A FAMILY is being taken to tribunal by their own council for half of a £12,000 repair bill for damage they say was caused by their neighbour’s leaking shower six years ago.

Leaseholder Tyrone Evans’ six-year battle with Brighton and Hove City Council could end with a tribunal decision today. [Thursday]

The 47-year-old says he has endured six years of creaking floorboards caused by damage sustained in his neighbour’s flood.

Mr Evans contends that the damage to his flat in Sherbourne Way, Hove, was through no fault of his and that he should not be made liable for half of the bill.

Fed-up with the impasse in the dispute, Mr Evans paid for replastering work to be carried out on his ceiling last month which forced him to live with his parents for five weeks while his wife Jane and daughter Kayleigh lived with other family members.

But just weeks after moving back in, a huge crack appeared in their ceiling and they fear more will soon appear because damage to the ceiling caused six years ago remains unresolved.

He said: “I have never walked across the floor upstairs, except for the day I inspected the flood damage, and yet the council thinks I should pay £6,000 to fix wear and tear.

“The best outcome for me is for the council just to get in there and fix the warped beams from the flood.

“I don’t want to listen to that noise from the squeaky floor any more, I just want the quality of life I had for the 15 years before that flood.

“I thought this would have just stopped with the council, I thought this work would just have been done.

“After my experience and all the stresses and strains, I would really not recommend anyone being a leaseholder because you can’t get anything done and it costs too much."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokeswoman said notices were issued to both flats to carry out essential structural works following an independent structural report.

She said leaseholders are jointly partly liable for the costs of repairs and the council has applied to a tribunal to determine whether the works proposed are reasonable and whether the service charge is payable.

She added: “The leases set out who is responsible for each element of the building.

“Each leaseholder in their lease covenants to pay 50 per cent of the council’s costs in complying with its obligations to keep the building in good and substantial repair.”