A Camden resident who says his newbuild flat is worth nothing due to structural disrepair has hit out at the Prime Minister for using his “traumatic” situation for political gain.
Leaseholders at 53 Agar Grove have been locked in a legal battle over properties they bought for £850,000. Despite having “every single check done”, owner Dan Bruce soon discovered cracks in the ceiling and brickwork, faulty windows, leaks and shaky foundations.
“It was hugely traumatic and obviously quite a shock. You don’t think this could happen in a modern country that claims to build high quality homes,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
He and his neighbour Alexandra Druzhinin told the LDRS they have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds in their “crusade” against the developer and insurer over the property they say is worth “zero” and unsellable. The ordeal has given them sleepless nights and constant stress, not just over the money but due to fears the building itself might collapse.
An expert survey commissioned in 2022 by the developer and freeholder, Prime Metro Properties, found the building “not fit for purpose” and concluded that it may need to be demolished and rebuilt.
After seven years of wrangling of a structural warranty claim, the High Court has ruled the insurer, Acasta, is liable for £1.5 million toward repairs or rebuild works for the entire building.
Camden Council has served an enforcement notice mandating that Prime Metro fix multiple hazards at the property by November 2027.
But even though both leaseholders are “hugely grateful” to the council, they warned they were still in limbo. If the developer doesn’t have the funds to repair the building and goes into liquidation, Dan said, this would mean the council’s enforcement ultimately falls back on the leaseholders.
He claimed Acasta frustrated their attempts to resolve the issue through the Financial Ombudsman by taking the indemnity fight to the High Court, costing them £100,000 in legal fees, though Acasta disputes this.
“In some ways what’s happening to us now is worse than the beginning,” Dan told the LDRS. He also accused their local MP, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of playing politics with their plight.
As Labour leader, in 2023 Sir Keir urged Secretary of State Michael Gove and the Conservatives to seek resolution for the leaseholders’ “appalling” case. “My constituents cannot be left paying the cost of a broken system,” he said at the time.
“He was clear that we should be able to rely on a warranty we assumed promised to protect us,” Dan said. But now Labour are in power, the pair say this urgency has vanished. When Dan and Alex wrote to Sir Keir, his office offered them help but only within the current legislation.
“That’s not the position [he] took when in opposition,” Dan said. “From our perspective, it feels like politics is being placed ahead of resolution, and we’re just pawns.” He added that former Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, “wholly misunderstood” their case but was not held to account by the Prime Minister.
“It’s quite clear that Keir Starmer has at the very least inadvertently misled the [House of Commons]. But given his comments to us, other ministers and the press, it’s hard to see how he didn’t deliberately mislead us,” Dan said.
The leaseholders told the LDRS they had met thousands of people in similar situations who were often reluctant to speak out. Both are confused about why government approved building inspectors signed off 53 Agar Grove to begin with.
“Problems with newly built homes are far more widespread than people realise,” Dan said. “It would be far kinder of politicians if they made the reality clear: there is effectively no meaningful protection for buyers of defective new-build homes. You don’t have the kind of consumer rights you would expect.”
Prime Metro was approached for comment but did not respond. The firm has previously blamed construction company, which has since gone bust, for the poor quality of 53 Agar Grove.
A spokesperson for Acasta said the firm was “fully engaged” with concerns regarding the property, which it took “very seriously”.
“Acasta remains committed to fulfilling its obligations to the policy holders [and] has worked hard to promote a resolution and will continue to do so. Resolution will require co-operation, input from and agreement by all parties,” they said.
The LDRS contacted the Prime Minister’s constituency office, parliamentary office and Downing Street but did not receive a response.
An MHCLG spokesperson said: “The situation faced by the innocent residents of Agar Grove is deplorable, and the pace of progression in this case is unacceptable. We are pushing those responsible to meet their obligations swiftly and will continue to ensure these leaseholders are supported.”
