Condition of a recently vacated States rental property

1240/5(2057)

QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE ON TUESDAY 17TH FEBRUARY 2004, BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER

Question 1

In response to a supplementary question from the Deputy of St Martin on 3rd February 2004, regarding the condition of a States' rental property the President stated the back garden had six inches to a foot of raw sewerage in it. It had been like that for months and complaints from the neighbours.'

1. Would the President explain why there is no record of any such complaints on the file of the tenant concerned?
2. Will the President inform memberswho is responsibleformaintenanceofthe drains and therefore for any sewageproblemswhichmight arise from a fault?
3. Would the President explain why no action hadbeentakenon this matter over the previous months? Answer

1. Complaints from neighbours were received only shortly beforetheDepartment inspected the property. These related to the apparentabandonmentof the property and the rubbish andother material in the garden. Given the stateof the garden I assumed that ithad been like that for several months.
2. The Departmentisresponsibleforcarryingout repairs todrainagesystems.In this case the tenant hadmade no contact with the Department to report a drainage problem which was subsequently identified as attributable to a fractured wastepipe.
3. A drainagefaultisunlikelytobe identified for repair unless the fault is reported totheDepartment Question 2

In response to one of my questions on 3rd February 2004, regarding whether measures were taken to contact the tenant on 10th February 2003, the President replied No. Neither the Department or the members of my Committee who were present or myself were aware of the tenant's whereabouts.'

Would the President inform members –

1. whether themobilephonenumberofthetenant was on file in the department,andwhether use wasmadeof this?
2. whyhe telephoned the tenant'smother?
3. whether, during the course ofhistelephone conversation to the mother, he advised –

( i)  that the behaviour of her daughter, together with photographs, would be reported in the media? ( ii ) the level of rent arrears her daughter owed?

( ii i) that all States members would soon know who she was?

Answer

1. A mobiletelephonenumberforthetenant is on the filebutitwas not used on this occasion.Theproperty gave every indication of having been abandoned and it is the tenant's responsibility to notify thelandlordif

they intend to vacate the property.

2. and (c)

I a m not prepared to give answers to these questions as they re-open matters of a personal and private nature

which I believe, in the best interests of the family concerned, are best not discussed in a public forum.

Question 3

Would the President inform members –

1. whether photographicrecords are retained on all vacated Committeeproperties, and, if so, the reasons for this? and,
2. whether he considered releasing the pictures in this casetothemedia? Answer

1. P h otographic records of some vacated Committee properties are made and retained. The photographic record is generally made when there is evidence of damage or neglect of the property by the previous tenant.
2. In any situation , I consider all options, and try to choose the best one. It is a simple matter of record that the pictures were  NOT released, so the question is irrelevant.

Question 4

Would the President inform members whether he had a telephone conversation with the tenant's eldest sister also on 10th February 2003, and, if so, would he advise members of his recollection of the conversation?

Answer

For the same reasons as given in answer to Question 2 (b) and (c)  I am not prepared to comment on this matter.