Dying Alone & Loners' Unnoticed Deaths

[Ronnie Jersey]

Here there are many landlords who tell you up front that you cannot rent an apartment of theirs unless you have a checking account which they will debit for the cost of the rent, on the first of every month.
I avoid them.

 

[Stormkhan]

In the UK, that is standard practice. It's quite unusual for landlords to collect rent in cash or whatever. You need to supply your banking details and fill out a standing order mandate, which pays the regular amount direct to the landlord.
This is after paying a fee to view the property, a fee to have your references checked (neither non-returnable), a non-returnable fee if you have pets (allegedly to pay for cleaning after you vacate), one months rent in advance plus one months deposit (held independently) which is returnable ... after the landlord has taken out any 'repairs and cleaning expenses' and has agreed to its return. Note that some places ask for a guarantor - someone who agrees to pay 'bail' if you fail to pay your rent.
Here, there are good and bad landlords as there are good and bad tenants; it's just pure luck which you get.

 

[maximus otter]

…a non-returnable fee if you have pets (allegedly to pay for cleaning after you vacate)…

I can assure you that there’s no “allegedly” involved.

This episode cost me £1,600

maximus otter

 

[PeteS]

In the UK, that is standard practice. It's quite unusual for landlords to collect rent in cash or whatever. You need to supply your banking details and fill out a standing order mandate, which pays the regular amount direct to the landlord.
This is after paying a fee to view the property, a fee to have your references checked (neither non-returnable), a non-returnable fee if you have pets (allegedly to pay for cleaning after you vacate), one months rent in advance plus one months deposit (held independently) which is returnable ... after the landlord has taken out any 'repairs and cleaning expenses' and has agreed to its return. Note that some places ask for a guarantor - someone who agrees to pay 'bail' if you fail to pay your rent.
Here, there are good and bad landlords as there are good and bad tenants; it's just pure luck which you get.

Yep private tenants are put through the ringer a bit, perhaps unsurprisingly. Someone I know rented a flat through a well respected agency. It soon became apparent that the flat had long standing mould and ventilation and other problems which had been covered up prior to letting. When she left the landlord try to claim £1200 for the cost of rectifying the mould (again). We eventually got it down to £150 for the cost of repainting child's bedroom where posters had been stuck on the wall. The "well respected" agency were useless and presumably the next tenant will have face exactly the same situation.

 

[Stormkhan]

I can assure you that there’s no “allegedly” involved.

This episode cost me £1,600

maximus otter

In your case, perhaps, but we've also experienced a landlord that claimed 'pet damage' out of our deposit as well as keeping the pet damage amount ... even after we'd paid £400 for a professional cleaner when we were moving out.
Thing is, not all tenants cause damage and not all landlords keep deposits unfairly.
We actively pay for household repairs - fair enough, we live here - but we also take care of the property and, effectively, maintain the owners investment.

 

[Dick Turpin]

Oh, I agree. I dunno what they're like now but there was a Peabody block along from where I lived in Earls Court and a friend of mine's parents lived in a Peabody flat in Hammersmith. That was a couple of decades now, mind.
I think the issue is how Peabody is run now. I understand how they might not call for a welfare check but as far as I can tell, they didn't even try to contact the poor woman when she went into arrears.
The way I see it, social housing costs too much to local councils, 'affordable' housing is becoming unaffordable thanks to increased property values and while 'bricks 'n' mortar' was always considered a wise investment, increases in mortgages, property maintenance costs and letting agents wringing as much money as they can, means that private owners aren't getting the return they once did. The houses are going on the market (without sitting tenants, mind) but the only people who can afford them are other investors - usually big investment firms - who are 'land banking' or can afford to wait for a price drop.
All this means that existing housing associations are having to tighten their belts and run as more of a private venture, who can't afford to be as socially committed as they once were.

I had a mate in my class at school who lived in a Peabody flat in Clerkenwell and they were excellent landlords, so it was a bit of a shock to read this on here. What the hell happened…? That’s a disgusting turn of events by the organisation.

My grandparents ever since they got married always lived in flats owned the high Anglian church, and I have first-hand experience of how good a landlord they were. In fact when my grandmother got sick and had to be put into a home, they paid all of the costs, and that must have cost them a small fortune as she was in that central London home for over 6 years.

Oh, I agree. I dunno what they're like now but there was a Peabody block along from where I lived in Earls Court and a friend of mine's parents lived in a Peabody flat in Hammersmith. That was a couple of decades now, mind.
I think the issue is how Peabody is run now. I understand how they might not call for a welfare check but as far as I can tell, they didn't even try to contact the poor woman when she went into arrears.
The way I see it, social housing costs too much to local councils, 'affordable' housing is becoming unaffordable thanks to increased property values and while 'bricks 'n' mortar' was always considered a wise investment, increases in mortgages, property maintenance costs and letting agents wringing as much money as they can, means that private owners aren't getting the return they once did. The houses are going on the market (without sitting tenants, mind) but the only people who can afford them are other investors - usually big investment firms - who are 'land banking' or can afford to wait for a price drop.
All this means that existing housing associations are having to tighten their belts and run as more of a private venture, who can't afford to be as socially committed as they once were.

I had a mate in my class at school who lived in a Peabody flat in Clerkenwell and they were excellent landlords, so it was a bit of a shock to read this on here. What the hell happened…? That’s a disgusting turn of events by the organisation. Mr Peabody must be spinning in his grave

My grandparents ever since they got married always lived in flats owned the high Anglian church, and I have first-hand experience of how good a landlord they were. In fact when my grandmother got sick and had to be put into a home, they paid all of the costs, and that must have cost them a small fortune as she was in that central London home for over 6 years

 

[Dick Turpin]

Quite recently I was told that the police forced entry to the house of an elderly man who I occasionally chat to in the local pub. He hadn’t been seen by the neighbours for a few days and hadn’t been seen in either of the villages two pubs that he regularly used. The police broke in and found him unconscious on his living room floor. The poor chap had had a stroke, and as I’m typing this I still don’t know how he is. His neighbours or the two publicans have no news.

I guess no news is good news though. I did phone the hospital, but they refused to give me any information about him.

Edit to this. I spoke to the landlady of one of the village pubs last night, and she told me that he's sitting up in the hospital bed talking, so the sings are looking good. I'll see if I can visit him at some point and promise him as much of his beloved Guinness that he can handle - courtesy of Moi of course.

 

[maximus otter]

Bookkeeper lay dead in his Bolton flat for six years

A retired bookkeeper lay dead in his Bolton flat for six years until a council landlord forced entry to carry out a gas check, an inquest has heard.

Robert Alton is thought to have died aged 70 in May 2017 but his “skeletal” remains were not discovered until March this year.

His social landlord, Bolton at Home, continued to receive his rent automatically through housing benefit and made at least ten attempts to visit the property over the time period, with no answer.

His body was only found when officials entered the address on Hemsworth Road using an angle grinder under a court order.

Inside, post was piled 50cm high and Mr Alton’s body was found at the top of the stairs to his first-floor flat, in jeans and a grey jumper, with a television guide for May 4, 2017 left open, reading glasses left on the page, and food with expiry dates in 2017. Six years of council tax arrears went unnoticed.​

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...n-flat-for-six-years/ar-AA1b5GuL?ocid=BingHPC

maximus otter

 

[PeteS]

Bookkeeper lay dead in his Bolton flat for six years

A retired bookkeeper lay dead in his Bolton flat for six years until a council landlord forced entry to carry out a gas check, an inquest has heard.

Robert Alton is thought to have died aged 70 in May 2017 but his “skeletal” remains were not discovered until March this year.

His social landlord, Bolton at Home, continued to receive his rent automatically through housing benefit and made at least ten attempts to visit the property over the time period, with no answer.

His body was only found when officials entered the address on Hemsworth Road using an angle grinder under a court order.

Inside, post was piled 50cm high and Mr Alton’s body was found at the top of the stairs to his first-floor flat, in jeans and a grey jumper, with a television guide for May 4, 2017 left open, reading glasses left on the page, and food with expiry dates in 2017. Six years of council tax arrears went unnoticed.​

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...n-flat-for-six-years/ar-AA1b5GuL?ocid=BingHPC

maximus otter

Nothing would surprise me about Bolton Council and Bolton at Home. A really dreadful state of affairs.

 

[Floyd1]

Nothing would surprise me about Bolton Council and Bolton at Home. A really dreadful state of affairs.

Six years of council tax arrears unnoticed? I bet if I missed just one payment they'd be round quicker than a rat out of a trap.

 

[Stormkhan]

Usually, council tax is the one bill that you can be sent to prison for non-payment, if caught.
It's the one bill that you should always budget towards paying. All the others, you can come to terms etc.

 

[JahaRa]

3 years ago my cousin died alone and was not found for almost a week. She was found because of a neighbor. The only contact information the police could find was the Mormon Church, who only had contact information for her son's dad, who could not care less, but did tell his son, who called his aunt. Otherwise we would have never known and she would have been unclaimed.

 

[ramonmercado]

3 years ago my cousin died alone and was not found for almost a week. She was found because of a neighbor. The only contact information the police could find was the Mormon Church, who only had contact information for her son's dad, who could not care less, but did tell his son, who called his aunt. Otherwise we would have never known and she would have been unclaimed.

That's really sad but at least her/your family got closure.

 

[JahaRa]

That's really sad but at least her/your family got closure.

We got some closure. We don't know why she died or why she was in the city she was in. We hadn't heard from her in almost 2 decades, not even her son had heard from her.

 

[Dick Turpin]

Edit to this. I spoke to the landlady of one of the village pubs last night, and she told me that he's sitting up in the hospital bed talking, so the sings are looking good. I'll see if I can visit him at some point and promise him as much of his beloved Guinness that he can handle - courtesy of Moi of course.

Further edit to this.

Sadly, the gentlemen in question passed away on the Sunday after the Kings coronation. His sister and one of his sons were with him thankfully.

I heard of this so many times over the years, that someone gets ill and hospitalised and are almost at deaths door, then they perk up a bit and friends and relatives breathe a sigh of relief, then they pass away a couple of days later.

 

[catseye]

Quite recently I was told that the police forced entry to the house of an elderly man who I occasionally chat to in the local pub. He hadn’t been seen by the neighbours for a few days and hadn’t been seen in either of the villages two pubs that he regularly used. The police broke in and found him unconscious on his living room floor. The poor chap had had a stroke, and as I’m typing this I still don’t know how he is. His neighbours or the two publicans have no news.

I guess no news is good news though. I did phone the hospital, but they refused to give me any information about him.

My elderly friend John has had two strokes. He's been given a personal alarm so that he can press a button and summon help at the first sign of a problem - he lives alone, very rurally and is only checked up on once a day.

He leaves the alarm, which is supposed to be worn around his neck, hooked on a chair at the back of the living room. It 'gets in the way', apparently. I asked what he would do if he fell and needed help and he wasn't wearing the alarm. He said he could probably crawl to the chair, drag himself up to press the button. I asked what would happen if he had another stroke and was paralysed. His plan then, apparently, is just to wait until the person who checks on him comes in. Which could be 24 hours later.

I have told him to at least drape the alarm over the chair he usually sits in. He hasn't done so, as yet. Sometimes people can be hard to help.

 

[maximus otter]

My elderly friend John has had two strokes. He's been given a personal alarm so that he can press a button and summon help at the first sign of a problem - he lives alone, very rurally and is only checked up on once a day.

He leaves the alarm, which is supposed to be worn around his neck, hooked on a chair at the back of the living room. It 'gets in the way', apparently. I asked what he would do if he fell and needed help and he wasn't wearing the alarm. He said he could probably crawl to the chair, drag himself up to press the button. I asked what would happen if he had another stroke and was paralysed. His plan then, apparently, is just to wait until the person who checks on him comes in. Which could be 24 hours later.

I have told him to at least drape the alarm over the chair he usually sits in. He hasn't done so, as yet. Sometimes people can be hard to help.

"You can tell an old man, but you can't tell him anything."

maximus otter

 

[JahaRa]

Further edit to this.

Sadly, the gentlemen in question passed away on the Sunday after the Kings coronation. His sister and one of his sons were with him thankfully.

I heard of this so many times over the years, that someone gets ill and hospitalised and are almost at deaths door, then they perk up a bit and friends and relatives breathe a sigh of relief, then they pass away a couple of days later.

Yes, that is how it was for my friend last month. She had surgery, seemed to be getting better, went to see the surgeon for the followup, got home and just was gone.

 

[PeteS]

My friend's elderly neighbour was a touch weird, a loner, but an inveterate moaner. Never had visitors and never seen out and about. We used to speculate that if he dropped dead in his home, probably nobody would know. Ironically said friend dropped dead in his home apparently on a Friday night but fortunately was discovered by the Police the following afternoon when his daughters became concerned. Said neighbour would not let the Police enter his back garden to ease access to friends back garden to force open the rear door. Weird.

 

[PeteS]

"You can tell an old man, but you can't tell him anything."

maximus otter

Yep you can't tell me owt that's for sure.

 

[MrRING]

I was reading this article about the fascinating life of monster movie suit and prop maker Paul Blaisdell, and his wife Jackie had an unusual and lonely death.
https://www.tor.com/2011/10/29/the-...nga-canyon-paul-blaisdell-his-life-and-times/

To bring some closure to this story, perhaps stranger and sadder still is the fact that the Blaisdell home was condemned by the County of Los Angeles and marked for demolition after a mudslide in Topanga Canyon all but leveled the house in 1989. Everyone, except the Blaisdells’ closest neighbor, Mark Nygard, had assumed that the reclusive Jackie had moved back east to live with family after Paul’s death, but the bizarre and startling fact is that she’d simply dropped out of sight and remained in the house alone, exposed to the elements, without heat or electricity for nearly two decades until her lonely demise. Nygard had been her friend and confidant in those desolate times, sometimes going to the market for her and seeing to her basic needs. And it was he who discovered her lifeless body in the remnants of her home on December 2,2006. Jackie had met Paul in the early 1950s at the New England School of Art and Design in Boston and married him soon after graduation. The withdrawn and, ultimately, idiosyncratic Jackie had loved Paul deeply, and perhaps a bit irrationally, for that devotion had taken on a truly surreal dimension after his death. In what once survived of that ramshackle house, a family of raccoons had taken up residence in the remnants of the She-Creature costume stored in the attic prior to the collapse of the roof.

This is the She-Creature costume as it appears in the film of the same name:

 

[PeteS]

Apparently it was recently reported that a motorist lay dead under his car for a week in the central reservation of the M40 motorway. Happened early last year and was spotted by a police officers wife in trees and undergrowth ( not often seen on a central reservation up here in the North). Tests showed cocaine and alkyhol in his blood so he may no have suffered too much. Strange event.

 

[charliebrown]

By accident I came across an article that during covid which caused nursing homes and hospitals to lockdown, thousands of people died alone in these facilities completely isolated from their families.

This for me raises the question does not a dying person have rights ?

Families saw their loves ones go in to a hospital only to be called later to pick up their family member’s body.

 

[PeteS]

By accident I came across an article that during covid which caused nursing homes and hospitals to lockdown, thousands of people died alone in these facilities completely isolated from their families.

This for me raises the question does not a dying person have rights ?

Families saw their loves ones go in to a hospital only to be called later to pick up their family member’s body.

They may have died without family members being there (which must have been beyond awful for everyone concerned), but at least they would not have died alone or unnoticed. Not much consolation I agree but not as bad as some of the stories reported on this thread.