A man who demolished half of a semi-detached home and moved abroad has defended himself after his ex-neighbour said she was living in a 'nightmare'. Dad-of-four Chris Rhodes tore down his portion of the semi in Pudsey in Leeds.
His ex-neighbour Shivarna Mitra, 44, says she has since been left living next to a mound of debris in the property. She claims her house is now plagued with damp and mould and has become impossible to sell.
Rhodes defends his actions
Mr Rhodes, 47, who has since moved abroad, has now spoken out in defence of his decision. He pointed the finger at both Ms Mitra and Leeds City Council for exacerbating matters.
In an interview with MailOnline, he stated: "There were very unfortunate circumstances that cost my wife and I a significant amount of money and stress also." He claimed these 'created a bad situation of which I tried to work with all parties concerned at every point to resolve', reports Leeds Live.
Neighbour's ordeal
Ms Mitra, who shares the property with her young son and elderly mother, has previously called the last four years a 'nightmare'. She purchased her three-bedroom home in May 2021 for £217,000 and invested approximately £80,000 in refurbishments, which included a £35,000 garden and a new kitchen.
But since the semi-detached home was demolished, she has claimed that gaps left in her walls and roof have allowed rain, rats, squirrels and wasps in - which Mr Rhodes disputes. She added she had battled cancer and undergone major surgery during the ordeal, saying: "Instead of recovering, I'm fighting battles from my hospital bed on emails."
What Rhodes has said
Mr Rhodes, who works as a self-employed carpenter, purchased the property next door in July 2022 for £280,000. Planning permission for two extensions was granted that summer, with construction beginning in October 2022.
Ms Mitra alleges he exploited the planning approvals to tear down the entire house, something he firmly denies. She alerted the council in January 2023, saying the works violated planning consent.
Mr Rhodes maintains that storm damage rendered the gable wall dangerous and claims that, in line with Health and Safety Executive guidance, he dismantled it alongside the front wall. He explained to MailOnline: "I had a discussion with the HSE and it was agreed [that pulling the wall down] was necessary and the correct course of action to avoid any risk or danger to others and their properties."
The council served a stop notice in May 2023, which he insists he fully observed. He stated that a planning enforcement officer informed him he ought to have sought demolition permission, saying: "This goes against what the Health and Safety Executive said and I had an obligation, both legally and morally to immediately make things safe. I accepted that there would be planning ramifications at this point but the number one priority is safety."
Mr Rhodes subsequently required approval for an entirely new dwelling. He alleges the council disregarded him for months following his application, stating: "I received zero response from my many answer machine messages and emails."
That initial application was rejected, though a second proposal for a five-bedroom property gained approval in May 2024. The property was never constructed. Mr Rhodes sold the plot with planning permission earlier this year for £115,000, saying he did not want his family 'exposed to all the nastiness'.
He maintains Ms Mitra attempted to obstruct the reconstruction at every opportunity and questioned her opposition if the vacant site was genuinely problematic. He also refutes Ms Mitra's allegation that he behaved aggressively towards her, telling MailOnline: "This did not happen and I was in no way, shape or form, aggressive with her."
He claimed she was hostile towards his construction workers and summoned the fire service for non-existent blazes. Ms Mitra denies being abusive or aggressive.
Mr Rhodes also disputes that his contractors caused damage to her property. He stated: "We did not touch her roof as is shown in the videos and images. We left approximately two feet of our roof so as to protect the top of the wall from direct weather."
Council says it was pulled down without permission
A Leeds City Council spokesperson said: "The building was subsequently taken down by the owner without the necessary Council permissions being in place. The owner was advised by Leeds City Council to submit a Section 80 Demolition Notice but did not do so."
The council stated that Building Control officers subsequently determined the adjacent property 'remained structurally stable' and advised weatherproofing the exposed party wall.
It continued: "As these are privately owned properties, the council advised Ms Mitra to contact her house insurer and take legal advice. The council will continue to monitor the site and take any appropriate action as necessary."
A spokesperson for the HSE confirmed the regulator inspected the site after the property had been demolished and provided verbal guidance regarding scaffolding and site security, stating: "At the time of the HSE interactions there were no breaches of health and safety legislation that required formal enforcement."
Ms Mitra's insurance company has initiated legal proceedings, which she estimates are still approximately two years away from reaching court.
