Update 12:30 10 Feb: Eviction resisted! Bailiffs turned up and left when they saw the London Renters’ union and Focus E15 people there. Very good work. Pity it comes to this. More soon
Update 10:30am 10 Feb: the bailiffs were supposed to turn up at 8am this morning. They’re over 2 hours late, so dragging that out painfully for the family.
Update 9 Feb: the court did not suspend the bailiff’s warrant, so this family will be evicted tomorrow. Another hanging judge for you there. This system is loaded.
I mean – for god’s sake.
My latest podcast episode below is about a family that is being evicted by bailiffs tomorrow.
They are being evicted by their own council – Hackney. So, that’s a council actively making a family homeless and threatening them with temporary housing.
The family hasn’t actually done anything hugely wrong. The mother’s name is not on the tenancy agreement and there are reasons for that, as I explain in today’s episode and last week’s one.
Hackney council could show discretion and grant the family a tenancy, or at least withdraw the bailiff’s warrant to give the family more time to sort things out – and even for the council to work with the family to sort things out. But no. Out they go.
There’s no excuse for this kind of aggression from councils. Lack of council resources is certainly no excuse. I’m sick of that one being trotted out.
The mother, Kyla, has a court hearing this afternoon to try and get the warrant suspended and the bailiffs stopped. If that doesn’t happen, they’re out of their home of 18 years and into the wonderful world of temporary housing.
You want to know why people hate Labour? Well, here’s another reason, in case you needed more. Which you probably do not.
Great week for bastards.
Isn’t there anyone who can step in and stop this nonsense? Someone dressed like a Monty Python Colonel who suddenly appears and says “Stop right there. This is getting too silly”, perhaps an MP or Housing Ombudsman who could fulfill that role? Or is too late for that?
The thing is though with ‘systems’ and Rules & Regulations, they don’t allow for the interjection of any humanity or sensibility. A bit like the DWP, except they at least do have a Right to Appeal to a panel of actual people in the form of a Tribunal with the capability to over-rule nonsense.
You’re exactly right – it’s actually farcical. Then there’s the bit where you have to accept temporary housing and challenge the offer after you’ve accepted it if there are problems – for example, the place is miles away from your disabled child’s school. If you don’t accept it first, the council says you’re intentionally homeless.
I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, except those who who are dishing it out, of course.
Let us hope that the Court Hearing can arrive at a sensible solution.