A couple living in a council flat in the Victoria Centre block have been forced to stay in a hotel after their ceiling collapsed due to a flood. The husband and wife say the water leak had originated in a flat above and left their property smelling "like poo".
Marie Mullan, 54, who lives in her Nottingham City Homes (NCH) flat with husband Shaun, 56, said the ordeal began on Saturday, August 20. The full-time cleaner said a plumber had visited their residence in an attempt to remedy the problem before it worsened, however the leak had been originating from above.
Problems with access to a property above, which was a leaseholder flat and not one belonging to Nottingham City Homes, only led to the issue becoming worse. By Monday morning the flooding had spread to her kitchen and living room, where the plastered ceiling soon collapsed.
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"It absolutely stunk," she says. "It smelled like poo."
"We had an electrician come and they told [NCH] it was not safe for me to be there. I am so frustrated. I had just decorated it all myself."
Mrs Mullan says she does not expect to land compensation, because the issue stemmed from a flat above which is not owned by NCH. She added: "It is just the way I have been treated.
"They say I may not get compensation because the properties are private-rented above. We have been here four years. It is the second leak we've had.
"I've been having to go back three times a day to empty the flat of water."
Mrs Mullan was first put up in another flat in the Victoria Centre block, but will be moved to a hotel on Monday, August 29. A spokesman for Nottingham City Homes says the issue stemmed from a plumber working in a private residence.
They added: “The leak affecting a small number of the homes we manage in the Victoria Centre flats was caused by an independent plumber, working in a leasehold property.
"As some of our tenants were affected by the leak, we attended the site on several occasions between Saturday evening and today, including two occasions in the early hours of Tuesday morning, to offer support and take what action we could to support them and mitigate the effects of the leak.
“We have moved Mrs Mullan into alternative accommodation while her home is being dried out, and will carry out remedial works as required. We have also said that we will supply her with the necessary paperwork to make a claim for compensation, although this is neither an admission of liability nor a guarantee that she will receive an award.
"We will be speaking to the leaseholder who owns the flat at the source of the leak about their responsibility to make sure repairs are carried out correctly.”
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