Blog entered 25 August 2014

 CORNWALL HOMECHOICE ‘WILLFUL DECEPTION AWARD’ (8)

A weekly feature which will consider the picture Cornwall Homechoice applicants come across when trying to view the property they are considering bidding on.

Since posting the first (2) awards I have now added a 3rd award in response to a growing contempt towards bidders.
According to Cornwall Council it is the Landlord who is responsible for adding the picture to the advertisement.

Because the advertisement is on Cornwall Council’s website the ‘Willful Deception Award’ is therefore awarded to both the Council, for abdicating it’s responsibility to the public, and it’s worst 3 housing partners for that week.

In most cases the picture will be willfuly misleading because the Council/partners would have been aware of the problem previously.

Week (8) : 23/08/2014 to 27/08/2014.

1st place ‘Willful Deception Award’ goes to CORNWALL COUNCIL & DEVON & CORNWALL HOUSING (DCH), for using the “No Photo Available” image for 4 properties. CC & DCH came 2nd last week.

DCH is another one of those rich housing charities which consistently cannot be bothered.

2nd place ‘Willful Deception Award’ goes to CORNWALL COUNCIL & COASTLINE HOUSING for using the “Energy Performance Certificate” images for 3 properties. (Different values).

3rd place ‘Willful Deception Award’. There is no 3rd place this week. An improvement.

A special mention for the image used by COASTLINE HOUSING, above, which lacks flair for showing too much flare.

The serious side to this on-going problem is that when I have gathered enough evidence I will lodge a formal written complaint with Devon & Cornwall Constabulary.

But won’t D&CC just protect Cornwall Council and the Landlords I hear you say ? absolutely, but what D&CC won’t do is claim it never received it.

(Update 25/07/14 : A Manager representing Cornwall Council has since confirmed in writing that Cornwall Council will not accept any responsibility for misleading or “willfuly misleading” photographs or information which appear on the Council’s website with regard to Cornwall Homechoice).

Footnote : Although I appreciate Landlords may not want the public to know a property belonging to them is empty, and therefore do not want the property to be identified, this is the system the Council introduced and which the Landlords agreed to follow. While it remains in use the Council and the Landlords should adhere to it.

I am also aware of some properties which the Council and the Landlord did not want identified because the properties were ‘ringfenced’, and which involved the Council and the Landlord in all sorts of unlawful practises.