Couple sleep in their living room for two years after sinkhole burst water main and destroyed their foundations
- Marilyn, 70, and Michael Stapleton, 74, have lived in one room for 27 months
- Ordeal started in December 2020 when they saw cracks outside home in Kent
- Their insurers say the vital repair work will begin next month after some delays
- Southern Water say they are investigating and have received an insurance claim
An elderly couple have been forced to sleep in their living room for two years after a sinkhole destroyed the foundations of their home in Kent.
The sinkhole is thought to have caused a major leak under the pavement outside of Marilyn and Michael Stapleton’s bungalow in Ramsgate, dropping the property by three inches and forcing the couple to live out of their front room.
After 27 months, Mr Stapleton, 74, and his wife, 70, are still waiting for vital repairs to be made, and have even had to move their bed into the living room.
The ordeal started when the grandparents-of-four returned home at lunchtime on December 27, 2020, and noticed cracks on walls outside. When inside, they saw the plaster on the windowsill had also cracked and was starting to ‘deteriorate’.
It was then they noticed that the pavement outside had started to drop, and that their neighbours also had damage to their property. Southern Water arrived on the scene around 2pm.
After 27 months, Mr Stapleton, 74, and his wife, 70, are still waiting for vital repairs to be made, and have even had to move their bed into the living room
The ordeal started when the grandparents-of-four returned home at lunchtime on December 27, 2020, and noticed cracks on walls outside
The couple claim the water was not turned off until 4pm the following day, which they believe caused serious damage to the foundations of their home
‘We started to realise something was seriously wrong,’ Mr Stapleton said. ‘It was terrible – a real mess.
‘We went out the following morning and the pavement had gone and you could see the water rushing out.’
The couple claim the water was not turned off until 4pm the following day, which they believe caused serious damage to the foundations of their home. With signs of substantial subsidence, they immediately relocated to the front room.
‘Straight away we were in the living room, but the furniture was still in the bedrooms,’ Mr Stapleton said. ‘We didn’t have a bed, so we were sleeping on the sofa for a while.
‘We thought this side of the house was quite stable compared to the other so we felt fairly safe here, but we could hear creaks and noises at night and it was worrying.’
The couple are now unable to move back into the bedrooms as the radiators have been removed.
Initially, they were advised to move out but due to coronavirus restrictions on hotels at the time, and the fact they did not feel comfortable leaving their home unoccupied, they decided to stay put.
But their present situation is making their lives difficult, and harder to see their family.
It has also taken its toll on the couple, who have been married for 50 years.
There are cracks evident on the walls outside of the property as a result of a sinkhole
The floors and windows are still tilted, and there is still no heating in the bedrooms
‘I’ve had to move out because I can’t do it any more,’ Mrs Stapleton, who had been sleeping on an air mattress in the bedroom, said.
She is now temporarily moving out of the home to her son’s house in Spain.
She said: ‘I can’t stay – I’ve had enough. It takes its toll in the end.’
Mr Stapleton added: ‘It’s just worn her away.’
Mrs Stapleton says she has complained to their insurers, Royal and Sun Alliance, six times.
The work to fix the damage was contracted out to Crawford and Co and was due to be finished by August 2021.
Last October, the bungalow was finally underpinned and some internal walls were repaired, but no further work has been completed since. The floors and windows are still tilted, and there is still no heating in the bedrooms.
Royal and Sun Alliance have said that one reason for the delays is that builders came across what they thought was a bomb during the work.
A spokesman said: ‘We’re very sorry for the delays Mr and Mrs Stapleton have experienced with their claim.
‘This was a complex case due to the significant scale of damage and subsidence affecting the property, which takes time to repair, and delays were caused by a property boundary issue and the discovery of a potential Second World War bomb while work was being carried out.
Mrs Stapleton has been forced to temporarily move out of the property into her son’s home in Spain as she has struggled to cope
The couple, both in their 70s, have been forced into living out of the front room for the last 27 months
‘However, we have now underpinned the property and work to repair the damaged floor is due to begin in April.
‘We are reviewing Mr and Mrs Stapleton’s complaint and will be offering further compensation for the delays they’ve experienced and our previous offer of alternative accommodation remains available.’
A Southern Water spokesman added: ‘We are aware of an issue relating to a reported water pipe leak on December 27, 2020, and we have received insurance claims in relation to this.
‘This complex matter has been reported to our Public Liability Insurers who are currently investigating.
‘The presence of a sinkhole in the vicinity of the area in question is being taken into consideration during these investigations.’
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