[sophiejay1]

I purchased an Aberlady style house from Stewart Milne(SM) last year in South Lanarkshire. Since then life has not been the same. It got off to a bad start when the Sales Rep at the development displayed lack of client confidentiality, by discussing everyone's private business and making a racial comment about a potential buyer.
I moved into a house which was not complete due to the tiling being placed incorrectly and being advised that the house would be ready. Not the case.
Over the year problems arose and were eventually fixed, such as returning home to find my lawn dug up, due to incorrect plans, workmen completeing the road, changelling us to fight as they had put all the road lighting off and left us in complete darkness with pot holes everywhere and Customer Care hanging up the phone on me.

In January 2008 water was penetrating through my two front bay windows. They eventually came out in February 2008 to fix the problem which involved taking my front brick work out and replacing the cavity trays. The exterior is a mess and the front of my house which i paid £365,00 now looks like a patch work quilt. They replaced all the rotten interior gyprock. this took 10days in total. However, all my downstairsflooring required replacing and my soft furnishings, I was given a letter stating SM would replace the damage. I am still waiting for the flooring to be paid.

On the final day of redecorating the interior it was discovered that water was still penetrating through. The two site managers attended with a hammer to beat my lead flashing, at this point i said enough was enough and i would get an independent surveyor to assess the problem.

An independent surveyor attended an d found various issues with water penetration and moisture levels in excess of 65%. Report was sent to SM at beginning of March via my lawyer. SM ignored deadlines to have the work started and did nothing despite having the report for 9 weeks.

Lawyers letters were constantly ignored and eventually they agreed for the Company Director alec goodfellow to attend my home to discuss the report with the surveyor on 8 May 2008. At 1715hrs on 7 may 2008 a fax was sent from SM to my lawyer stating they would not be able to attend. I was not happy after waiting all this time. I wrote to a Sunday Newspaper detailing their antics. Eventaully they agreed to a meetting at my home on 21 May 2008 and the mangaing director Alec Goodfellow stated "did you think we were ignoring you?" His head of Customer Care was also in attendance along with the surveyor and both parties solicitors. Head of Customer Care thought the brick work wasn't that bad and the brick colour could be dyed!

SM agreed the work required to be done along with all my other remedial snagging, cracks in walls etc. The only issue was that they required to research the patio step's complying with Building Control regulations.

To date no date of work commencing has been given. Instead the Sunday paper wrote out them again as i had informed them that SM had done nothing since the meeting. I then received a solicitors letter from SM stating no work would be carried out unless i signed an agreement that i would not contact any media. This letter was threatening and verged on extortion.

I attended at my local MSP surgery and showed him the solicitor's letter and the surveyors report. My MSP has also written to Stewart Milne himself.

Within the building regulations for Scotland it does state under reg 8 that a house should be fit for purpose. Well water pouring into room does not comply with this.