Locked out of my flat Saturday night after sleepwalking

[Lee Studley]

After what I think was sleepwalking I found myself locked out of my flat on Saturday night with no phone or money and only in my tracksuit bottoms and t-shirt and no footwear after a panic because I was without my medication I used the phone at the burger place across the road to phone the police who after telling me they hadn't heard of the corporation of London gave me the out of hours repair line,
So I phoned waites and they told me that there was nothing they could do and I needed to phone a locksmiths but they didn't have a number and asked me to phone back in ten minutes they then gave me a mobile but he said that it depends whether the estate officer would come out. After all that I finally managed to get a locksmith out and gladly got back into the flat.

I sincerely hope that someone who is even more vulnerable than me does not find themselves in the same position and has to end up sleeping outside for the whole night.

[Maria Elizabeth Prior]

I am appalled to hear this Lee.  I intend to raise this issue with the Committee.  Frankly, I think it unacceptable that there is not more care given to residents, particularly those who are vulnerable etc. The COL, like all authorities have a Duty of Care to their tenants.  I know you are unwell, and have been under a lot of strain, which does not help when the Estate Office also fail to address your concerns within your flat.  I understand you have still not heard anything.  I will also chase this up.

I hope you feel better soon, and am sorry for your distressing experience. 

[Alan Line]

Golden Lane isn't sheltered housing Lee - if you lock yourself out (whatever the circumstances) you are in exactly the same position as every other householder in the country and should expect to do the same as they have to. The only "duty of care" the Housing Dept. have towards us is to ensure the property is safe. They are NOT SOCIAL SERVICES and I for one don't want to pay more rent so that they can provide some sort of 24 hour cover for other people's personal emergencies!

[Lee Studley]

That's fine Alan but i would have thought that the 24 hours repair line would have at least had the number for a locksmith or be able to offer some advice as I'm sure that I would not like to see some of the older residents in our estate locked out of the flats.

[Alan Line]

It's an emergency repair line - locking yourself out of your flat is not an emergency repair. They also provide services over a very wide area so can't really provide a local number. If they did I have no doubt that the perpetual whiners would then be saying that they could have got it done more cheaply by someone else and that it's some sort of "racket"........

[Maria Elizabeth Prior]

Not so long ago, if anyone locked themselves out of their flat the Estate Office, if they held your key, would assist you.  

[Alan Line]

But they weren't and never have been open 24 hours a day, seven days a week? They will still assist when they are open, if they have your key (though this is of course at the expense of the jobs that the rest of us pay them to do - which if you check your tenancy, lease or SLA, doesn't include operating as a "key sitting" service).

[Maria Elizabeth Prior]

I know that Alan, but even then, when one of the Estate officers were on out of hours duty, as someone always was, there was always someone who could help.  I obviously don't think it fair that any employee be called out continuously be some people who carelessly lock themselves out, and I believe this is why the COL may have stopped this particular 'service'.  I know they advise people to leave spare keys with neighbours, but not everyone has neighbours they feel they can do this with.  Fine if you can, as I always am an advocate for residents looking out for each other.  I am talking about those rare occasions when something out of the ordinary happens, as in this case.  

I felt very sorry for what happened to Lee.  It must have been a real shock to him.  If I lived next door to him he would be welcome to leave a spare key with me, if he wished, but unfortunately I don't.