Cowboy builders cause homeowners 8-year nightmare

THREE couples whose dream homes descended into an eight-year nightmare of "cowboy" builders and costly litigation are due more than £100,000 after an Appeal Court ruling.The couples purchased new houses in Cooper Close, Brampton Brierlow, a

THREE couples whose dream homes descended into an eight-year nightmare of "cowboy" builders and costly litigation are due more than £100,000 after an Appeal Court ruling.

The couples purchased new houses in Cooper Close, Brampton Brierlow, after they were built in 2001, but brickwork on the properties soon began falling apart.

And when Westbury Homes (Holdings) Ltd unwittingly instructed "cowboy" builders to repair the damage, things got even worse, top judges were told by barrister Mr Jonathan French.

Mr French said that Philip and Caroline Strange, Craig and Donna Butcher and Geoffrey and Doris Lancashire had their gardens trampled on by workmen.

The men also urinated against their homes and put solid waste down their drains and work which was supposed to last two weeks went on for three months, the barrister added.

Pensioner Mr Lancashire, who is in his 70s, was sworn at, Mr French told the court, Mr Butcher was threatened with arson—and the remedial work carried out by Pennine Exterior Restorations Ltd wasn't done properly.

At the High Court in Leeds, a judge awarded each couple £2,000 compensation for the distress they had suffered, £5,000 for the drop in the value of their homes, and ordered that Westbury give them more than £80,000 in total to finally restore the brickwork.

But Westbury—who have since been taken over by Persimmon Homes Ltd—challenged those figures last week.

Sir Anthony May, Lord Justice Dyson and Lord Justice Wall were told that fresh remedial works could be done much more cheaply than the sums awarded by Judge John Cockcroft.

But upholding the awards as "reasonable," Lord Justice Dyson dismissed the appeal and also rejected arguments that the homes—which are currently worth around £200,000 each—had not suffered a drop in value.

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