My ceilings are collapsing one by one!

[spirit wind]

:imout: Yep it's true. I am now living out of my dining room, kitchen, main bedroom and third bedroom.
The ceiling in the loungeroom started falling down last saturday night. By Monday afternoon 1/4 had collapsed. The whole ceiling was ripped down for safety reasons on Tuesday.

Now... my daughters bedroom ceiling is collapsing! We were in there watching tv and the cornice on one wall fell down. The rest will be coming down any time now. I have moved as much stuff out of her room as possible but i have no where to put it!
There are cracks appearing in my bathroom, kitchen, hallway and dining area. Soon i will have no where to go. Though i could move up to the shed up the back :hmmmmm:

I don't want to deal with this so close to xmas. The loungeroom ceiling is being replaced on friday, it was the only day they had available to do it before xmas. They most likely wont have any time before xmas to do my daughters room.

I am living in terrible conditions, soon i wont even be able to have my 11 month old son here as he wont be able to go on the floor. There is too much stuff everywhere!!!

Goddess give me strength!

[Sylvan]

:foh: *rubs eyes from squinting*
Not good. Are they falling down from water damage? Or are they just old? Are they plaster/popcorn/suspended? Do you rent? Own?

[spirit wind]

Nope not water damage. I think they have just rotted away. This house is about 80 years old. Coupled with living on a main road with Kenwicks coming down the road every day as well as 2 new houses went up next door over the past 6 months, it's a wonder they haven't come down sooner. And i rent this house, the owner is pretty good. She has gotten on top of it pretty quick, but if the building inspection says my house is unsafe i will have to move. And my landlord wont like that! :(

[BrigidMoon]

Well that's horrible! I'm sorry your ceilings are crumbling. If you're renting the landlord will hopefully be quick about fixing this issue and fast!

[DracoJesi]

Im sorry
I hope things work out
Blesses Be

[Sylvan]

The owner should have homeowner's insurance on it. I would see if she can put you up at a motel or something while the entire house is fixed. If she wants to keep you as a source of income, that is..
(What's a Kenwick?)

[Lunacie]

Oh my word, what a mess! Yes, check with the landlady about staying in a hotel while the house is made safe. Kenwicks are really big lorries, aren't they? Kind of like our semi-trucks and trailers?

[spirit wind]

Thanks guys. The landlord has been twice today. It now looks like i have to have my bedroom ceiling, my daughters bedroom ceiling and loungeroom ceiling replaced. The dining room ceiling is just having extra nails put in it to hold it up.
Thing is, the lounge room is being done then i have to move all my daughters furniture into the lounge room so her room can be done. Then once her room is done i have to move her furniture back and get mine out of my room into the lounge room so mine can be done. :( She wont put me up in a motel i just have to move from room to room til this is done.

Gee happy xmas to me hey!


Oh and a Kenwick is like a big Mack truck with several dollies on behind barrelling past at 70 kms/hr.

[Shanti]

Oh my. So sorry. Patients, I would need lots of patients. Thats a hard situtation for sure!

[RubyRose]

Wow! That is some mess you're in. At least you've got a fast acting landlord willing to fix it. But that's all you need so close to Christmas. :hugz:

[Seren_]

On the plus side, you might find yourself in a better financial position because of this. You are supposedly paying rent on a property with all fully functioning rooms and something that should be basically inhabitable. This is obviously not the case at the moment, so it's only reasonable that you should pay a less amount of rent, or none at all, for compensation; I'm sure it doesn't say in your contract that you'll put up with the house falling down around your ears and still be expected to pay rent for it....

Your landlord may be acting quickly, but this could have been a serious situation if things collapsed while you or your kids were in those rooms at the time. Check your contract to see if it details anything about compensation, and see if there is anyone who can give you advice (do you have anything like the Citizen's Advice Bureau? It gives free advice on this kind of thing) - otherwise legal advice is often free, just to see where you stand.

I'm not saying sue your landlord, but paying full rent in these conditions is not fair, especially when it's going to take so long to fix. My sister's flat flooded earlier this year - water came up through the toilet and flooded the whole flat. Her landlord had to move her out, of course, but my sister refused to pay rent under these conditions.

[spirit wind]

WEll, my ceilings are being ripped down on wednesday (in 2 days) so all the furniture needs to be moved out by tomorrow! Then they are coming back on friday and saturday to put up new ones and clean everything up. Hopefully the carpets will be cleaned soon therafter as i am going to be staying at a friends house until things are put back to order. This hayfever from all the dust and stuff is playing havoc on my head!!!!! and my baby has got hayfever too :( he is coughing and sneezing and watery eyes. So we are outta here! I will talk to my landlord this afternoon about everything. I don't have a lease/contract here just a week by week thing. I know she will do everything in her power to make me and my family happy, my kids call her grandma chrissie :) And i have to give her credit, she has put her foot down to get the ceilings done this week, i was told they wouldn't be done til about the 12/13th december.

Oh well, see how we go.

[RubyRose]

Good to hear you'll soon have your house back

[Lunacie]

Here many of the older homes were insulated with horse hair and some people are quite allergic to that. It could be more than just the dust that's stuffing up your heads. I'm really happy for you that you can stay with a friend while the dusty noisy work is going on, and happy too that it's being done quickly so you can get back to enjoying the hoiday season.

[Loopaleigh]

I'm glad to hear the Landlady is getting things fixed up for you! What a pain for you, especially with small ones. I'm sending you energy!

[spirit wind]

wohoo!!! hopefully one more day and i can come home. Was supposed to move back in last Monday and it didn't happen. It's lookin good for Friday, cross fingers that everything goes to plan.


And my walls are a pretty lilac colour. :smile:

[RubyRose]

wohoo!!! hopefully one more day and i can come home. Was supposed to move back in last Monday and it didn't happen. It's lookin good for Friday, cross fingers that everything goes to plan.


And my walls are a pretty lilac colour. :smile:

Cool.

[spirit wind]

Well, i am finally home. After an emotional breakdown this morning and a major hissy fit (my cordless phone will be the same again! ) i am back home.
Most of the furniture is back in order. The kids are happy. I am just a total wreck. I have 2 days to get my home in order for my sons 1st birthday on Sunday and it may not happen. Everyone will just have to put up with the mess.

My carpets are ruined, most of the blinds are painted to the window sills, there are paint spatters all over my couch and carpets and the yard was a total mess. The owner came in today, after i broke down crying on the phone, and cleaned the yard and did some gardening. So at least the guests wont have to look at a messy yard. Now if only i can find some energy to get the rest of the house in order. :(

[RubyRose]

lots and lots of :hugz:

And having had experience with tradesmen (well being around them at least) they always manage to get paint on everything else, that you wish they hadn't.

You could always ring up and complain to the company that fixed the roof's and did the paint job ...

[Dawa Lhamo]

Here many of the older homes were insulated with horse hair and some people are quite allergic to that. It could be more than just the dust that's stuffing up your heads. Or even human hair. (my best friend was plastering a hole in a wall in her house and found what appeared to be human hair in the insulation.) ^_^ In any case, I'm glad you're back in, even if they covered everything in paint. wow. How stressful an ordeal! I hope that everything goes and remains well.

Tashi delek!
Dawa Lhamo

[Nighthawk]

How very odd. I am sorry this is happening to you..make sure they fix it up nice..