A mother says she has endured a four-year “nightmare” after her neighbour allegedly demolished his side of their semi-detached home without permission.
Shivarna Mitra, 44, spent years saving for the three-bedroom property in Pudsey, Leeds, where she had been living happily with her three-year-old son and elderly mother.
However, just 18 months after buying the £217,000 “forever home”, Ms Mitra says her “aggressive” neighbour, Chris Rhodes, knocked down his section of the building, leaving behind rubble and thick, overgrown vegetation.
The demolition left holes in the walls and roof of Ms Mitra’s side of the property. She says rats entered the house and chewed through electrical wires, while squirrels and wasps also gained access.
Damp and mould spread through the home, which Ms Mitra says happened while she was recovering from cancer.
Rainwater also seeped inside, damaging the electrics, carpet and wallpaper.
Ms Mitra now fears the property is impossible to sell because it has become structurally unsafe. She says she is unable to carry out repairs because she cannot access the neighbouring land.
Ms Mitra said: “I was really chuffed when I bought it, but the whole ordeal has been a nightmare and it has made me very ill.
Shivarna Mitra’s home pictured beside the rubble and overgrown vegetation left after her neighbour allegedly demolished his side of the semi-detached property
Ms Mitra says the neighbour was served with a stop notice months after work began, when it was “too little too late”
Ms Mitra, pictured, says she spent years saving for her three-bedroom home in Pudsey, Leeds, but the neighbouring building work has left it “unsellable”
“The list of problems is endless, and I do not have the money or support to put them right. I did not ask for this, and no one would, but it shows that this can happen to anyone.
“I spent a lot of money turning this into my dream home, but now I have nothing to show for it.”
Images appear to show damage to Ms Mitra’s walls and roof, along with neighbouring land covered in weeds and scattered debris.
The neighbour, who denies that his building work caused the damage, was served with a council stop notice months after the project began. Ms Mitra says the intervention came “too little too late”.
He later sold the plot, which had planning permission, for £115,000 to another couple. However, Ms Mitra claims the new owners are also “not cooperating” with her.
Ms Mitra said: “Water has entered through the roof and holes in the wall, causing mould and damp. It has affected my son’s chest and my health, but no one cares.
“I have the heating on full blast during winter, as well as portable heaters. My monthly bill is around £630.
“The walls are cracked, and expensive wallpaper and carpet have been ripped up. The decking had to be removed after builders interfered with the foundations and cut through it, leaving rats beneath the replacement decking.”
The two homes pictured in 2020, before the building work began. Ms Mitra says she saved for years before putting down a deposit on the “dream” house in May 2021
Recently renovated rooms now have walls covered in damp and mould, pictured
The mother’s side has been left with holes in its walls and roof, which she says have allowed in rats – who chewed through electric wires – as well as squirrels and wasps
Chris Rhodes, pictured, pulled down his portion of the property leaving a pile of rubble and wild undergrowth. He denies the works caused damage to Ms Mitra’s home
Ms Mitra said she saved up for years to put a deposit down on the ‘dream’ house and spent £80,000 on renovations in the months after purchasing it in May 2021, including on a £35,000 garden complete with astroturf, and a new kitchen.
The mother added: ‘It was perfect for my family. It had a big garden for my son to play in and enough living space for him to grow up and for us to live comfortably.’
She said her original neighbour, an elderly woman, sold the property to Mr Rhodes for £280,000 in July 2022.
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He seemed ‘friendly and charming’, according to Ms Mitra, and informed her of the work he planned to do.
But things soon changed, she claims, when she asked him to reconsider plans to knock down the downstairs party wall and he became aggressive.
Mr Rhodes lodged two planning applications for two extensions in June and August 2022, both of which were approved by Leeds Council.
But Ms Mitra claims he used the approvals as an excuse to illegally demolish his house, which he denies.
The mother recalls she did not worry too much when work began in 2022 because ‘she didn’t know much about construction or building practices’.
By December, however, things had changed after Mr Rhodes removed his property’s roof allegedly leaving gaping holes and exposing Ms Mitra to the cold weather.
She says she called Leeds Council in January 2023 claiming her neighbour’s work was in breach of planning consents.
Ms Mitra claims the authority asked him to stop, which he denied.
Mr Rhodes says that due to a storm ‘the gable wall became unsafe’ and ‘following HSE guidance’ and ‘to avoid any risk or danger to others and their properties’ he pulled down the wall as well as a further front wall.
The mother argues that had the council ordered him to stop when he first started, instead of in May 2023, the situation would have been salvageable.
She said: ‘He had pulled down his side of the party wall and the breeze blocks meaning I only had a layer of bricks protecting my house from the outside.
‘From the foundations, first floor, second floor, and up to the roof I am now exposed.’
Holes pictured in Ms Mitra’s attic. Rain water has seeped into the house, damaging the electrics, carpet, and wallpaper
In July 2023, Mr Rhodes had an application to erect a new five-bedroom ‘mansion’ refused, but a second application for another house design was granted 10 months later.
He did not complete the work and later sold the plot, claiming he was treated unfairly by the council during the new build application process.
Ms Mitra says the council has not helped her and officials have argued that the dispute is a civil matter.
Her insurance has filed a legal claim, but it is still two years before it goes to court, according to the mother.
She said: ‘The council have a duty of care to its residents – I have not felt that way.
‘In all my requests for help to ask if they could make sure my house is safe, they never once came out, leaving it all on me.’
Leeds City Council confirmed the property was demolished ‘without necessary permissions’ following concerns of structural instability.
It said a team had inspected the property and found it ‘remained structurally stable’.
The council added: ‘As these are privately owned properties, the council advised Ms Mitra to contact her house insurer and take legal advice.
‘The council will continue to monitor the site and take any appropriate action as necessary.’
Mr Rhodes said: ‘There were very unfortunate circumstances that cost my wife and me a significant amount of money and stress.
‘This was a series of unfortunate circumstances that have created a bad situation, of which I tried to work with all parties concerned at every point to resolve.’