Mother’s four-year ‘nightmare’ after neighbour demolishes his half of their home

A mother’s dream of home ownership has turned into a four-year "nightmare" after her neighbour demolished his half of their semi-detached house.

Shivarna Mitra, 44, claims her three-bed property has been left riddled with faults and is unsellable after the neighbouring part of her home was pulled down and not reconstructed.

Shivarna says she saved money for a number of years in order to put down a deposit on her £217,000 house in Pudsey, Leeds, West Yorkshire.

But 18 months after she purchased her "dream" home and spent £80,000 on renovations, her next-door neighbour Chris Rhodes pulled down his side of the property.

Shivarna says the demolition has left her home severely damaged and potentially structurally unsafe.

Before-and-after images appear to show damage, including holes in her walls and roof that leaked into the house and damaged the electrics, carpet, and wallpaper.

The house - which she also shared with her elderly mother and young nine-year-old son - became infested with damp and mould as well as vermin and insects including rats, squirrels, and wasps.

Shivarna claims she is unable to fix issues as she is unable to gain access to the land next door which has since been sold by Mr Rhodes.

The mother said: "I was really chuffed when I bought it - but the whole ordeal has been a nightmare, and it's caused me to be very ill.

"I have gone through cancer and had a major operation while all this was going on, so instead of recovering, I'm fighting battles from my hospital bed on emails.

"The list of problems is endless, and I don't have the funds or the help to fix it.

"I didn't ask for this, no one would ask for this, but shows it can happen to anyone.

"Everyone is shocked when they come and see it as they don’t expect to see the house completely removed.

"I spent a lot of money to turn this into a house of my dreams, but now I have nothing to show for it."

Shivarna said spent over a year picking out what she thought would be her "forever home" before moving in May 2021.

She said: "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."

The mother spent roughly £35,000 re-landscaping the garden, including laying Astroturf and having decking put down and new fences erected.

She then had a new kitchen installed and redecorated the house, including having new plastering, carpets, and wallpaper fitted as well as the loft being fully boarded.

At the time she purchased the house, Shivarna said an elderly lady lived next door, but it was sold in July 2022 for £280,00 to Mr Rhodes.

Shivarna says that when she first met Mr Rhodes he seemed "friendly and charming" and informed her of the work he planned to do.

However things changed when she asked him not to knock down the downstairs party wall which he had planned.

Mr Rhodes put in two planning applications for two extensions to Leeds Council in June and August 2022, which were both approved.

But Shivarna claimed he used them as an excuse to demolish his house, which he denies.

Work began in October 2022 and the mother said she didn't think anything of it, as she said at the time, "she didn't know much about construction or building practices".

But she said she only became worried in December after Mr Rhodes removed his property's roof, which left holes and exposed her to the cold winter weather.

In January 2023 she called on Leeds Council claiming Mr Rhodes' work was in breach of planning consents and she claimed the authority asked him to stop which he later 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.

It was only after they had took it down he says the council said they should have applied to demolish but he says this went against "safety" and his "guidance".

He continued to work until May, when Shivarna claims he was served an official stop notice.

Shivarna said by that point it was "too little too late".

She said: "In the time he was asked to stop 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.

"If the council put in the stop notice in January, there would still be the shell of a house attached, and I wouldn't be as big of a mess.

Then in July 2023 Mr Rhodes applied to the council to erect a new five-bedroom "mansion", but it was refused.

A second application for another five-bedroom house design was granted in May 2024.

Mr Rhodes never completed the work and later sold the plot with planning permission in May this year for £115,000 to another couple.

Mr Rhodes claims he was treated unfairly by the council during the new build application process.

But she says she is unconvinced the house will ever be rebuilt and claims the new owners are "not cooperating".

In the meantime the mother says her house has become "ruined".

She said: "Rats got in and chewed the wires, resulting the house needing full rewiring.

"Water has got in through the roof and holes in the wall and has caused mould and damp, affecting son chest and her health but no one cares.

"I have the heating on full blast in the winter as well as portable heaters. My bill is around £630 a month.

"Walls are cracked, expensive wallpaper and carpet ripped up.

"The decking had to be ripped up due to builders messing with the foundations and cutting through it, resulting rats all under the new decking."

Mr Rhodes denies his work caused any of these problems.

Shrivana says the council has not helped, saying it is a civil matter, but her insurance has successfully put in a legal claim, but it is still two years before it goes to court, according to Shivarna.

She has also told her local councillors haven't offered any help and that the council has not once visited the property to assess structural integrity, even though she has requested.

The mother said: "The council have a duty of care to its residents - I have not felt that way."

Shivarna wants to move out of the area but now says her house is now "unsellable".

Leeds City Council has confirmed the property was demolished 'without necessary permissions' following concerns of structural instability.

It said that a team had inspected the property which they now found it "remained structurally stable"

It 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."