Council wrongly handed homeowner £15,000 repair bill after tenement fire

It was found the final invoice included costs that the owner was not liable for.

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A Scottish council wrongly handed a £15,000 repair bill to a homeowner after a tenement fire.

The owner complained to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) over Aberdeen City Council’s management of the repairs.

After the fire, extensive work was needed to repair the damage and dry rot was identified in the building.

The majority of the properties in the building were council-owned, so the local authority took the lead in arranging and managing the works.

In their report, the ombudsman found that the council’s communication with the homeowner about the rising cost of the repairs had been “unreasonable.”

Furthermore, Aberdeen City Council “failed to follow their own processes or act in line with their obligations under the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004”.

The final invoice included costs that the homeowner was not liable for, and the council failed to notify the homeowner of emergency roof repairs after a storm, meaning they could not submit an insurance claim.

Overall, it was found that the local authority’s handling of the repairs was “unreasonable” and the SPSO recommended that the homeowner be refunded the administration fee.

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the findings of the report and have acted upon the recommendations.”