A Cowboy Builder Landlords who left a £44,000 house extension in a dangerously incomplete state have been ordered to pay £85,000 in compensation.
The case followed a long-running dispute in which the couple was arrested after tensions flared during the project’s collapse.
The court heard the works left the property without key requirements, including a functional kitchen, a safe structure and proper weatherproofing.
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What happened in the expansion dispute?
Steve Figg of Figg Construction Ltd. worked on the rear Expansion At the Davies family home in Langdon Hills, Essex, after being rented out to create a kitchen and open-plan living space.
The couple told Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court that the project, which began in 2023, quickly deteriorated into what they described as “chaos”, with the house left exposed and unsafe.
The court heard that the build was stopped after Basildon Council Building Control raised concerns about compliance with regulations. Council surveyors found issues including unstable foundations and ineffective insulation, with work described in court as “unsafe, poorly executed and frequently non-compliant”. Building Regulations“
District Judge Christopher Williams said the work had put the property at risk, describing the situation as a serious failure to meet basic construction standards.
Arrests and breakdown of relationships during disputes
As the dispute escalated, Essex Police were called after allegations were made during a breakdown in relations between the parties.
The couple were arrested and held in police cells for almost 22 hours after the builder, who had already taken £44,000 of their money, claimed they were “harassing” him for the project. They were later released after apologizing to the police officers.
Lucy Davies told the court the experience had left the family overwhelmed by the situation and said their lives had been “overwhelmed by complete horror, despair and chaos”. She also described the impact of a failed project, saying: “Your home is your safe place and it’s mental torture to tear it down with no timeline of when you can get it back.”
Court reports confirmed that the arrests formed part of a wider breakdown in communication during the dispute rather than constructive findings.
Court judgment and order of compensation
Steve Figg admitted 22 breaches of building regulations and was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to wear an electronic tag for six months.
Figg told the court he regretted the situation but denied acting dishonestly, saying he was not a “cowboy builder” and that the project had become financially unviable.
Figg told the court he regretted what had happened, saying: “I’m not a liar, I’m not an adulterer. I’ve made mistakes and I’m sorry.”
Judge Christopher Williams strongly criticized the working standard, adding: “This is the kind of situation you read about in the news and think ‘how could someone be so incompetent?'”
In addition, the court ordered him to pay £85,000 in compensation to the landlords, reflecting both the £44,000 initial contract value and the estimated £28,000 cost of making the property safe and habitable again.
