@morrisons doing building work to shop below my father's flat for 8 days

[MafiaCub]

I'm a carer for my father, he lives in a flat above a shop which used to be a co-op. 5 years ago, it changed to a mccolls. We got a letter through the door, giving us some options. A payout of about £1500, or they would put my dad in a hotel for 10 days whilst the work was being carried out as it would obviously be disruptive.

 

My dad chose the payout, and then just went out to do shopping with me anytime they started using large tools. Work was done 6 days a week. 9am to 6pm.

 

McColls is now becoming a Morrisons local. We received no notice of this officially, I found out through speaking to a staff member. No offer of compensation or relodging was offered, so we figured it would just be a smaller job. Fresh paint, move some stuff around etc.

 

Except they are working from 7am in the morning, using industrial drills, removing parts of their ceiling (directly under my dad's living room) to rehouse new fridges that are being banged around. They've spray painted the windows, and by mistake the front access door for the two flats above the shop so now there's no indentifier for the post men to see there's flats there. The paint stinks and is coming up through the floors, can't open windows because you can smell it worse then. 

 

They will be working until 'late' each night, no time offered, and I've just received a message from my father to let me know, without warning that they've shut off the water mains... So he now has no water in the house.

 

What are his options here? Who does he complain to? Morrisons customer service won't be much use, but calling up the Corporate number seems the wrong direction too.

 

He understands work must be done, but if not for me chatting to staff, he'd have not known about it until two days ago when a sign was put in the window... And he only knows that cause I told him, as he's pretty much housebound these days. Surely there's something wrong about building works without proper notice, and hours that construction work can take place, and removing things like water supply without notice.

 

Thanks for any help.

[brassnecked]

Would phoning the water supply company he pays be worth calling saying supply has been cut off and he doesn't know why maybe theythencan get on to the builders, long shot but it might cause the builder's enough hassle to do something.

[Ethel Street]

I agree.

 

Call the water company emergency line immediately @MafiaCub

 

You don't need to explain that you think the builders cut it off. Just tell them the water supply has stopped and your father is a vulnerable older person alone in his flat with no water. Get them to come out as an emergency. 

 

If it turns out it was the builders let the water company deal with it. I doubt the builders working on the shop below have the right to cut off your father's water supply.

[brassnecked]

The builders probably don't realise they have cut off the water to the flats above,  there is a 24 hour emergency call line  so deffo as Ethel Street advises phone now.

[MafiaCub]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Whilst I was waiting for replies I did call the water suppliers who said they'd send someone out to find out why supply was off. I went to check on my dad just as a manager for the builders was there, and managed to speak to him. They apologised about the water, and claim to have been told no one is living above... They turned water back on (phoned water supplier and cancelled call out). They have apologised for the disruption, and their schedule is to work for the 8 full days, 7am to 8pm. But they will try and limit the use of loud tools to mid day early after noon, and just do the decorating during the early hours

 

Which is great... And seems like something that could have been sorted out earlier had the builders/Morrisons contacted my dad (or his neighbour) and talked about the works that were going to go ahead 

 

[Ethel Street]

OK, so it seems the builders are trying to find a way to minimise the disruption to your father.  For the time being I'd take it at face value what their manager said, that they'd thought the flat above the shop was empty.

 

Let's see if it really does get better.

 

If it doesn't I'd go to Morrisons corporate head office and complain. Don't bother with customer service, it isn't a 'customer' issue. You need to persist with finding out who at corporate head office is responsibible for new shop development. Or just go straight to CEO.

[stu007]

Hi

 

I am sorry for what your Father is going through due to these works that he was never notified were going to be happening.

 

Something else to do as well as has already been suggested is to contact the Councils Environmental Health Dept and make them aware of what is happening with the Noise, Paint Fumes etc. even that they have painted the Flats front doors.

 

If your Father Rents the Property make sure and notify the Landlord that these Builders have painted over the Front Door Access to match the shop and do they have the Landlords Permission. (this way you are covering yourself with the Landlord)

 

Morrisons Details

 

Mr David Potts
Chief Executive
Morrisons Plc
Hilmore House
Gain Lane
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD3 7DL

 

Email: david.potts-ceo@morrisonsplc.co.uk