Floors sink in disabled Worthing grandmother's luxury penthouse

A disabled grandmother whose penthouse has been blighted with a catalogue of '˜catastrophes', including sinking floors, fears she will never be able to sell it.
Vivienne Lee, 60, in her penthouse apartment in The Causeway, DurringtonVivienne Lee, 60, in her penthouse apartment in The Causeway, Durrington
Vivienne Lee, 60, in her penthouse apartment in The Causeway, Durrington

Since moving into the Skyline apartment in The Causeway, Durrington, Vivienne Lee said the floors sunk and ‘absolutely foul’ sewage smells filled the flat due to a plumbing fault. Glass panels in her lounge are loose, bulging out of their frame in windy weather, and the door is broken, she said.

When the Herald got in touch with the developer, Rocco said it would carry out repairs ‘at their expense’ by next month.

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Vivienne Lee, 60, in her penthouse apartment in The Causeway, DurringtonVivienne Lee, 60, in her penthouse apartment in The Causeway, Durrington
Vivienne Lee, 60, in her penthouse apartment in The Causeway, Durrington

Vivienne said: “It has been one catastrophe after another.

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“I don’t think a week has gone by where I haven’t phoned or emailed Rocco Homes and this is 22 months down the line.”

The biker said she suffered life-changing injuries after a freak accident at a rally in September 2013 when someone fell on her, leaving her with a split kneecap and ‘devastating’ tissue damage.

Despite medical help, her leg muscles have wasted away and she lost her job as a district warden in Horsham, forcing her to sell her three-storey ‘forever home’.

She bought the ninth-floor penthouse apartment as an investment for £240,000 but the day after she moved in, she said the sewage smells appeared. Vivienne believes this was because the bathroom plumbing had not been vented through the roof – and after seven months, Rocco fixed it, she said.

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The grandmother feared the sinking floors could ‘give way’. She said the glass wall unit would have to be replaced, while builders had left unsightly holes in her walls from inspecting the unit.

Vivienne said Rocco should pay for the works because her flat was still under warranty. She said the issues were affecting her health: “I’m a house-proud woman, and why shouldn’t I be? I brought my kids up on my own and I have always worked, so it’s very difficult for me to have this emotional trauma.”

Richard Spice, from Rocco Homes, said: “We have liaised closely with Ms Lee and worked hard to resolve the reported issues as quickly as possible. This includes replacing her patio windows and blinds, at our expense.

“Both Ms Lee and her warranty company have already been advised that this work will be fully completed next month.”