However, if you fall into serious rent arrears this could lead to legal action being taken and the government has a procedure to ensure the tenant is dealt with fairly. The first step to be considered by a housing provider would be to serve a Notice of Seeking Possession (NOSP)

What is a Notice of Seeking Possession (NOSP)?

If you owe more than four weeks’ rent Falcon will consider serving a Notice of Seeking Possession. This usually entails a personal visit, and a notice (NOSP) and rent statement is handed to you. The officer serving the notice will explain why and its implications, and that after four weeks we could apply to a county court for a Possession Hearing. We will always try to discuss how to repay that debt, however if your rent arrears continue to increase after the NOSP has been served, we will consider the next step which is to make application to a county court for a Possession Hearing.

Possession Hearing at County Court

Prior to any court proceeding we will write and inform you of our intention to make an application and advising where you can obtain independent advice. You will then receive a letter from the court advising when and where to attend, we will also attempt to visit you to discuss this action. It is always advisable to attend court. A Judge will make a decision after listening to both parties; there are several courses of action that may be taken. In brief an immediate Possession Order may be granted and this usually results in an agreed number of days, usually 28 days, to repay any rent owing, failure to do so will result in application to the court for a warrant to evict you. Or an arrangement to pay your rent, plus an agreed amount to reduce your arrears may be made if the court thinks that you will keep to these payments, this will result in the Possession Order being suspended. Any failure to keep to this arrangement will result in an application to the court for a warrant to evict you. At any hearing we will make application to the court to award costs to us and that you pay these costs.

Eviction process

If you fail to make payments as per the court arrangement your tenancy will end and we will usually make contact to inform you of our intention to make application to the court for a warrant to evict you. You can apply for the eviction to be suspended, however the court will usually only suspend if you can demonstrate that you have tried to reduce your rent arrears, and that you would continue to reduce the arrears if the warrant was suspended.

Being Homeless

If you are about to be evicted we will again contact you and give advice on the immediate steps you should be taking.

Why is it dangerous?

Tombstoning offers a high-risk, high-impact experience but it can have severe and life-threatening consequences. This is because:

• Water depths alter with the tide – the water may be shallower than it seems
• Submerged objects like rocks may not be visible – these can cause serious impact injuries
• The shock of cold water can make it difficult to swim
• Getting out of the water is often more difficult than people realise
• Strong currents can rapidly sweep people away

Who is harmed and what type of accidents happen?

Injuries and deaths as a result of tombstoning are a growing problem. Over the five year period 2004-2008 – 139 incidents required a rescue or emergency response, 12 of these ended in a fatality. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) looked at 41 of the most serious cases in more detail, of these:

• Most of those involved in the most serious cases were male (85%)
• Teenagers were involved in just over half the cases (55%), followed by those in their 20s (25% with the remainder of incidents involving people aged over 30 years
• All of the known alcohol-related incidents involved males aged over 40 (which accounted for three of the fatal incidents)
• Of the non-fatal incidents, spinal and limb injuries (both at 20%) were most commonly reported.

Many of the non-fatal incidents have resulted in life-changing injuries and they required significant resources from the rescue services. Young and older fathers were among the fatalities, along with at least three teenagers.

What can you do?

Don’t jump into the unknown. Consider the dangers before you take the plunge:

• Check for hazards in the water. Rocks or other objects may be submerged and difficult to see
• Check the depth of the water. Remember tides can rise and fall very quickly
• As a rule of thumb, a jump of ten metres requires a depth of at least five metres
• Never jump whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Check for access. It may be impossible to get out of the water
• Consider the risks to yourself and others. Conditions can change rapidly – young people could be watching and may attempt to mimic the activity. And, if you jump when you feel unsafe or pressured, you probably won’t enjoy the experience.

Warning

The Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world and the ebb tide is very powerful. It can lead to people being swept out to sea, as happened with the recent tragedies at Weston. The tide can drag in debris, such as bikes or other dangerous discarded items, which can’t be seen under the surface of the water even when it’s shallow. People could land on these causing themselves serious injuries or worse. Another hazard is soft mud that accumulates in harbours and people could get stuck in it with potentially dreadful consequences.

• A leaking roof.
• Water soaking through outside walls or around windows.
• Rising damp.

Any of these forms of damp are very unlikely to happen, except perhaps, for example, damage to a roof caused by a storm. However, in the rare event of any of these problems you must let us know as soon as possible as we can carry out the necessary repairs. If you do think you have ‘damp’ in your home there is a much greater chance that what you have is the problem of CONDENSATION.

What Causes Condensation?

The four main factors which cause Condensation are as follows:

• Water vapour in the air – this is produced by normal living activities such as breathing, cooking, bathing, drying clothes, etc.
• Inside room temperature – this can be controlled with central heating.
• Outside temperature – at the mercy of the elements.
• Insufficient ventilation.

In the autumn and winter, when the outside temperature falls, it is the difference between the external temperature and the inside temperature that causes all the vapour in the air within the property to condense from air into water.

The coldest parts of your home are the windows as they have the closest contact with the outside. It is for this reason that condensation forms on the inside of windows. When it reaches a certain level it will run down the window onto the windowsill and forms pools of water. Unless the above is prevented you will find that as the moisture dries it will leave a black dust. This is mould. In bad cases of condensation the mould also shows on walls around the windows, in the corners of the room and even on the floors and in the wardrobes.

How is Condensation Avoided?

A combination of heating and ventilation is the answer. Today’s building standards actually create homes that are almost completely sealed, compared to the older houses of the past with draughty windows and chimneys. All the vapour produced in modern homes can no longer find its way out. In order to combat this we have to introduce ventilation. It is in your interest to keep window vents open and to use the extractors provided. If these do not operate correctly Falcon Housing will repair them.

Keeping a constant level of background heating will help. The object of heating is not just to warm the air up in the home but to heat up the walls of the home so they radiate warmth as well as reducing the cold areas of walls and reducing the chance of condensation.

In addition to this, it may sound strange but by keeping a house well dusted and clean will help prevent mould if there is condensation. Wipe down or spray these areas with an approved fungicidal fluid but make sure to use the manufacturer’s guidance for use.

Certain activities around the home will produce a lot of moisture. It is vital that if you have a tumble dryer in your home, that this is vented correctly and does not vent into the property. Un-vented tumble dryers are one of the worse causes of condensation dampness in houses. Drying clothes in the home can produce up to 9 pints of moisture per day, cooking can produce 6 pints and a portable gas heater 4 pints. In fact a small family can produce up to 3 gallons of moisture per day.

Finally, the circulation of air in a house can be hindered by having furniture or possessions stacked up against walls. Particularly north facing walls which tend to be the coldest walls and therefore more prone to condensation.

Falcon Housing can supply a pamphlet which gives a more detailed explanation, just call the office.

These will be home to some of the local people in need of affordable housing, and to quote from one of the comments on the application this demonstrates why they are needed.  “Living in a private rental means that you can be given two months notice to move at any time – how can you make a home for your family living under such a cloud. These homes would support families from ordinary backgrounds who work in vital roles, without which communities would find it difficult to survive and thrive.”

Falcon have not built any new homes since December 2009, but having secured funding for a four year development plan we will be hoping to start at Crowcombe in the new year. Further information on this plan can be found by visiting the West Somerset Council planning application web pages and entering the reference number 3/07/11/016.

With over 15 years experience of giving free debt advice in the UK you will receive advice on the best course of action with a no-commitment and completely free consultation. It only takes about 20 minutes to complete and you will be provided with a customised recommendation. It can be anonymous and free of charge.

The Somerset Rural Youth Project

SRYP’s innovative Moped Loan Scheme supplies them with an economical moped at reasonable cost while supporting the young person and helping them towards organising their own transport. 

In most years, demand has often exceeded supply. As from October 2010, reinforced by its new fleet of 18 machines, SRYP can help more young people towards independence. 

For young people between 16 & 25 years, certain conditions apply for eligibility; to find out if we can help you and you live in a rural area in Somerset, please telephone the Moped Loan Scheme office, 01278 722300 and speak to one of their staff. You may want to find out how the scheme works and what you need to do and you can download and read or print out the information leaflet at this link. 

 If you want to make an application you can download our application form.  You can either print it out and post it to the address at the bottom, or if you fill it out on your computer, (it is a Word document) you can email it as an attachment to moped@sryp.org.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Or you can telephone the office and ask for a form to be sent to you. 

Contact the Moped Loan Scheme Office on 01278 722300 

Call / Text to Mobile: 07970 576303 

Email: moped@sryp.org.uk 

Funded by: Bridgwater College, Richard Huish College, 

Somerset College of Arts & Technology, Strode College, Yeovil College.

By visiting the web site you will find an independent benefits checker which is simple to follow and will make you aware of what benefits you are probably entitled to, alternatively you may wish to phone 0808 802 2000. Do not miss out, make that enquiry now.

If you wish to provide information to the police regarding criminal activity in your area, you can do so by visiting the local station, calling 0845 456 7000, texting 18001 followed by 0845 456 7000 or you can report it on line at www.avonandsomerset.police.uk. If you wish to remain anonymous you can call Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.
If you would like to speak to someone about a drug related issue or would like help and advice with a drug problem you can contact “Talk to Frank” on 0800 77 66 00 or visit www.talktofrank.com or Turning Point Somerset on 01823 328 463

Savings can be made by standing order, payroll deduction or at collection points.  No amount is too small.  Savings are held as secure shares in the Credit Union and an annual dividend is paid.  Junior savers (below 16) are paid a special rate of interest.

Loans are provided to savers and are cheaper than doorstep lenders or catalogues.  Loans are usually available to savers after 8 weeks regular savings: As a guide interest is charged at 1% per month (12.68%APR).   Small loans to non-savers and those otherwise financially excluded may be available at a higher rate of interest: 2% per month (25.36% APR). 

To enquire about joining, saving or borrowing please contact the credit union in your district / borough:
Moorvale – www.moorvale.co.uk – covering Taunton Deane Borough Council and West Somerset District Council areas
Sedgemoor Savers – www.bridgwater-and-district-credit-union.co.uk – covering Sedgemoor District Council area

FOCUS is an Industrial & Provident Society Co-operative Consortium of which the 4 Somerset credit unions are the members. They are currently undertaking some market research about people’s interest in loans, savings and in the credit unions that provide them, and would be grateful if you could take the time to complete a very short questionnaire, usually completed in 6 minutes. If you would like to take part in this survey, click on the link. www.surveymonkey.com.

The Homefinder Somerset Partnership is reviewing their Housing Allocations policy.

What will it mean for you?

Some important changes in the way applications are banded into Gold, Silver and Bronze bands.

Introduction of action that can be taken if applicants refuse multiple offers of accommodation.

Amendments to the application form for the housing register.

What happens next?

Please feel free to look at a summary of the policy changes and our amended application form and then complete a survey to gather your views.

Full details can be found at:

https://www.homefindersomerset.co.uk/Data/ASPPages/1/106.aspx

                                                                                                                                                                                                Your home, your choice ……