19th Apr 2024 (30 days ago)
The women who run Tor estates are like characters out of some appalling sitcom. Desperate Housewives? They lie, obfuscate, dismiss and bully. Their behaviour is shockingly awful.
They fulfill their general letting agenty role badly. When I arrived to view the house I eventually rented, the owner of the agency was 30 minutes late. The neighbours approached me, saying that they are always late. If anything needs fixing, you're not allowed to email or ring them. You have to report it via an external app, which they then ignore. I have only reported two things. The first still has not been fixed (eight months and counting...). Regarding the second, see below.
The big problem has been the windows. Prior to signing the contract they informed me that there would be five new windows fitted. I have never had UPVC windows before but I was concerned that toxic glues and solvents might be used. I requested that the windows - which looked fine as they were - might be replaced instead after my tenancy had finished. The answer was no.
I then went into the agency to discuss it with the three women. They assured me that 'Nowadays they don't use glues and solvents to fit windows'. They were adamant that there would be no glues and solvents involved. So, on that basis, I signed the contract and picked up the keys.
However, on the day the windows were fitted, I walked into a thick heavy cloud of glues and solvents. I asked the window fitter what it was: 'It's glues and solvents, innit'.
I ended up in hospital. Twice. With chemical burns to my lungs. Also known as chemical inhalation injury. If you read the small print on these glues and solvents they all say things like: highly toxic, do not breathe in, wear masks, may cause longterm respiratory damage). I now have various asthma symptoms, constant pain, it's likely to develop into COPD and/or pulnonary fibrosis. It has affected my thyroid, which has impacted my whole hormonal system, the general level of toxicity has affected both my skin and my digestion. I also now have multiple chemical sensitivity, which means that it's painful filling up with petrol or being in a car park, because of the fumes. Even woodburners are no longer possible.
What has made the whole situation so much worse is that the owner Tor Estates refused to even talk about what happened for EIGHT MONTHS. I emailed and spoke by phone dozens of times, but she just dismissed me. In the end I insisted on having a conversation, but she just accused me of being 'delusional or a liar'.
The NHS didn't have much to offer me and so in the end I had to go private. My doctor is called Dr Damien Downing. He's been a member of the GMC for decades, is President of the British Society of Ecological Medicine and is based in Harley Street. He's about as legit as it gets. But the Tor Estates owner described him as: a quack.
I eventually got myself a lawyer, but Tor Estates refused to provide the information that he requested. And so now I have to take them to court twice - once just to get the information required, and then a second time for personal injury to cover the cost of treatment (already thousands of pounds).
What has exacerbated the situation further is two leaks in the roof of the house, leading to mold.
The first leak happened just before Tor Estates most recent inspection. The woman saw for herself the damp and the discolouration of the wall. Even so, it took several emails and phone calls before someone came out to fix it, during which time the whole wall went moldy. The second leak is more serious - the leading on the main roof needs repair. But they are refusing to do the repair for now (in spite of their own readings showing a damp problem) which means that mold is likely to become a problem here also. I honestly think this is their intention, to edge me out. They claim that they need to order some extra flashings, which could take months to arrive. But the roofer himself says they are not necessary and he cannot understand why Tor Estates are insisting on them. Either they're incompetent, or trying to force me out.... Read more