A mother has described a four-year “nightmare” after her neighbour demolished the half of her semi-detached house that was attached to her own home, leaving her £217,000 property in Pudsey, Leeds, unsellable.
Shivarna Mitra, 44, said holes in the walls and roof allowed rainwater into the three-bedroom house she shares with her young son and elderly mother. Squirrels, wasps and rats entered the property, with rats chewing through electrical wires. The ordeal unfolded while she was undergoing treatment for cancer and had a major operation.
Demolition without permission
Mitra bought the home in May 2021 after years of saving for a deposit and more than a year of searching for what she believed would be her family's “forever home”. She spent about £80,000 on renovations, including roughly £35,000 on landscaping the garden.
Eighteen months after she moved in, the property next door gained a new owner, Chris Rhodes. Mitra said he appeared friendly and charming before informing her of his planned work, which she pleaded with him not to do. Despite her request, Rhodes submitted two planning applications for extensions in June and August 2022, both approved by Leeds City Council.
Work began and damage followed
Work began in October 2022. Mitra initially had few concerns but became worried when the roof of the neighbouring property was removed, allegedly leaving holes that exposed her home to winter weather. She contacted Leeds City Council in January 2023, believing the work breached planning consents. She claimed the authority asked Rhodes to stop, which he denied.
Rhodes claimed a storm had made the gable wall unsafe and that, “following HSE guidance” and “to avoid any risk or danger to others and their properties”, he pulled down the wall and a further front wall. Only after the wall was removed did the council say he should have applied to demolish it. Work continued until May, when he was served an official stop notice.
Ongoing problems and legal action
Mitra said water entered through the roof and holes in the wall, causing mould and damp that affected her son's chest and her own health. She said her heating bill was about £630 a month. Rats got inside and chewed through wires, walls cracked, and expensive wallpaper and carpet were ripped up. The decking had to be removed after builders cut through it, resulting in rats under the new decking. Rhodes denied his building work caused the problems.
In July 2023, Rhodes applied for permission to build a new five-bedroom “mansion” on the site, but the application was refused. A second application for another five-bedroom house design was granted in May 2024, but the new property was never completed. Rhodes later sold the plot with planning permission for £115,000 to another couple, claiming he had been treated unfairly by the council during the new-build application process.
Mitra said the new owners were also “not cooperating” with her and she feared the neighbouring property would never be rebuilt. She wants to leave the area but said the problems had made her home unsellable. She has launched a legal claim, but it would take several years before the case reaches court.
Leeds City Council confirmed the neighbouring property had been demolished “without necessary permissions” following concerns about structural instability. A council team inspected the property and found it “remained structurally stable”. The council added: “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.”
Rhodes said: “There were very unfortunate circumstances that cost my wife and me a significant amount of money and stress. This was a series of unfortunate circumstances that have created a bad situation, of which I tried to work with all parties concerned at every point to resolve.”
