'I have been abandoned by the developer': North Yorkshire residents fury after housebuilder 'fobs off' complaints over leaks caused by inadequate waterproofing

Several residents on Taylor Wimpey’s 178-home three, four and five-bedroom Stokesley Grange estate said after buying the properties in 1999 they were shocked to discover water leaking through chimneys when it rained due to inadequate waterproofing.

The residents said their shock turned to disbelief after presenting their two-year warranties on the properties to the developer and having their appeals for remedial work rejected. Instead they were referred to the National House Building Council (NHBC) resolution process.

Residents say the NHBC system eventually saw them offered a fraction of the amount of the chimney work cost and told to organise their own contractors to carry out the work, which had proved impossible due to the pandemic.

One resident, whose name is withheld, said: “It is a disgrace and the system needs to change. I am spending another night awake with more water coming through the ceiling and I have just been abandoned by the developer.

“I am left in a massively disadvantageous position with water coming in constantly when it rains and nobody is taking action to resolve this and do the overall work.”

North Yorkshire County councillor for Stokesley Bryn Griffiths said it appeared that Taylor Wimpey were “fobbing off fundamental snagging complaints” by referring residents to the NHBC warranty claims process.

He said: “This appears to be abuse by Taylor Wimpey of the warranty system and puts the onus on residents to argue their case and claim with the NHBC. It means that residents are responsible for employing their own contractors to fix Taylor Wimpey’s serious building faults. This cannot be right.”

When asked to respond to the Stokesley Grange residents complaints Taylor Wimpey claimed it was making efforts to correct any building errors, but did not address complaints that it had dismissed residents’ pleas to fix the leaks.

A spokeswoman for the firm said: “Customer satisfaction is a priority for Taylor Wimpey and we are committed to delivering high-quality homes. We regret that some customers at Stokesley Grange have reported issues with their homes and we are in close contact with them to ensure appropriate action is taken to rectify any outstanding problems.”