Pensioners claim luxury retirement apartment is 'damp and smelly nightmare'
A couple who moved into their dream retirement apartment for an easier life have claimed it "has caused them nothing but stress, worry and anger".
Pensioners Jimmy and Susan Robson said they have been left trapped in a "nightmare" since moving into a property in The Old Registry in Morpeth, Northumberland in November 2021.
The couple paid £165,000 in cash for their one-bedroom apartment, which is among 12 homes that were created from the Grade II former council building and school rooms.
The Robsons, both 70, sold their large home in Ashington to move into the development, described by estate agent Sanderson Young as: "Sympathetically restored...beautiful, spacious modern apartments".
They had hoped that the new apartment would be easier to manage as they both suffer from health issues.
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They cut a piece out of the 'black with mould and smelly' carpet (Newcastle Chronicle)But within two weeks of moving in they were left horrified to discover black mould under the carpet and claim that a pipe leaking waste water from five other apartments has been causing damp issues.
Mrs Robson told ChronicleLive: "Due to the carpet being black with mould and smelly we cut a large piece out to discover a leaking pipe running under our bedroom floor, which we think is the cause of the issues.
"We accessed the plumbing floor plans and it appears that the waste water from the toilets, bath water etc from five other apartments goes through the pipe under our floor."
The couple purchased the property from Northumberland Ltd, which has an office located in the same building
Upon discovering the mould, they reported the issues to director Gary Herron before Christmas 2021 and reported it again after the festive break when they discovered mould on clothes in a drawer, the bed base and mattress, and mould mites crawling around the floor.
The couple bought the one-bed apartment in 2021 (Newcastle Chronicle)Mr Herron said the pipe wasn't leaking and that his company carried out checks to find the root cause of the mould and damp problems, including damp surveys, checking the guttering and downpipes, repairing the windows and reworking a patch of pavement outside their bedroom window.
An environmental health officer from Northumberland County Council also visited the property and recommended steps were taken to resolve the issues, stating that the damp and mould growth was a risk to Mr and Mrs Robson's health.
Mr Herron said that all of environmental health's steps were actioned, but more than a year later the Robsons claimed the issues have still not been resolved.
"It is absolutely disgusting that we have had to put up with this for so long," said Mrs Robson.
"The whole house smells of damp and we really should not be sleeping in the bedroom, but as this is only a one-bedroom apartment, we haven't got a choice.
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"We felt that once Northumberland Group took our money, they were not interested in the problems at all. We feel they are laughing at us and the fact their office is just opposite our door makes things 10 times worse."
While Mr Herron said that checks have shown the pipe is not leaking, Northumberland Ltd has arranged for the floor to be fitted with a damp-proof barrier membrane to eliminate any condensation that might be caused by the pipe.
He said he feels that the company has acted properly to address the complaints, which he said should have come to light if the couple had paid for a building survey before they bought the property.
They said it's 'absolutely disgusting' repairs have taken so long (Newcastle Chronicle)"This building is hundreds of years old, with some parts going back to the 18th century," he said. "Buildings of this age can have built-in issues, but we feel that we have done everything we can to support the Robsons."
He added: "We are not aware of any other damp problems in the other apartments. But the issue does need resolved and it has taken longer than I would have liked. I think we are a couple of weeks away from resolving it. If we could have sorted it earlier, we would have done, but there was no point in rushing in before we eliminated other potential causes.
"I know Mr and Mrs Robson are very frustrated but I don't want to fall out with them over this. I am frustrated too, although I acknowledge that it's not me having to live there.
"It has not been a quick job, because we have had to eliminate potential causes one by one, but we have arranged for a contractor to come into the property next week to hopefully solve the problems once and for all."
The couple are now concerned about their health after being unable to move from the apartment.
Mrs Robson said: "My husband has a number of physical and mental health problems and I have suffered a mild heart attack and a stroke.
"This place has turned into a nightmare for us. We are trapped as we can’t move or sell due to the conditions within this apartment."
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