A furious builder demolished a half-million-dollar home after getting into a dispute over money with the owner while the owner was away on vacation. The home has been left without a roof, and the lawn has been covered with rubble following the incident because the owner did not want to pay the building about five thousand dollars worth of upgrades to make the home more environmentally friendly. Although the homeowner has contacted the police about the home, which cost about four hundred and seventy-five thousand British pounds and was located in Stoneygate, Leicester, in the United Kingdom, the police say it was not a crime.
The 40-year-old homeowner is Kay Jurji. He claims that he and the builder fell out over a portion of the bill worth just thirty-five hundred British pounds.
“I bought the house last year. The builder started in February, and we wanted lots of work done so it could become our family home for six of us,” the owner said. “We wanted a two-story extension, a new roof, new wiring, and for it to be more environmentally friendly. It’s a nightmare. Unfortunately, I picked the worst builder.”
After the builder destroyed his home, Jurji contacted the police. However, the cops did not want to get involved in the case. They claimed that this was not a criminal matter but a civil case. They told the homeowner to forward his case to the Trading Standards.
However, Jurji was shocked that the builder destroyed much of his house with a digger. Neighbors were appalled that the builder was doing this in their neighborhood. They “watched in disbelief” as the builder got revenge on the homeowner over a portion of the bill that went unpaid.
One said: “There was scaffolding on the house, and when it was taken down, I did think the work might be done already, and the owners might be moving in. I was stunned when I walked past the house last week and saw that the roof had been ripped off and the new extension was just a hole in the front of the house. I feel bad for the owners. They must be absolutely gutted.”
The owner was away when the builder attacked his property.
“I had gone on holiday and was 200 miles when it all happened on Tuesday. I’ve contacted the police, who said it was a dispute and not a criminal case, and I’ve emailed Trading Standards. I’m still on holiday, so it’s difficult to sort out from here.”
One neighbor told LeicestershireLive that the builder did not just damage Jurji’s home, but left the street a mess, too.
“The work had been going on, and there was scaffolding up, and it all had planning permission. Then people noticed the builders starting to remove things and demolish the work that had been done.”
Do you think this builder should be hit with criminal charges?