Raac homeowners in Dundee told to expect council bill for work

Raac homeowners in Dundee have been told to expect a repair bill after the council started work on their flats without consultation.

Residents in a block of flats in Cart Place received a letter on Thursday from Dundee City Council informing them that work would begin on the communal stairwell in their building.

On Tuesday morning, construction workers turned up at the Menzieshill building to begin one aspect of the £500k Raac pilot scheme approved by council last month.

The local authority said in April that the remedial works would be carried out on Raac roofs in void council properties in the city.

However, the Cart Place property is home to six private owners and two council tenants.

Workers on site at Cart Place despite lack of notice. Image: Richard Hancox/DC Thomson

Furious residents now fear they will be left footing thousands on a bill for work they didn’t ask for.

They also believe the council’s fix to be a short-term solution as it does not remove the Raac but instead covers and supports it.

The letter from the local authority, seen by The Courier, says owners will be invoiced at a later date.

It states: “Owners will soon receive an estimate of the costs.

“Once the project is complete and the final accounts are agreed, owners will receive a finalised invoice.”

The letter then states that council tenants will not be charged.

‘We’re going to get billed thousands for it?’

Arlene Jeffrey inherited one of the flats from her mum who died on Christmas Day last year.

She is terrified her family will now be left with a hefty bill for work they were never consulted on.

“My mum’s passed away so we’re left with this,” said Arlene.

“It’s quite stressful.”

Arlene Jeffrey outside the block of flats on Cart Place. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson.

Arlene told The Courier that the first notification they had that their building was part of the pilot scheme was when the letter from Dundee City Council arrived on Thursday.

“It’s not even an addressed letter, it’s just a leaflet shoved through the door,” says Arlene.

“That’s all we’ve had. We’ve had no consultation at all and that’s them putting up the scaffolding.

“And to put a spanner in the works, they’re not even removing the Raac. They’re masking it over, hiding it.

“So when it comes to trying to sell the house, we still can’t sell it because it still contains Raac.

“So it’s defeating the purpose.

“They’re not removing the Raac and we’re going to get billed thousands for it?

“It’s not right.”

As part of our Trapped By Raac campaign, The Courier is asking people to sign this petition to help give homeowners a voice.

‘It’s just a joke’

A second homeowner from the block of flats, who wished to remain anonymous, shared Arlene’s concerns.

They told The Courier on Tuesday: “They’re up here and they’re about to do things and we just got a letter on Thursday.

“There’s no names on it [the letter] or nothing, just put through the door, no costs on it or anything, so we don’t know how much we’ll have to pay.”

Workers erecting scaffolding on the block of flats at Cart Place. Image: Richard Hancox/DC Thomson

They added: “To get that through the door, it’s just a joke.

“It was crumpled up and put through the letter box.

“And we’re going to get billed for that?”

The homeowners fear that if the pilot scheme fails not only will they be left paying for that but also the long-term fix that the roof will need.

The work in Cart Place is expected to last around 10 weeks.

In the letter, Dundee City Council apologises for the lack of notice given to homeowners, saying an opening had arose in the contractor’s schedule.

“Due to the urgent nature of the works, we thought it prudent to commence the works earlier than anticipated,” it said.

The £500k pilot scheme was first mooted last year before being put out to tender months ago.

What did Dundee City Council say?

When contacted by The Courier, Dundee City Council did not deny that homeowners will be asked to pay for the repairs.

A spokesperson for the local authority said: “As part of a tender approved by councillors in public last month, the Raac in communal areas of five properties in Menzieshill, which are currently in a poor condition, will have their redundant roof-mounted water tanks decommissioned and the Raac permanently remediated.

“The council has contacted occupants about this and will discuss any issues with them directly if they get in touch with officers.

“Where properties are fully privately owned responsibility for maintenance lies with owners.”