Um Help?

[Bead]

Hello.

Could someone please help with this situation I'm caught up in.

I am renting a house in France, I moved in about three weeks ago.

The first day was fun and magical, looking around the new house. Then I tried to turn the heating on. Nothing happened.

So I contacted the agency I'm renting off and they assured me that someone would be out tomorrow. Then it was the next day, then the day after that. Finally one of them managed to get the heat on but now it has a constant drip, it's like there is a tap under the boiler. He told me he would be back with a part to fix that in three days, that was two weeks ago.

The other problem is, I bought a washing machine, but before it arrived I spotted another leaking pipe. After three days of calling the agency someone finally came out and decided to cut the water off to that pipe and said he would be back in two days with a part. That was also two weeks ago. So now I'm down to my last clean shirt, I have a new washing machine installed that I can't use.

It all makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Funny how they forgot to mention all of these little problems during the inventory. They have sent out four separate plumbers, they all look at it, make a strange "Hmmm" noise and then tell me that it is a big problem and they need a part. Then they vanish and the agency forgets about it until my next call, and they get annoyed that I'm calling to ask them to actually do what they are supposed to be doing.

I wouldn't put up with this at home and I'll be damned if I'll put up with it here.

I contacted an independent plumber to fix the washing machine, he should be out on Tuesday (but I wouldn't bet on it), is there anyway I can pay him and be reimbursed by the agency? Even if it is only one euro, I still want it back.

Can anyone tell me what to do, I've been phoning the agency daily and that's going nowhere. Any help or advice would be very welcome, I don't think I can take another week of this nonsense.

[samdebretagne]

Have you tried actually stopping by the agency?  Sometimes you get a lot better results that way (ie. you're harder to get rid of, LOL)!

And I wouldn't go the independant plumber route - the agency will be in no way required to reimburse you afterwards, as a lot of times, they have deals set up & only work with certain repairmen.

[TWINKLE]

Welcome to France - good innit?[:D]

[Chancer]

[quote user="Bead"]Hello.

I wouldn't put up with this at home and I'll be damned if I'll put up with it here.

II don't think I can take another week of this nonsense.
[/quote]

You will look back n this in a years time and hopefully laugh, if you are still of the same opinion then, then you wont be appreciating your time here to the full.

"Let the b*s*a*r*s grind you down, you dont have to join em but you wont beat em[:)]

[Gastines]

Do you think it's any different in UK,or anywhere else?

[Georgina]

Sounds like you live on your own, can't you wash your shirts by hand.  Oh no, are you divorced and the ex used to do all that stuff and you just can't manage.  I had to wash sheets and duvets by hand nearly every day with my little ones before I finally got a washing machine. Sounds like you have never had to manage.[:)][:D]

Georgina

[Bead]

Hello Georgina. Since you seem to enjoy hand washing, would you mind coming over and doing it for me? :)

In fact I am a single mother with a son of eighteen who I am putting through film school at the moment at the cost of eleven thousand euros, not counting buses, books and all those other little things, I'm sure you will understand. Before that I home educated him until he reached the age for O-Levels.

In fact I work a 56 hour week as a translator, not French unfortunately, that's one language I don't know yet. I have been divorced for eight years, my husband had very little commitment to marriage, parenting or even work for that matter which meant I had to double up as mum, dad, housekeeper and worker. Sorry I couldn't keep up with you on the three children, but the instability of the marriage loaned itself to only one child.

My boss is upset at the moment because of a problem, his computer isn't receiving emails, so of course it is my fault.

Well what is a girl to do.

On the subject of shirts, blouses are something I have had to leave behind a long time ago, t-shirts and jeans are handy when falling out of bed to begin another day of work. Foundation and high heel shoes aren't quite the first thing I am looking for in the morning.

So you see Georgina, I have been coping very well on my own for the past eight years, so I have not quite been unable to cope as you put it :) sorry for the misunderstanding, perhaps it is the way I wrote the original post LOL.

Thanks for all the help - Sharon.

[TWINKLE]

Here's hoping the plumber turns up tomorrow Bead![:)]

[Washy]

Bead, I also think you should go into the agency and chivvy them along a bit, winter is fast approaching.

Do have a look at www.anil.org  check under louer, then entretien, this gives you some idea of who is liable for what when renting, although I think in any case with your problem it should be paid by the agency/owner as you have only just moved in.  In France the locataire seems to be well protected by law, and I remember reading somewhere that a locataire is within his/her rights to make repairs to the property and demand repayment from the landlord.  This above website will help you to work out if this is so in your case. Why not print out a copy and take it with you to the agency, even if you do not understand all of it it may help them to realise that you are informed.  Good luck.

[Bead]

Thank you both for your kind replies. The independent plumber said he would be out tomorrow between nine and ten. I was hoping to get him to fix the problem with the washing machine, but I'll see if he knows anything about boilers. I'll make sure he writes down a bill and then I'll check out that website and find the relevant page. Print it out and bring them both to the agency.

I can't tell you how thankful I am for people who have a real concern for problems that may seem tedious but can be a real concern.

Sharon.

[Georgina]

[quote user="Bead"]Hello Georgina. Since you seem to enjoy hand washing, would you mind coming over and doing it for me? :)

In fact I am a single mother with a son of eighteen who I am putting through film school at the moment at the cost of eleven thousand euros, not counting buses, books and all those other little things, I'm sure you will understand. Before that I home educated him until he reached the age for O-Levels.

In fact I work a 56 hour week as a translator, not French unfortunately, that's one language I don't know yet. I have been divorced for eight years, my husband had very little commitment to marriage, parenting or even work for that matter which meant I had to double up as mum, dad, housekeeper and worker. Sorry I couldn't keep up with you on the three children, but the instability of the marriage loaned itself to only one child.
My boss is upset at the moment because of a problem, his computer isn't receiving emails, so of course it is my fault.

Well what is a girl to do.

On the subject of shirts, blouses are something I have had to leave behind a long time ago, t-shirts and jeans are handy when falling out of bed to begin another day of work. Foundation and high heel shoes aren't quite the first thing I am looking for in the morning.

So you see Georgina, I have been coping very well on my own for the past eight years, so I have not quite been unable to cope as you put it :) sorry for the misunderstanding, perhaps it is the way I wrote the original post LOL.

Thanks for all the help - Sharon.
[/quote]

My, you deserve a medal!!! All that and you could not cope without a washing machine.

[woolybanana]

Sharon, you must go and scream at the agency if they are not too far away. tears might work wonders too. Dont be shy, let fly.

[WJT]

Good luck Sharon, no one should put up with renting a property and then learn the heating nor plumbing work. I hope you hold out paying any rent. I too wouldn't put up with not having a washing machine, particularly if I was paying for it. [:@]

Georgina, you wouldn't happen to be a landlord that is renting out a property that the heating and plumbing doesn't work would you?

[Georgina]

Sorry, in retrospect, not feeling sympathetic this week, thought it was some useless bloke who did not know how to wash shirts.  Many people here however put up with much worse than this.

Georgina

[Pushkin]

[quote user="Georgina"]

Sorry, in retrospect, not feeling sympathetic this week, thought it was some useless bloke who did not know how to wash shirts.  Many people here however put up with much worse than this.

Georgina

[/quote]

Oh dear Georgina!  You are having a bad week if you cannot show even the tiniest bit of sympathy for a fellow poster.  I am sure many people on this forum could tell a tale or two, (myself included), but, credit where credit is due.  Bead is coping and has coped for the past 8 years.  Sometimes something happens which is just the last straw and trying to sort it out when you don't speak the language fluently is daunting enough in itself.  Bead, I cannot help but I do hope all gets sorted out in short order.

(Do you have a problem with men?  It was a rather vitriolic response, as if you consider all men useless.  I have found that they are quite handy to have around at times)!!

Pushkin

 

 

[woolybanana]

We guys aint that bad you know Georgina.[6]

[TWINKLE]

Hi Bead!

Did the plumber turn up?

[Georgina]

Yes, I said sorry........  I am normally very sympathetic, put it down to PMT.[:(]

[Chancer]

As a not so useless man I found it funny that the sympathy only arrived when the poster revealed herself to be a women, all of a sudden a non functional washing machine is accepted as a real problem[:)]

Whereas when the poster was thought to be a man, (she did say after all my last shirt, not my last blouse or my son's last shirt) and was lambasted, we men (useless or otherwise) were probably wisely keeping out of it!

Reminds me of a sketch on the Harry Enfield show, a group of workmen were laughing at what they thought was a womens attempts to park, "go on darling you could get a bus in there!" - "ohmygawd she's reversed into it now" etc etc, when "she" got out and was seen to be a "he" it was "well done mate, tight gap that" etc etc[:D]

[Bead]

Hi all.

I am happy to report that the plumber came yesterday. He was able to sort out the washing machine problem and I happily paid him (and made sure he wrote it down so I have something to send to the agency).

As for the boiler, he said there was very little he could do about that because the pipes were running too close together in the cellar. He could get a €280 part that might help to regulate the water a little bit, although he really doubted it. He assured me that it is not dangerous, so good enough.

He was very pleasant and I was more than happy to have an operational washing machine at last.

I'm enjoying getting used to the area, everyone here is nice (except for the serial killer at the bottom of the road, last time I saw him he was oiling his chainsaw, singing Huey Lewis songs badly and feeding his dog. I try to avoid him :) ) and pretty helpful. I think the bureaucracy is difficult to take, there is just so much of it. J.R. I agree, a problem is a problem weather you are male or female, gender shouldn't make a difference. Harry Enfield had his moments of wit, there is no doubt. So I hope you don't feel excluded, when I posted this thread any gendered words of advice were more than welcome.

Thank you all so much for your help, it's nice to be a member on a supportive board like this to communicate on, I'm sure I'll post often, but hopefully not always with a problem

Bon Nuit - Sharon.

[Georgina]

[quote user="J.R."]

As a not so useless man I found it funny that the sympathy only arrived when the poster revealed herself to be a women, all of a sudden a non functional washing machine is accepted as a real problem[:)]

Whereas when the poster was thought to be a man, (she did say after all my last shirt, not my last blouse or my son's last shirt) and was lambasted, we men (useless or otherwise) were probably wisely keeping out of it!

Reminds me of a sketch on the Harry Enfield show, a group of workmen were laughing at what they thought was a womens attempts to park, "go on darling you could get a bus in there!" - "ohmygawd she's reversed into it now" etc etc, when "she" got out and was seen to be a "he" it was "well done mate, tight gap that" etc etc[:D]

[/quote]

Okay okay, I will wear sackcloth and rags for a week ........... least I did prior to getting a washing machine, but really do you wash your own shirts washing machine or otherwise? [:D]

 

Georgina

[Chancer]

Yes I do Georgina but "je suis celibatair" so I always have done.

Between 2004 and the end of 2006 when I was travelling and thereafter living rough in my workshop while building the first flat I used launderettes, lavenderia's, (I think is the Spanish spelling)  laveries and of course hand washing, only a few times in streams, though sometimes while wearing the clothes.

However throughout that time I never touched an iron! that has only recently changed with better surroundings and bringing my good clothes, the iron and board from storage. At the moment it is a novelty but I will soon get fed up with it.

In actual fact a man (useless or otherwise) would never have complained about running out of shirts, he would have just bought some more and worn them straight out of the bag complete with the square creases on the back[:)]

Editted

I cant believe this is the legal section!

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="Bead"](except for the serial killer at the bottom of the road, last time I saw him he was oiling his chainsaw, singing Huey Lewis songs badly and feeding his dog. I try to avoid him :) ) [/quote]

That sounds like Chris Head[:D]

Glad to see things are working out!

[Jonzjob]

I won't have it said that ANY man is completely useless.

If nothing else we are biodegradable! So there [8-|]!

[Georgina]

[quote user="J.R."]

Yes I do Georgina but "je suis celibatair" so I always have done.

Between 2004 and the end of 2006 when I was travelling and thereafter living rough in my workshop while building the first flat I used launderettes, lavenderia's, (I think is the Spanish spelling)  laveries and of course hand washing, only a few times in streams, though sometimes while wearing the clothes.

However throughout that time I never touched an iron! that has only recently changed with better surroundings and bringing my good clothes, the iron and board from storage. At the moment it is a novelty but I will soon get fed up with it.

In actual fact a man (useless or otherwise) would never have complained about running out of shirts, he would have just bought some more and worn them straight out of the bag complete with the square creases on the back[:)]

Editted

I cant believe this is the legal section!

[/quote]

 

Wow, washing in streams, well you beat me there, this is turning into a competition to see who has had life the hardest!!! Now that would be a good topic.

Georgina