Widow looked after husband who died of cancer while leaks cut electricity to their home

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

A woman whose husband died of cancer while waiting for repairs to be made to their home claimed leaks cut out the electricity for the property every time it rained for three years.

Verica, who did not wish to give her surname, moved into her home in Deacons Leas in Orpington last July, with her husband Dragan, who moved in seven years ago.

The 54-year-old claimed that for three years, the leaks in her bungalow would be so bad that the electricity in the building would be cut for up to a day at a time.

Verica said: “The water was leaking through here, and that’s why the electric was going out. Then you have to wait maybe a couple of hours, or even more, to dry the wire.

“This last autumn was quite bad, there were heavy rains and it could last for a day. For a whole day, I would be without electricity.”

The resident said the power cuts would affect everything in the house while she cared for her husband, who died earlier this year, while he was undergoing treatment.

Verica said Dragan contacted landlord Southern Housing last July to be moved out of the property on health grounds, but claims they were told by the association that they needed to go through Bromley council to be rehoused.

She said she and her husband were offered a property in Sydenham and later Penge, but refused them as rents were too high and Verica would not have been able to look after Dragan in a studio flat.

She said: “This place is not for humans. As a human, you have to have a decent place to live. Normal, clean, airy, peaceful. He couldn’t find this here. It’s completely unacceptable. That’s what it is, that’s a true story. And then he died quite soon after that, so it brought him a huge distress.”

Verica is now hoping to be moved from the Orpington property given its condition, and the reminders of her late husband.

She said: “Every further day I’m staying here it’s getting worse on my health. Where is the end of this agony? Who’s going to solve this? Do I need to be quiet and wait to die?”

A Southern Housing spokesman said: “We carried out a repair to the roof of the property following [Verica’s] initial report in October last year. The resident missed several follow-up visits from our surveyor.

“But on February 9 the resident confirmed to us the roof issues were resolved and she’d experienced no more leaks.

“Our surveyor visited [Verica] while attending a neighbouring property and noted staining to the ceiling, wall and floor, some of which was caused by a roof leak.”

He said the roofing contractor for the association visited the property on February 22 to investigate the leak problem further, and that they were due to return on March 11.

They said: “We’ll carry out a post inspection following these works to check if the stained areas have dried and raise any additional repairs where needed.”

A Bromley council spokeswoman said: “An offer of a new home has now been discussed with the resident in this sensitive case, which we hope will mean she is soon able to relocate.2

Pictured top: Verica said leaks in her home were so bad the power would cut for days at a time (Picture: Joe Coughlan)