A Glasgow man claims he's been forced out of his west end home for 12 years after an insurance company botched a minor water leak.
Ian Gibbon hasn't been able to live in his basement flat since 2010 after his floor and walls were damaged following a blocked drain.
He believes the cost of fixing his £300,000 home could now be as much as £1million after years of wrangling, the Sunday Mail reports.
The council worker says his life has been put on hold as the saga drags on.
He explained: "It is now 12 years and my house is lying in ruins.
"It was just fat that was poured into a sink and blocked the drains. I was told I'd be moved into a hotel for six weeks."
Insurers Axa had agreed to cover the cost of a flooring repair and move him into a hotel temporarily in 2010. They took the keys off Ian, then kept them - until last year.
He said: "I had spent seven years doing it up. It was my first home and one I thought I'd probably be in forever."
At first Ian was moved into upmarket hotels Malmaison and Blythswood Square while work was done to patch up the damage. But with the work dragging on, insurers moved him into a flat and gave him replacement furniture when all his possessions were put in storage.
And the lengthy delays meant the water damage had spread to the walls, with builders forced to strip them as well as the floors.
The repair work halted and, when it wasn't restarted by 2013, Ian asked the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to intervene.
He said: "It was incredibly frustrating. I was getting nowhere. It wasn't just the cost of the property. All my possessions were put into storage, where they remain. I've had to replicate my life."
An FOS ruling found Axa had "mistreated" Ian as well accusing Axa of treating him "with contempt".
Despite the damning report, Axa didn't restart the work again until 2016 - after two more rulings by the FOS.
By this time, the concrete foundations of the basement home had been damaged and new quotes to fix the building stretched to an incredible £160,000.
Builders put in a support frame for the walls and heating to dry out the flat, but then walked away and haven't been back.
In 2017 Ian bought another home after being out of his first for so long. Axa stopped paying his expenses in September 2019 - including funding for the 24/7 radiators that blast hot air into the damp home, which cost £750 per month and which Ian now covers.
Ian added: "They gave me my keys back last year and I couldn't believe what it has been left like. Since they stopped paying my expenses, I have invoiced them for my costs and it now runs to over £200,000. I'm paying the utilities, mortgages and council tax in two properties.
"Axa said they would repair the work. I don't want to settle. I've not heard from them since 2020 and even my lawyer is now being snubbed."
Axa, whose most recent offer to settle was £250,000, said: "We sympathise with Mr Gibbon's situation.
"However, the majority of damage to his property was not caused by the original water leak for which he is insured.
"We've offered a cash settlement and continue to communicate via his legal representative."
