A grandad who invested in a rental flat to save for his retirement lost his tenant and was left with mushrooms growing out of the carpet after a leak was not fixed in five months.
Shocking pictures and footage show how Peter Burns was forced to use a child's paddling pool to try and catch water leaking through the ceiling of the flat in the Tobacco Wharf complex on Commercial Road, Kirkdale, "every time it rains".
Painter and decorator Mr Burns, from Netherley, told the ECHO a problem with a balcony in the flat above means the problem is out of his control - and has yet to be addressed.
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Mr Burns, 60, says the management company for the building, Revolution Block Property Management, have not fixed the issue in five months, during which time he has been left thousands out of pocket.
He said: "In five months they have not fixed it. Every time it rains water comes right through the roof down onto the floor.
"Obviously with covid over the past 12 months I have been lucky in that my tenant was able to keep his job and stay in paying rent.
"But I have lost that particular tenant and the flat is empty. When my tenant first rang me and said there is a leak in the ceiling I agreed to pay to put him up for a month in a hotel.
"But he came to me and said 'I can't really live like this', and as I had no date when it would be fixed I agreed to end the contract.
"It is shocking really, it is so frustrating because it feels like there is nothing I can do."
In one email from Revolution, seen by the ECHO, which was sent on May 10 months after the leak started, a representative said: "I cannot confirm when work will commence on the development. We are currently still in the early stages of the project.
"We had instructed a building surveyor to attend the development and locate the sources of the issues. Following on from their report, we have received confirmation from the director of Tobacco Wharf Management Company to go ahead with this project.
"We have now instructed the building surveyor to proceed to tender, and are waiting further information regarding pricing. We will get three quotes from three independent contractors.
"Once we have the pricings confirmed, we will then seek approval from the directors of Tobacco Wharf MC, and will be issuing a section 20 notice to all leaseholders, in accordance with the lease."
Mr Burns says he has spent thousands on council tax, as without written confirmation from Revolution that the flat is uninhabitable he cannot get council tax relief - confirmation the firm has so far failed to provide.
When approached by the ECHO, Anand Patel, Director at Revolution Block Property Management, said: “We are aware of the flooding issue in one of our managed residential blocks.
"We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to the leaseholder and their tenant, following this issue, which has been caused by a roof defect.
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the leaseholder and are liaising with the directors of the building management and external surveys until this issue is resolved."
