A mum-of-four in Bristol has said that her local council is "refusing to take responsibility" for the "awful state" her council exchange property had been left in, with Bristol City Council denying her access to photographic evidence from the initial inspection. Michelle Cowles mutually exchanged her home just weeks ago, but told Bristol Live she was forced to spend two nights sleeping in her car after finding her new property in Bedminster in a "filthy" state after discovering items including "illegal substances" and "faeces on the floor and walls".
She said: “We were homeless for over a week because the council refused to admit they had any responsibility or liability and did absolutely nothing to help accommodate. They said I signed the house exchange paperwork so it's my fault - it's all my responsibility."
Cowles resorted to calling an extreme cleaning company to get the house in living condition, spending several hours across two days cleaning it. “There were faeces on the floor and walls and even a lawnmower with electrical items and grime just piled up in a corner," she added. "It wasn't a very nice state to leave a property in.”
