A Nottinghamshire woman says she is 'living in dust' after a builder pulled the plug on extension work for her house after charging her £30,000.
Julie Schermer, of Bilsthorpe, says "sometimes I just sit in my house and cry" after work to create an extension and remove her fireplace was stopped midway through, in October.
She claims the builder, Sean Gartland, took his second instalment of £15,000 and stopped, leaving half of her bottom floor in a dilapidated state.
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"It's depressing," said the 59-year-old.
"I've tried to get my money back, I can't live like this. I'm living in the dust."
Ms Schermer found Mr Gartland, who operated under New Looks Building Sevices, through tradespeople site Book a Builder.
Work started in July after the first payment, before progress began to slow down.
By the end of September the extension had reached roof height, but the client was told she needed to make a second payment of £15,000 for the windows and roof tiles.
One week later, the builder took the bottom half of the fireplace out and never came back, says Ms Schermer.
Mr Gartland, of Derbyshire, claims he had brought the job to a halt after suffering abuse from Ms Schermer's family.
The 39-year-old said he had been forced to delay the work due to the fuel shortage at the time, but promised he would recommence work at a later date.
"It was that time when you couldn't get diesel," he told Nottinghamshire Live.
"The next day I said I couldn't make it but I that I could make it tomorrow. As soon as I put the phone down I started getting calls from her family threatening me."
He added that she had never demanded a refund.
Ms Schermer, who admitted planning permission had not been obtained for the work, refutes the claim, and says Mr Gartland had told her son he was working on another site at the time and blocked her number.
She said she felt as though she had been "preyed upon" after moving to the UK from Holland last year.
"What he's doing is not very nice at all and he's preying on others. I'm almost 60 now so I can't really get another mortgage."
Trading Standards have been contacted for comment.
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