A couple claim their £275,000 dream home has turned into a house of horrors after builders buried an overflowing sewage tanker in their front garden.
Darren, 51, and Maria Bradley, 36, bought their home in Walsall three years ago but say they have faced a litany of issues including a fire alarm which failed to go off despite a kitchen blaze.
They claim developers Morris homes ‘cut corners’ and a sewage tank designed to accommodate five homes has to cope with waste from 32 properties – resulting in constant overflows of human waste coming up through their sink.
Darren, 51, and Maria Bradley, 36, bought their ‘dream home’ in Walsall for £275,000 three years ago – but claim this sewage tank was not included in the original plans
The Bradleys claim a tanker would visit twice daily to empty the overflowing sewage at the Heatherton Place development
The huge sewage tank that has been buried in the front garden of the Bradley’s home
The Bradleys claim a tanker would visit twice daily to empty the overflowing sewage at the Heatherton Place development in Walsall.
The couple say they have spent some £18,000 in solicitor’s fees trying to fix the issues.
Mr Bradley said: ‘After getting married this was meant to be our dream home but now we wished we had never bought it.
‘We can’t have friends or family over because of the constant smell of human waste and we are cleaning none stop to try and mask the smell.
‘In the summer months it is even worse. Something has managed to go wrong with the house ever since we moved in and it’s just mentally exhausting.
‘When we flushed the toilet the water would bubble up through the sink and we have even had human waste and nappies come up onto our driveway.
‘Christmas was a nightmare – when they turned up to empty the tank it absolutely stank and when we went on holiday we came back to a kitchen full of flies because of the waste.’
The beleaguered couple said they wish they had never bought the home and say they cannot have friends over
The couple, who both work as paramedics, were originally told they could move into the house in February 2015.
But they were delayed by nine months after the company said there was an issue with the roof.
The couple claim they later discovered it was a sewerage problem and a tank had been buried in their front garden which was not included in the original plans.
The couple in front of the tank in their garden
Mrs Bradley said: ‘They fitted a new pump to try and push the waste through. However the tanker has started to come back as it’s starting to get blocked again.
‘For the last three years the tanker comes twice a day at whatever time they like and because we work nights it really effects the sleep we get.
‘The cover is not secure and anyone could open it and fall in.
‘They needed to dig up the road to put the tank in the right place to start with but to cut corners and save money they put it in the garden.’
And Mr Bradley also claims he received an electric shock while changing a socket and fire alarms failed to go off after a fire broke out in their kitchen.
He added: ‘It’s like the house that Jack built. There are holes in the walls that we have had to put tape over to stop the smell and there is mould in the bathroom from leaks.
‘We should have paid around £1,800 for solicitors fees when we moved but now I think we have spent £18,000 now on trying to get things put right.
‘We have been in constant contact with Morris Homes since we moved in and they just don’t care, in fact, they just think we are a nuisance.
‘Altogether I reckon we have lost around £50,000 on the house in the time we have been here. We can’t even sell the house and move on because who would buy it?’
The pair are now working with Environmental Health in hopes that the tank can be moved and they can live happily in their dream home
The couple are now working with Environmental Health in hopes that the tank can be moved and they can live happily in their dream home.
A Morris Homes spokeswoman said: ‘As one of the UK’s leading house builders we pride ourselves on the standard of our homes and our customer care.
‘If things do go wrong we do our best to work with residents to put them right.
‘The drainage solution to this development is built fully in accordance with building regulations and is fully operational.
‘The system is connected to the main sewer and is inspected on a monthly basis by our maintenance contractor.
‘Prior to completing on this property Mr Bradley and Miss Howell were made fully aware of the current drainage solution.
‘We would be more than happy to speak to them further about any new concerns and our inspection teams are always on hand to ensure safety compliance and reassurance.’