A grieving widow found out the company which built her house was going into administration via a social media post after she had spent months fighting for outstanding repairs to be done.
Roseann Crossan, 70, moved into her one-bedroom house in the Dargavel Village development near Bishopton, Renfrewshire, in July 2022.
In November, she contacted housebuilders Stewart Milne Group about water coming in her front door every time it rained.
Mrs Crossan, who moved to the property to be closer to her daughter after losing her husband during the Covid pandemic, said the issue has still not been fixed.
The grandmother feels she has been fobbed off by the company, which collapsed into administration earlier this week, causing uncertainty for hundreds of homeowners like her across the UK.
Mrs Crossan, who has also undergone cancer treatment recently, also said she has to put towels down at her front door every time it rains due to an issue with the threshold.
She said that repairs should have been covered under her agreement when she purchased the property.
She said: “It’s a nightmare for us who have outstanding repairs needing done.”
The grandmother said she contacted the group multiple times via phone and email before Christmas and says she has constantly been chasing for updates on the situation.
“I’ve got no faith after previous issues I’ve had.
“And then, on Monday, there was the news they went into administration.
“I’ve had enough. I’ve had issues with my roof as well.
“I feel like they have rushed this (house) and they just threw it up to meet their deadline.
“Did they think at the time, this was acceptable?
“I’ve not got the fight in me and I can’t do it anymore.
“I’ve not got the money to repair it if something happens in the future.”
Mrs Crossan said the situation has caused her stress and upset.
She asked for advice on what to do about the water ingress from the company after she was told she could wait up to 16 weeks for a new door and was told she could put plastic carrier bags on her floor.
“It stresses me out and I get upset. I can’t take it, I’ve just had enough. I don’t need all this. I’m still grieving,” she said.
She has since contacted the National House Building Council (NHBC) regarding her issues, but is uncertain about whether anything will be done.
She said: “Fingers crossed, I’m just hoping the NHBC will help but, if not, I will just need to get this done myself. You don’t know what damage it is causing.”
Administrators Teneo said in a statement that failure to sell the business or secure a “viable” restructure meant the “difficult” decision was made to place Stewart Milne Group and six Scottish subsidiaries into administration.
Adele MacLeod, of Teneo, said: “The downturn in the UK housing market combined with an extensive sales process not resulting in any viable offers has ultimately led to the need for the directors to place Stewart Milne Group Limited and some of its subsidiaries into administration, regretfully with some immediate redundancies.
“We continue to assess all the options in respect of the group’s Scottish development sites and encourage any party with an interest to get in touch.”
Teneo said “no further construction is being completed, at this time” and people who have reserved a home but not yet moved in will be contacted.
Former Aberdeen FC chairman Stewart Milne set up the eponymous business in 1975.
He said in a statement: “I am devastated by this totally unexpected outcome of the sale process and struggling to accept it, given the profound impact it will have on employees, sub-contractors, suppliers and customers.
“Stewart Milne Group was up for sale and, following significant interest, two bids were submitted. The bank has not accepted either bid and withdrawn its funding.
“I tried everything I could to find a way to achieve a better outcome for the business and the people who depend on it.
“I believe one of the bids could have delivered a comparable, financial return to administration and, crucially, allowed the business to continue to operate, safeguarding hundreds of jobs and protecting livelihoods.”
A spokesperson for the administrators, Teneo, said the company did not comment on individual cases, but anyone with outstanding repairs should contact the company for further assistance.
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