Tracy Atkins-Glover says she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of the ongoing issues with her home, two years after the initial issue
A distraught Liverpool woman says her Christmas has been ruined after routine building work turned her house into a ‘nightmare’.
Two years ago Tracy Atkins-Glover discovered a leak in her home in Devonfield Road in Orrell Park in Liverpool.
She says she was instructed by her insurance company, Covéa, to employ a building firm to carry out the work. But two years on, Ms Atkins-Glover says that what should have been a routine job has turned into a disaster.
The 57-year-old and her husband Dale had to move out of their house while the work was carried out. But when they returned they had concerns about what had been done. She said another builder came to inspect the work and told them that dry rot had spread throughout the house. The couple believe the issues with the house have been making them unwell.
Mrs Atkins-Glover said: “At first when we moved back in it seemed fine. Then we started to see brown dust appearing from beneath the floor and the whole floor was bouncing with cracks appearing. We asked another builder to come out and look at it and that’s when we realised how bad it all was. He said we needed to rip the whole ground floor up again.” The couple have now been offered temporary accommodation by their insurance company.
She added: “I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This house is a danger to our health. It is the week before Christmas and we are now trying to find somewhere else to live because this place is giving us respiratory issues and we can’t stay here. I’ve got my Christmas tree in the living room and next to it is just a big hole in the floor. We have to stay upstairs to stay away from the spores.
“I can’t do Christmas dinner at my house like I always do, I can’t even have my three-year-old granddaughter round. This is destroying my whole life and it has ruined our Christmas. I am absolutely devastated. I am so frightened right now and I can’t see a way out. I feel like everything has been taken from me and I don’t know what will happen next. All I want is to feel safe and comfortable in my own home.”
Mrs Atkins-Glover and her husband now face months living out of their home again while the work is corrected. She says she has spent a month trying to get her insurance company to come and see the state of the house. The company says it is still investigating the situation and has now offered to fund temporary accommodation for the couple.
A spokesperson for Covéa insurance said: “Unfortunately, this is a complex case, and the facts are not clear cut. We are taking all necessary actions including offering alternative accommodation to Mrs Atkins-Glover while our investigations are carried out. We appreciate that this is taking some time but are doing everything possible at the current time to find a resolution for her.”
