Worthing pensioner suffered in frozen flat

After four faulty windows were installed, Rita Holdroyd, who lives in a leasehold property in Gainsborough Lodge, South Farm Road, found her home became a misery to live in.

She said: "The draughts were incredibly bad. I had to sit in layers of sweaters, my coat and a woollen hat just to keep warm.

"It worried me a great deal, I did everything I could to let people know about the windows but no-one seemed to care. It got to the point where if it went on for much longer I didn't think I would survive."

Complaint

Rita, 78, continuously complained to the building's managing agent, Guardian Management Services.

She even hired an independent chartered surveyor to prove the windows were seriously draughty. They came up with a report saying there were 2mm gaps in the windows.

Guardian did attempt to repair the windows, but it did not resolve the draught problems.

Rita said the draughts and stress have caused her to lose a stone in weight, contributed to her health problems including her arthritis and osteoporosis, and caused a lack of sleep.

Masked

She resorted to putting masking tape around three of her four faulty windows in an attempt to stop the draughts and had to plead with her seven-month pregnant daughter not to stay over at Christmas because it was so cold in her flat.

Rita added: "I had literally got to the end of my tether when I was put in touch with Carlex who managed to turn everything around. I was so relieved and so thankful the nightmare was over."

Melissa Briggs from Carlex, a national lobby group representing retired leaseholders, said: "Rita came to me in desperation after two years of misery over her draughty windows and within two weeks we have succeeded in getting the resolution she wanted."

Carlex arranged a meeting with Guardian who has agreed to replace every window in Rita's flat.

Carlex is pursuing the agent for up to 5,000 compensation for Rita and is also calling on the government to regulate the retirement leasehold industry nationally.

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