Blocked Gutters, Broken Promises, Flooded Flats

Dear Ruth Cooke,

I am writing to again express my deep disappointment and frustration regarding the continuous disregard for the numerous reports of blocked guttering at Maureen Christian House, Oxford.

Despite multiple communications and assurances from your team, no action has been taken to resolve this issue, which has now persisted for an unreasonable amount of time.  As you can tell from the attached video and photos this is now causing our flats to flood.

To provide a clear timeline of events, I would like to present the following emails in date order, starting with the oldest first:

19th August 2020 - Ruth Cooke wrote:

Blocked gutters to be cleared – target date for gutter clearance Mid-September.

28th August 2020 - GreenSquareAccord wrote:

I also noticed that the shrubs/hedges throughout the site were a little overgrown which was causing blockages to low level guttering at the front of the building but also were starting to cover up some of the lighting bollards on site. I have spoken to our Grounds Maintenance Team and they have arranged for these to be cut back on 3rd September.

9th September 2020 - GreenSquareAccord wrote:

Guttering and windows will require scaffolding to complete, so will need to be planned to coincide with each other. I will update you once I have a timeframe.

5th November 2020 - GreenSquareAccord wrote:

I have raised a repair for the guttering to be repaired, I have scheduled this in for the 04.01.20 as this was the earliest appointment we have. However, please let us know if this becomes a bigger issue.

15th October 2020 - Agreed timeframe for GreenSquareAccord to clear gutters, as part of a formal complaint. This did not happen.

3rd March 2021 - GreenSquareAccord wrote:

The scaffolding was up to investigate an issue with the roof on the side of the building close to numbers 37 & 38.  Gutter and fascia cleaning will take place when the scaffolding is up around the building when we carry out the window and patio door replacements in the summer.

24th June 2021 - GreenSquareAccord wrote:

The guttering will be cleared/sorted when the windows and doors are done because we would need scaffolding for both lots of work. It's more cost-effective to do it at the same time.

25th August 2022 - A GreenSquareAccord resident wrote:

Hi, I was just wondering when the gutters are being replaced - although we haven’t had any rain lately, I hope the cascades of rain we got will be dealt with, and gutters cleared and replaced when scaffolding goes up for window replacement. Can you confirm this, please?

25th August 2022 - GreenSquareAccord wrote:

I have checked our records and can confirm that the guttering isn't due to be replaced for over 10 years; therefore, I have raised a job for this on 318718 to have them unblocked and checked. This will be booked in by our Planning team as soon as possible.

8th July 2022 - With scaffolding up, I emailed GreenSquareAccord:

Hello, while the scaffolding is up at the front of the building, will you be sending anyone round to clean the black mould caused by the blocked gutters and vents? If not, can you confirm that this isn’t a health hazard?

I must emphasise that despite the promises made in the emails above, no action has been taken to address the blocked guttering issue. When engineers were finally sent to the property, they claimed they did not have the correct tool to clear the gutters, further delaying the resolution.

Additionally, it is concerning to note that the issue of black mold caused by the blocked gutters and vents has not been adequately addressed. This poses a potential health risk to the residents, and it is unacceptable that no measures have been taken to rectify the situation promptly.

I urge you to take immediate action to resolve these longstanding issues. It is essential that the gutters are cleared, the black mold is treated, and the health and safety of the residents are prioritised. I expect a comprehensive plan of action to be communicated to me within 10 working days from the date of this letter.

Should the issues persist without a satisfactory resolution, I will have no choice but to explore further avenues, including legal action and reporting the matter to the relevant authorities. I trust that it will not come to that, and we can work together to rectify the situation promptly.

I look forward to your prompt response and a satisfactory resolution to this matter.

As commucnations are still being ignored and blocked by GreenSquareAccord I shall share online, ask neighbours to share with you, and seek external support.  Ignoring issue must not be the default mode of action from GreenSquareAccord.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Jenkins