Clear up after death

Sounds to me like they're all passing the buck. But I'm at a loss on how to suggest taking it further. Email your MP? CAB? Age UK?
 
I went to my friends flat 3 months ago, there was a really bad smell. We joked that someone had died, anyway queue 6 weeks later, the smell got so bad they went hunting round for the source of it, my friend sniffed under one door in the building. was deffo coming from that place so they called the police.

There had been an old man who had hemorrhaged in his bathroom and had been led on the floor and bled completely out with the body being there for 6 weeks.

Wasn't a pleasant smell at all, and not a nice situation to see and have to clean up.

Sad thing was he had no family, the coroner was phoning my friend after that for the next few weeks as he had no family, no next of kin but my friend had no details to give them other than what was in his post box and no info found in the flat on any relatives/friends.
 
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Exactly, I keep being met with "legally we have no right" etc etc without notice.



Unfortunately no, my son has nowhere else to go. He's 12 so just about understands it all, but it's not been pleasant for him.

Yeah... that's not on really, and I'm sure you know this already, but the sort of thing that could have long term effects on your son at that age. No friends he can stay with?

I'd be down the council offices wanting to know when it's going to be sorted and not leaving until it was or I'd been given alternative accomodation.
 
No suggestions really but I am alarmed at the councils attitude to this. I would have thought removing the smell of a decomposed body in a block of flats would be a priority. And am amazed all this red tape cannot be circumnavigated in such gruesome circumstances.
 
Its down to the individual district housing office and how quick they can speed things up. They'll need to go through the public trustees in order to regain the property.

If I were you, i'd go in to the DHO (district housing office) as much as possible. But as you've rightly said, Nobody can gain access until they have the right to.

Dont know what else to say, had a few like this. Its even worse when they pass and leave the central heating on. You might start to see a lot flies in the coming few days. But honestly dont worry too much, once they've got access the problem will be fixed and more likely turned around and rented back out within 6 weeks.

As for the smell, having many of times witnessed this.... You have my feels ;) ..... Its one of, if not the worse smells around!
 
Sounds to me like they're all passing the buck. But I'm at a loss on how to suggest taking it further. Email your MP? CAB? Age UK?

There are probably many but I would guess that most will say to contact the people I already have. I am considering speaking to our local paper. Perhaps publicity on this type of situation will help create changes to allow quicker clean ups in similar situations. Seems like both the relevant parties in this just want to hide behind legislation, though that's perhaps a little unfair, I suppose they have to follow the law.

I went to my friends flat 3 months ago, there was a really bad smell. We joked that someone had died, anyway queue 6 weeks later, the smell got so bad they went hunting round for the source of it, my friend sniffed under one door in the building. was deffo coming from that place so they called the police.

There had been an old man who had hemorrhaged in his bathroom and had been led on the floor and bled completely out with the body being there for 6 weeks.

Wasn't a pleasant smell at all, and not a nice situation to see and have to clean up.

Sad thing was he had no family, the coroner was phoning my friend after that for the next few weeks as he had no family, no next of kin but my friend had no details to give them other than what was in his post box and no info found in the flat on any relatives/friends.

That sounds grim. :(

Yeah... that's not on really, and I'm sure you know this already, but the sort of thing that could have long term effects on your son at that age. No friends he can stay with?

I'd be down the council offices wanting to know when it's going to be sorted and not leaving until it was or I'd been given alternative accommodation.

Whilst we might have a point I'd doubt they would do anything and I don't want to use this as a tool to try and move, I just want them to sort it. I'm not one to scream and shout to get what I want but feel something like this needs to have a quicker procedure to help those affected and to reduce health risks.
 
Who would you expect to pay for the cleanup?

Well it sounds like the council or EVH will pay for it eventually either way after they've jumped through numerous hoops probably costing more money so why not just do it straight away?
 
Charcoal will absorb some of the odour.

will it really? in carbon filters it's a specific type of charcoal and the air is puled directly through about 1feet of carbon, the molecules of smell are to big and get trapped within the carbon.




simply putting charcoal near a smell will do nothing?
 
No suggestions really but I am alarmed at the councils attitude to this. I would have thought removing the smell of a decomposed body in a block of flats would be a priority. And am amazed all this red tape cannot be circumnavigated in such gruesome circumstances.

You cant bend the law to suit individual cases! It is what it is, if the council could act, they would. Right now the rent arrears are continuing to increase and there's nothing anyone can do about it until they regain access.
 
There are probably many but I would guess that most will say to contact the people I already have. I am considering speaking to our local paper. Perhaps publicity on this type of situation will help create changes to allow quicker clean ups in similar situations.

I would - tell the council they've got 48 hours to sort it or you'll go to the press.

Whilst we might have a point I'd doubt they would do anything and I don't want to use this as a tool to try and move, I just want them to sort it.

I'm not suggesting they move you permanently - just sticking you in a flat/b&b for a few nights until they sort it.

Who would you expect to pay for the cleanup?

The council surely? The same people who'd pay for the cleanup if he died in the street, who get paid council tax by the local residents for it.
 
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Well it sounds like the council or EVH will pay for it eventually either way after they've jumped through numerous hoops probably costing more money so why not just do it straight away?

Most likely because the council or EV didn't attend in the first instance.
 
Most likely because the council or EV didn't attend in the first instance.

For this type of clean up a specialist would need to be called yes, at the council expense. Blood is hard to clean... when it comes to flesh, i.e brains its like cement, hence the specialist.

If the guy had been there a while likelyhood is.... In fact, i'l leave it there.
 
That may not be entirely constructive. They'd never be able to gain entry in that time frame even if they really wanted to.

It may not be constructive. It may not be reasonable, but ultimately that's not the OP's problem, the smell of decomposing body which is upsetting his son is.

And besides, 48 hours should be plenty of time for them to arrange alternative accomodation for the OP.
 
I would - tell the council they've got 48 hours to sort it or you'll go to the press.



I'm not suggesting they move you permanently - just sticking you in a flat/b&b for a few nights until they sort it.


If it becomes too unbearable I will consider that option. Last night we could smell it in our flat. I'm hoping that when I get home from work the smell may have subsided, but I won't hold my breath (:o)
 
For your own sanity, make a couple of febreeze bombs (air freshner cans with a zip tie over them, neutradol or oust would be best) and chuck them through the letterbox. Get a cooker hood filter with activated charcoal in it and tape it over the letterbox and any gaps around the door. Then tell the local authority you can hear a lot of flies to speed them up a bit.

Pretty shocking that nothing is being done quicker, but that is councils for you.

E: Don't use vicks, it will just open your airways more and let more of that stench in!
 
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