ScaredEitherWay Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 The husband of a mother who was electrocuted in the bath of a rented cottage in Cornwall has called for a change in the law.... the property had no earth connection. ... a combination of faults in the property had proved fatal. He had measured 175 volts between the bath taps and a waste pipe in the bathroom, the trip-switch in the house did not work, there was a fault in an oil heater and a corroded pipe around the earth of the mains of the property. The inquest heard the cottage had not had a full electrical check since 1981. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/8140632.stm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 BTL goldmine was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cashinmattress Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Just some propaganda to prelude a new fangled tenant/landlord tax...ie inspections and certification... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest happy? Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Just some propaganda to prelude a new fangled tenant/landlord tax...ie inspections and certification... I think the existing one would have been adequate. Manslaughter charge anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ayatollah Buggeri Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 An accidental death verdict was reported, which would seem to rule a manslaughter charge out (doesn't the death have to be judged an unlawful killing before anyone can be charged with murder or manslaughter in respect of it?). That seems to me a perverse verdict: the electrical system in the house was in such a poor state that IMO the LL is at the very least guilty of gross negligence. I can't believe that there is no existing criminal law whatsoever under which she could be charged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ungeared Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think you'll find she was most definately charged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The General Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think you'll find she was most definately charged Shocking comment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abharrisson Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 This is where you'll find all the loons who have been revoltingly gloating over that suicide in the city start chipping in with their vile comments...... judging by their previous behaviour I wouldn't put it past those prats to say something like.. serves them right for renting or some such nonsense..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erat_forte Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 This is where you'll find all the loons who have been revoltingly gloating over that suicide in the city start chipping in with their vile comments...... judging by their previous behaviour I wouldn't put it past those prats to say something like.. serves them right for renting or some such nonsense..... Revolting, wire people saying such things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wealthy Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 serves them right for renting or some such nonsense..... "serves them right for renting."? Do you even read this forum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 So how often should they legislate for rentals to be electrically tested? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsgate Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 This is where you'll find all the loons who have been revoltingly gloating over that suicide in the city start chipping in with their vile comments...... judging by their previous behaviour I wouldn't put it past those prats to say something like.. serves them right for renting or some such nonsense..... Well why not, eh? At least young Anjoon was a winner in his own mind, until he jumped. This person was a saddo loser, why have any sympathy. Mwahahahaha. What about owner-occupied houses? - they don't have to be inspected for electricity or gas or have smoke alarms or ANYTHING. People can choose to live in a DEATHTRAP with little kids, and they are just allowed to. Something must be done, lets have more inspectors and rules, eh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsgate Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 So how often should they legislate for rentals to be electrically tested? For HMOs its every 5 years - it is for ours anyway. Once you have a modern, RCD consumer unit fitted, any minor wiring or appliance faults would pretty much trip the breakers anyway..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectre Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 (edited) The family moved in four days before Thirza Whittall was killed. Four days, the place was a death trap. Scum bag Landlord. Edited July 8, 2009 by spectre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingsgate Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Four days, the place was a death trap. Scum bag Landlord. Its like that case where this woman boughtr a house and got electrocuted sahortly after because the previous owner or his tradesman had done some dodgy wiring in the kitchen, as soon as she touched something she died. Problem is, no-one knows that something is dangerous until something goes wrong. We had a tenant move into one of our houses, his faulty appliance (anserring machine I think) set the house on fire, burnt out one room, fortunately they all got out. His appliance, it was duff, his "fault"? He didn't know it was dangerous. Our wiring met all the standards, so not our "fault" either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectre Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) Problem is, no-one knows that something is dangerous until something goes wrong. bo110x, It's called maintenance. and as for no-one knows, certainly a sparky would. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...s-new-home.html. the home hadn't been rewired or inspected electrically since 1981.'The 35-year-old volt trip switch to the main fuse board was not working,' he said. 'The main earth bond to the entire home had corroded though - meaning there was no earth in the event of a fault to ground lethal voltage. 'There was not enough supplemental earth bonding in the bathroom, and catastrophically the ageing oil-filled heater in the bathroom was also laced with faults. 'The heater, which Thirza was using to heat the bath, was more than 30 years old, had a damaged flex and the wrong size fuse was fitted to the plug. No one would have had a ******ing clue that was dangerous would they????? http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/homepagene...il/article.html the cottage belonged to villager Hilary Thompson, who had inherited the property from her mother in 1986. Mrs Whittall's husband Fred, a builder, had raised the issue of installing a residual current device – a safety trip switch – on part of the circuit with Mrs Thompson. She had asked local electrician Gerald "Bruce" Brockhurst about the work but he had been unable to fit it in before the Whittalls moved in. Edited July 9, 2009 by spectre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bomberbrown Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) Four days, the place was a death trap. Scum bag Landlord. Lets not be too hasty with the landlady witch hunt shall we. Landlady Hilary Thompson had asked a local electrician to look over the property before the new family moved in, but because of work pressure, he had not done so. Edited July 9, 2009 by bomberbrown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebenstein Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11...s-new-home.html This story is truly nasty and demonstrates why landlords must be forced to carry out annual safety inspections of any potentially hazardous items in their rental properties. When I owned a BTL I had it checked every year and even put in an RCD fuse box for safety - I believe every landlord should be forced to do this immediately and if not they should be banned from letting their properties out and if they break that rule they should be fined tens of thousands of pounds. Personally I equate this level of negligence to manslaughter and the landlord should go to prison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrude Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 shocking, I can't believe rental properties don't have to go through the similar safety checks as places of work. Technically they are commercial properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry AKA Pod Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I don't think it should be any different to the laws about any household to be honest. Who are you going to blame when it happens to your own wife or kid, in your (mortgaged) house? Sad at finding myself sticking up for landlords Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Injin Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Mother of two puts her own children at risk by not performing basic safety checks, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Mother of two puts her own children at risk by not performing basic safety checks, no? No. She rented a property. It was the landlord's obligation to ensure it was safe to rent. That's the difference between renting and owning. It's not up to a Mum in a rental home to run a multimeter between the taps and Earth before she bathes the kiddies. My call is that the landlord will face criminal charges over this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Monk Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 We had a tenant move into one of our houses, his faulty appliance (anserring machine I think) set the house on fire, burnt out one room, fortunately they all got out. His appliance, it was duff, his "fault"? He didn't know it was dangerous. Our wiring met all the standards, so not our "fault" either. I am calling you a liar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Virtually every house we've veiwed has had old wiring. 20-30+ year old. None of the people seem bothered they only have a very limited number of sockets in each room, or worse, mixes of sockets and partially rewired rooms. Next time you view a house look at how many light switch types and sockets you have. The wiring is always "fine" until it hurts someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic the Hedge Fund Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Virtually every house we've veiwed has had old wiring. 20-30+ year old. None of the people seem bothered they only have a very limited number of sockets in each room, or worse, mixes of sockets and partially rewired rooms. Next time you view a house look at how many light switch types and sockets you have. The wiring is always "fine" until it hurts someone. Too true Also watch out for the 'faceplate and box swap'. I have seen too many houses with full set of shiny new sockets, switches and consumer unit, but 30Yrs+ wiring still lurking out of sight. One place I inspected even had 60yr old rubber cables wired into a brand new CU. Vendors say 'we had the electrics done' but all they have is a new consumer unit, and all too often fitted by an amateur. If you are at all unsure get it tested - it's less than a day's work to test a whole house. But also beware that only a minority of sparks are actually qualified to do test & inspection - ask to see their certificate - City and Guilds 2391 or 2392 are the usual ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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