A mum claims that she was forced to sleep in her car after moving into a 'filthy' council house. Michelle Cowles alleges that she found "illegal substances" and "faeces on the floor and walls", reports Bristol Live.
The mother-of-four mutually exchanged her home a few weeks ago but claims she was horrified to see the state of her new abode upon arrival. Michelle Cowles alleges that Bristol City Council are taking no responsibility for the mess left in the property.
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."
The mother alleges she then resorted to contacting an extreme cleaning company, who spent two days getting the house into a liveable condition. Michelle added: “There were faeces on the floor and walls and even a lawnmower with electrical items and grime just piled up in a corner.
"It wasn't a very nice state to leave a property in.” The mother first viewed the house in August, where she felt it needed decoration and was 'very lived in.' Following, her visit the house was inspected the next month and passed.
Michelle said: “In documents received from the surveyor regarding the Bedminster property there was no mention of any damage, broken window or significant amounts of black mould on doors.”
The mum said that prior to contracts being signed, the surveyor made a list featuring relevant work to be completed for each party involved with the exchange process. She claims that list included photographic proof from each tenant before the homes could be signed off as "acceptable to move into".
Michelle said the damage included an exposed hole and poor ventilation inside the kitchen. However, she alleges that when reaching out to the council, they claimed the damage had occurred after the initial inspection and refused her access to the pictures the surveyor had taken.
Michelle said: “It's a substantial amount of damage that does not just happen over a couple of days. I have spent more than £700 trying to sort out this house including storage fees because I haven’t been able to move all our belongings yet.”
"I was really excited to move but it has just turned into a nightmare - my family's Christmas is ruined." The property's next inspection will come in January, but the mum thinks the house should be looked at well before then.
Michelle added: "The council have a duty to ensure the home and garden are safe and secure and this one isn't." A Bristol City Council spokesperson have said that it is "investigating the situation".
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
