Wandsworth Woman Working Three Jobs Evicted
Nine weeks later she still hasn’t been given access to her belongings
Andrea Gilbert, 36. Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
December 21, 2023
A local mother says she is still sofa surfing and does not have her belongings more than nine weeks after being evicted from the flat she was living in. Andrea Gilbert, 36, said she has been left in “limbo” and is desperate to have her belongings back, including her clothes and passport.
Ms Gilbert said she returned home from a trip between 6 and 11 October to find the locks of the flat she had been living in since 2019 changed. A notice advising her of the lock change said anyone wishing to gain access to remove their personal belongings must contact property manager Touchstone, which was not involved in the eviction, within 14 days. It said the notice had been issued on 9 October and it expired on 23 October.
Ms Gilbert claimed she was not aware the eviction would be going ahead on that date. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she is currently homeless and has been “all over the place” staying at family and friends’ homes in and out of London since.
She said she went to Wandsworth Council on 13 October for emergency accommodation but was not offered a place and instead told to stay with friends. “If it wasn’t for my family, I’d be on the streets,” she said. “That’s the reality here. If I had no one, if I wasn’t born here, I’d be on the streets.”
Touchstone said the eviction was arranged by the property’s owner and the courts had notified Ms Gilbert in advance. The company was appointed as an LPA Receiver to take over management of the property from the owner in April this year.
Ms Gilbert claimed the council contacted Touchstone to retrieve her belongings on 13 October and she emailed the company three days later, but she was not contacted by them about arranging a time for collection until December. She told the LDRS she has struggled to receive any communication from the company, and that her missing belongings include her passport, clothes, birth certificate and items owned by her daughter. Touchstone apologised for the length of time it has taken for Ms Gilbert to get her belongings.
Ms Gilbert said, “I’m cold, I’m in unsuitable clothing. My mental health has gone down, which is affecting me physically because I’m not eating properly.”
She expressed gratitude for the people who have supported her, but said not having enough space puts stress on relationships. She continued, “I’m staying in some overcrowded properties right now. I’m sleeping on sofas. I’m 36 years old, do you know what I mean? And it’s not like I’m not working and things like that. I’ve got three jobs now. I’m an advocate, security guard and I work for a homeless charity.”
Andrea claimed she missed out on a private property she had bid for as she did not have her passport to complete the reference checks. She said, “[I] missed out on an opportunity and [I’ve] just pretty much been living everywhere – in London, out of London, living with multiple relatives, my friends… I’m literally all over the place at the moment.”
She said she reported the situation to the Met Police, but was told it could not get involved in civil matters. A Met Police spokesperson told the LDRS that, after assessing the information, officers advised Ms Gilbert “there was no evidence of any criminal offences taking place and that the issue was a civil matter”.
The 14-day notice advising of the lock change at the property. Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon
Although she is still sofa-surfing, she told the LDRS she has now met with her caseworker and the council is looking for a property to move her into – with two viewings potentially coming up. A Touchstone spokesperson said, “We have great sympathy for the position Ms Gilbert is in and hope that she is able to find somewhere permanent to live. Her eviction was not arranged or conducted by us. It was arranged by the owner, with court bailiffs present on the day, and we understand Ms Gilbert had been notified by the courts in advance.
“We were not involved in the eviction, but as Receivers we had to secure the property after the eviction had taken place and our locksmiths did so. We are speaking to Ms Gilbert so she can get her belongings back as soon as possible and we are sorry for the time this has taken.”
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said, “We are in contact with Ms Gilbert and actively assessing her application for a property.”
Charlotte Lilywhite - Local Democracy Reporter