This could cost me my job as a solicitor
MAXINE BURTON is facing bankruptcy – and losing her job as a solicitor – after a flat she bought three years ago became worthless overnight.
The 33-year- old bought the £178,000 home with her boyfriend in March 2017.
The couple planned to add value to the property with renovations and sell it on after a year in order to buy a larger place.
But a safety survey carried out in November 2019 identified several risks in Cartier House, Leeds, a ninestorey building, including cladding issues, an absence of fire breaks within the walls and wooden balconies. Now Miss Burton’s life is on hold. She also said she faces ‘financial ruin’ with remediation costs expected to reach £43,000.
She said: ‘It’s so hard not being able to have plans for the future and the financial stress is crippling.
‘I don’t want to spend all of my thirties living in this situation. We wanted to move last year and start a family but that doesn’t look like it will happen now.
‘We were not aware when we bought the flat that there were issues. We, like everyone else, bought in good faith that the building was safe. But the corruption evident in the building system and the carelessness is shocking.’
Miss Burton fears she will lose her job if she goes bankrupt, because her right to practise would be suspended.
She added: ‘The Government keep making statements but won’t pursue anything for us.
‘The constant fear of death is also really hard to live with. We’re right at the top of the block at the end of a corridor, so if there was a fire it would be very difficult for us to get out safely.’
‘We bought in good faith’