A homeowner has been left out on the street after investing her life savings into a new home which collapsed.
Elizabeth Winstantley spent thousands of pounds renovating the top floor flat which she bought in 2018.
But she was forced to move out and live in temporary accommodation after Storm Eunice ripped off the roof.
Residents at the Orban apartment block now face a £300,000 bill to fix it after being told they were not insured for the damage.
The development, in Whalley Range, Manchester, has been covered by tarp and plastic since February when the storm struck, leaving two flats uninhabitable and others exposed to water damage.
"I’ve lost my whole apartment,” Elizabeth told the Manchester Evening News.
"I’m at a loss, I don’t know what to do. I can’t tell you how awful it is to not have a space of your own and just feeling utterly powerless.
"This was my first home. Everything I had went into it but now I have nothing left."
Almost nine months after the storm, Elizabeth is desperate to return home, but is still in temporary accommodation with permanent roof repairs yet to begin.
Surveyor reports revealed the roof was built with an ‘inherent defect’, which means leaseholders are unable to claim insurance and will have to pay for the repairs themselves, with quotes at £290,000.
Firstport property management services, who manage the building, said they are "very sorry" for delays to the repairs and are "working to ensure that an appropriate permanent solution is put in place as soon as possible."
But for Elizabeth, she said the damage has been done. Her flat is uninhabitable, covered in mould, and still isolated from electricity.
She said she has no savings left after eight months of living a "nightmare" and said she has been left distraught by the situation.
The leaseholders were trying to understand how the roof’s inherent defect could have gone unnoticed.
Firstport explained that it had been unable to access the roof for inspections in an alleged email to leaseholders.
But the company reportedly did not answer when asked when the last close-up inspection of the roof had taken place.
Thomasons, an independent construction consultancy, was brought in by the insurer to assess the claim.
Documents from the firm read: “The primary reason for the failure of the timber decking relates to the lack of ventilation within the roof structure which had been ongoing for several years and was a result of the poor design of the roof.
“Thomasons specifically advise that, in their opinion, had the decking been in a sound condition prior to this incident, it would not have occurred.”
In a Zoom meeting with residents, surveyor Tony Mathews reportedly said that walking on the roof felt like his feet were "sinking into Weetabix".
Elizabeth said she is angry that permanent repairs, which fell to Firstport, have not started.
Between February and September, she was forced to move between her mum and partner’s, sometimes even sleeping in her car due to the state of her flat.
"It has affected every aspect of my life, including my personal relationships and mental health," she said.
"The anger and the frustration is constantly there. I go through phases of being distraught and upset and utterly lost.
"It's probably the worst thing that could happen to you, apart from someone close to you dying. You constantly feel like a burden to people because you need somewhere to stay."
Elizabeth said she was finally given temporary accommodation by Firstport in September.
Firstport acknowledged that this was a "difficult time and situation" for leaseholders.
The apartments were built in 2009 by Crosby Lendlease, now known as Lendlease.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Lendlease said it had no involvement in the property for more than a decade.
Aviva, the owner, declined to comment.
While Elizabeth’s flat is among the worst affected, she is not the only leaseholder worried about the impact of extended water damage.
Tenants and leaseholders at five properties said there was water damage and alleged that this could have been avoided if Firstport had acted to repair the roof quicker.
Landlord Alex, who bought a flat at Orban in 2011 but rented it out, said he believed the whole building is in danger as the problem worsens.
It is understood that previous attempts at temporary repairs were unsuccessful, but that flats with water ingress are being checked at regular intervals.
"There is that much water going through the building," he said.
"It needs to be sorted, and urgently. It’s not our fault but it is our problem."
Giles Carbury, who owns and rents out the flat next to Elizabeth’s, said water damage began to show in his flat in early August.
His tenant is currently paying £850 per month to live in a flat with spreading water ingress - and Giles said he feels Firstport is "totally out of their depth".
Firstport said it is taking steps to install a waterproof polyethylene film solution to the roof, which should halt further water ingress.
But Alex said he was scared of the prospect of the permanent roof repairs continuing to be delayed.
"It really is just absolutely sickening that you buy something in good faith and this happens. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to survey the roof," he said.
Leaseholders at the flats have been asked to pay upwards of £3,000 each - a total of approximately £80,000 - to Firstport in an unexpected ‘service charge’ that the building managers say will go towards the cost of permanent roof repairs.
It is understood that tenants will have to pay the money upfront before the management seeks recovery of the costs through legal action.
Elizabeth added: “I have used every spare minute I have had looking into legal advice and researching this industry as much as possible, to try and understand the situation.
“I spent every last penny I had trying to save my belongings. I have no savings left now.”
A spokesperson for Lendlease said: “We are sorry to hear of the issues facing leaseholders at Alexandra Road following storms in February.
“A member of the public contacted us earlier this year to request information regarding the original roof and design guarantees, which we’ve provided to them.
"But we’re not aware of any legal action regarding the building and have not had any other enquiries. We’re not the building owner and have had no involvement at Alexandra Road for well over a decade.”
A spokesperson for Firstport said: “We are very sorry for the delays at Orban House, and we understand residents’ frustrations.
