An NHS worker claims she is being forced out of her family home permanently after housing company, Torus, previously assured her the move would only be temporary while they fixed her 'building site' property.
Susan Rose claims she has had issues in her two-bedroom cottage in Aigburth for years, including mould, damp, live wires, and bird faeces leaking through a chimney onto her kitchen worktops. She claims that after multiple complaints and several "botched" repair jobs, Torus, who owns the property, said they would move her out temporarily while they repaired the house.
However, the 48-year-old NHS retinal screener claims just before Christmas she was suddenly informed by Torus that she had to move out of her family home permanently, leaving her distraught.
READ MORE:Woman's five word admission to police after murdering fiancé
READ MORE: Darts sensation Luke Littler, 16, surprised as he makes admission on real age after bet
Susan said issues began years ago, when faced with problems with damp and the lack of a working kitchen. During the Covid-19 pandemic she hand-delivered a complaint to the Torus office, asking for the liaison officer who had arranged for her kitchen to be sorted.
She said: "When I asked for the liaison officer, I was told that she didn't work there anymore. However, within half an hour of me hand-delivering the letter, I got a phone call from her – still working in the company. She said she was baffled at what she was looking at and that she was looking at a building site.
"She asked me what I wanted to happen, so I told her that the damp needs sorting. They sent a man to the house who did a big report, but Torus said they couldn't find the report."
Susan claims she has had her kitchen ripped out multiple times and, on several occasions after work had been finished, problems returned – sometimes worse than before.
The NHS worker claims she is constantly ill, which she believes is due to damp and mould in the property and that she was even told to stop taking showers. She added: "They told me to stop using my bathroom at one point they said don't get a shower because the floor's coming up.
"There has been ongoing issues for a number of years. They've come in and told me they've fixed something, and then they don't fix it, and then I don't hear off them for months – it's a constant battle of me chasing them up. I've taken up most of my holidays from work, just with appointments and letting people into the house.
"I hear birds in the chimney and they leave droppings on my kitchen counters – I have to eat in here, and I can't even have people round here to eat. It's not fit to live in.
"I pay full rent – they haven't reduced my rent, they haven't said sorry. In this day and age, you wouldn't think they'd be able to get away with it."
Susan claims Torus eventually told her they would move her out of the cottage temporarily while they worked on the property but this changed just before Christmas when they called an emergency meeting. She told the ECHO how staff came round and informed her she'd be moving out of her family home, which was once her father's home, permanently, as they now didn't have the money to repair the house.
She said: "I haven't suddenly just gone to them and said I wasn't happy, these are ongoing issues for the past couple of years. When I've met with them they've told me that if they need to knock the house down and rebuild it, they can do it; they said they had government grants to make the houses efficient. So why now, all of a sudden, have they not got the money to do it?"
In pictures taken by the Liverpool ECHO evidence of damp, mould and a kitchen with bare walls can be seen. The ECHO contacted Torus and Michael Steele, head of asset maintenance at the housing association, said: “Ensuring our tenants have a safe and decent home is a priority for Torus.
“It has become apparent, despite our efforts to address various issues at the property, that more comprehensive work is necessary. This situation is particularly challenging due to the age of the building, over 150 years old, necessitating a further thorough evaluation of all the required works to ensure the property can meet the latest decent homes standard regarding comfort, facilities, and energy efficiency.
"This review may lead to the conclusion that it is not practically possible to undertake these works. Whilst this is done, we have offered the tenant alternative accommodation.
"We are acutely aware of the distress and inconvenience this situation causes our tenant. We are actively exploring all viable solutions, but it is important to be transparent about the uncertainties we face. We have discussed this with the tenant, preparing them for the possibility that returning to the property may not be an option.
“We are dedicated to maintaining open communication with our tenant, ensuring they are supported and informed throughout this process.”
The Liverpool Echo Premium app is just £12 for 12 months for a limited time