even had the same date.

Come the New Year action needs to be taken.

Bristol City Council Has Crossed The Line AGAIN

In July, I told the Council officer who contacted me, Lisa Joyner, that I had now had enough after 21 years of complaint after complaint against me and there being no foundation to them.  I told her I would be waiting with my solicitor on the arranged day.  She never turned up, telephoned or wrote, That speaks volumes as to what has been going on.

I mentioned in a previous post that a council official telephoned in October ~another 'complaint'.  I was told that she would visit the people complaining and IF there was a problem she would get back to me.  If no problem she would warn about malicious complaints.  I heard nothing,

Less than a month later, Lisa Joyner (again) writes about out of control bramble and there having been a "patch inspection".

1. There is a 6 feet (2m) width of bramble in which there are, at ground level, hedgehogs. In the upper branches are nesting dunnocks and these birds are on the Amber List (hedgehogs are counted as endangered now, too).  There is also a wren nest.  As a naturalist I keep notes as well as take photos. The existing bramble is vital habitat.

2. At the back of the bramble is a concrete panel fence well over 6ft (2m( in height. The bramble is under this.  To the side is a 6ft plus wooden fence.  HOW was the bramble inspected?

3. No council officer called on me or knocked on my door and I am working by the window facing the gate and side path. In other words the person complaining or carrying out the "patch inspection" did not do so from within the garden.

4. In the photographs you will note that the bramble (first photo taken Friday and the bramble is behind the tree ~if you have read my wildlife posts you'll have seen this a number of times) and is not out of control.  You will note the bramble piled and spread around the ground sheet from recent gardening (we have had gale force winds so things look a bit messy).  This is the only bramble patch in the garden.

5. Again, note how the Council is complaining about garden maintenance at the time of my doing gardening ~the tools are around the garden.

6. Odd that a Council "patch inspection" is the reason this time since I made it clear that I and my solicitor would demand evidence of any alleged complaints in future -names of complainee and or which property claims a problem.

This is now over 21 years and I am posting the Council letter.  I have a thick folder of correspondence including apologies from the council in the past over false complaints. On Monday 20th I shall be writing an official complaint to the Head of Estate Management and giving the link to this blog. I shall no longer be responding to alleged 'anonymous' complaints.  The council will need to take legal action and then my case will be presented.

I should point out that there ARE six overgrown gardens in the block I live in and that includes bramble growing out onto the path.  No "patch inspections" noting those ~just my garden again.

A line was drawn and has been repeatedly crossed so now is the time for Press/TV attention to Council harassment of a tenant.

Oh the previous council officer I spoke to was told HOW I was planning to try to kill off the bramble and we discussed this. 

 Above: Note the clear signs of gardening ~branches etc. propped up.  Also note the bramble in the back is NOT over grown

 Above: The bramble etc cut and placed on the ground sheet to dry before burning.  "Patch inspection" never noticed this

Above the concrete fence in the background and wooden fence are clearly seen (bramble looks a bit higher as I had to duck under a tree branch to take the photo.
Beflow the Council letter

And The Harassment Continues

A letter dated the day after the phonecall outlined in the last posting, just arrived.

"Urgent Action Required" as my rent is £265 in arrears.

It isn't.  Everything is in order.

This...8 times now this year?

I'm just waiting for the next "We've had an anonymous complaint about your garden" letter.

Seriously, this IS harassment.

Life Would Be So Much Easier

Wednesday 27th at 16:14hrs a person not identifying themselves from Bristol City Council phones. Rent arrears. I repeat that this has been going on for years now, gets sorted but then starts again and six tomes this year.

Oh, really?  Well she will try to sort it out (blames another agency) but then says twice, as if trying to bluff me, that "We" will carry out a check on myself and account etc.

And after two phone complaints, two online forms filled out, my wheelie bin still has not been emptied ~after a month.

Bristol City Council is either THE most incompetent or, as three people have now pointed out, targetting me for harrassment and after all these years I don't know why or care.

Continuing Harassment

First thing: one week on and nothing from the Council re the complaint against me. So, no case again. Not a word to tell me whether a warning was given ~as promised~ that malicious complaints would not be tolerated....or to say she even came around that week.

Today, this makes...I just checked, 7 times in 2017, that I have received another Council letter threatening legal action over my non Payment of a rent debt that has never existed and that has been the case every time.

So now...more letter writing.

This is harassment.

And......

14:30 hrs the day after the Council official was due to visit the complaining neighbour and let me know if there WAS a reason for the complaint or if she had warned about malicious complaints....

Nothing.

That's...5 times (?) this year.

The Council puts NOTHING in writing just phones so that way nothing to show a solicitor.  From now on it's "But the matter in writing so that it can be forwarded to my solicitor. Thank you." and phone goes down.

Why are they scare about my recording their visits?

Hmm....?

As If Proof Of Harassment Was Needed

Harassment?

Rent arrears that do not exist.

And today, around 17.30hrs....a call from the council about ANOTHER complaint

We've had wind and rain since last week but when it was good I cut brambles and weeds for burning, did tidying up and waiting for the weather to improve to finish things off before Winter.

So....I just had a call from the council. A complaint about the state of my garden. As I said to my sister ~I garden and THEN the malicious little s~~~s complain. Every time without fail.

Council woman noted that her boss had put in the record that I was regularly harassed. Other visits ~no problem. She's visiting the "complaintee" on Wednesday. If she cannot see a major problem she is going to warn about malicious complaints.

Of course she will.

If a problem she'll come see me.

I told her that any problem the city council can concrete over the garden which only has a 7ft 2m) by 3 ft (90cms) strip of 1" (2cms) deep soil over....concrete. Through which the bramble grows.

21 years of complaints and all the visits and all the "no problem with the garden".

I'm getting too old for this shit over and over every year.

Oh, and no explanation as to why the last council official simply failed to turn up and never even phoned to cancel.

 above hedgehog nest

Fourth Time....

For the FOURTH time this year and it's only September, more letters from Bristol City Council about rent arrears that do not exist.

Since I made it clear that more 'anonymous complaint' visits would lead to legal action no more of those.  Just "You are in arrears.  Each and every time I say "Take it to court and meanwhile I'm contacting my MP"....they suddenly discover its an error.  No apologies and always someone elses fault.

Explain to me how this is not harassment?

More Wasted Time

Following another "anonymous" complaint  (that makes 2 so far this year) Liz Joyner of Bristol City Council told me she would call around this afternoon (Wednesday, 24th May) to check the garden and take photos.

I waited until 1700 hrs/5pm and nothing.  No phone call or any other sign of her.  My solicitor was with me from 1430~1530hrs and had to leave.  He called back at 1625hrs and was annoyed at the "cavalier attitude" being shown by the council.

My solicitor pointed out that since 1995 the council had between 2~5 "anonymous complaints" and on each occasion a council visit proved the complaint groundless.  Also, had only one photo per year over 20 years been taken the council had 20 photos of my garden. But taken into account the visits he estimated the council has upward of 160 photographs of my garden.  Where are they?  Also it was pointed out that council officials had to get my approval for their photographing which they never have asked for and on four occasions council officers looked around the [property and took photos while I was not present.

In future I am to record all conversations and refuse to give permission to take photographs.

20 years and every time "all clear" ~and 60 visits at least.  THAT is harrassment.

And it continues....

I moved into the property in 2004. As we were moving in the council phoned as there was a complaint about the garden being a mess ~they were supposed to have cut everything back BEFORE we moved in.

Every year since then, that is 14 years, 3~5 times a year we get the call about the mess, someone calls round and "nothing wrong".  For the second time this year I have been told of another "anonymous complaint" and someone will call around Wednesday to take photos and close the case.

14 years.  This official will be told that the council must not phone or harass me with "anonymous complaints" again.  Everything in writing.  And next time I'll take legal action.  This is either someone at the council behind this....well, that's all I can come up with. 14 years of anonymous complaints resulting in nothing 3~5 times a year.  How thick do you have to be to not realise?

Try and get a repair done though.....nothing.

After the previous council official harassment I had the head of estate management Paul Bannerman call around.  He apologised for what his officers had said and done and even instigated long overdue repairs.  The officers were not punished in any way.