A woman was left a prisoner in her own home for the last 12 years after it was made unsafe due to mould and burrowing badgers.
Rae Boxley claims she was forced to sleep upright on an armchair in her living room after the mould-ridden property she lived in left her suffering with breathing problems. The 52-year-old has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with her local council due to the state of her home, which has 'black slime' on most of the furniture and attracts slugs.
Rae estimates that £10,000 worth of damage was caused to her belongings. She says she can't store her clothes in her drawers because mould spores ruin them so she now keeps all her garments in carrier bags instead. The stricken tenant has claimed Dudley Council has done nothing to solve the issue after she estimated £10,000 worth of damage was caused to her belongings.
Rae, who lives with a condition called spinal myelopathy, which leaves her at risk of fatal injury from even a gentle fall, says even her garden in a safety hazard. As well as mould covering her walls, ceilings and bedroom inside, the garden is unusable due to burrowing badgers which have left the ground hollow and uneven.
Dudley Council said it had investigated but - as badgers are protected by law - its options are "very limited".
Rae, from Stourbridge, West Midlands, said she'd been told by her counsellor her ordeal was the equivalent of "12 years of physical torture". Rae, who also spent a month sleeping in her car on the driveway, added: "The problems all started in 2012 and they still haven't been fixed.
"I can't bring anyone around here. It's too embarrassing and I didn't want to cause anyone breathing problems. It's not a life, it's just an existence. Inside all the floors are wet. When a builder came he took part of the floorboard up, he said the boards are going rotten. They've been wet for 12 years. Even the carpets are wet now.
"I've had to throw furniture away. I've been sleeping in the living room sitting up for six years because my bed is too wet. I put my head on the pillow and I could smell damp. You want to pull your skin off it itches that much.
"I've had to throw away sideboards and cupboards which I kept my things in so I'm keeping them in bags. My DFS sofa I'm having to throw away because it has mould spores. I'm unable to sleep laying down now. Everything has got to be replaced and I don't know where the money is going to come from.
"I've debated starting a GoFundMe. But I think with everything I need to replace would cost in the region of £10,000."
Rae opened up about the impact her home has had on her, detailing the physical and mental health issues she says she has as a consequence.
"No one realises how I've actually been living. My PTSD councillor said what I'm going through is the same as 12 years of physical torture," Rae continued.
"Some days I can't speak because it's the sinuses that are blocked. I'm waking up in the middle of the night and I'm physically panicking as I can't get enough air into my lungs. I've got quite a few pairs of boots that are leather and they're all ruined. There's some clothes that are beyond washing. I've had to throw some quite expensive clothes and quilts away.
"There's a black slimy feeling underneath the furniture. I have to keep my shoes on to go to sleep because I get that many slugs in the living room. Some of them are like snakes."
Rae added: "I don't eat anything here or cook because it makes me feel sick. My mum does it for me. I shouldn't have to do this. I haven't put my Christmas tree up for eight years, it's like putting lipstick on a pig.
"The rising damp goes a metre up the walls. There's water coming through my gas fire now. The floorboards are wet and the carpets wet. Over the 12 years they haven't listened to me. I have been saying it's coming from underneath the floorboards.
"I've had to get my walls re-plastered and re-wallpapered about four or five times. The council man said it was because my radiators are leaking. I said what you need to do is get the main pipes surveyed. I think there's another pipe cracked."
Rae said the issues in her garden have meant she is forced to stay inside, leading her to take medication due to a lack of sun. "There's no ground underneath, it's all collapsed in. The foundations are all siding towards the back. It's the badgers," she continued.
"They've tunnelled so much underneath. The negligence is terrible. I could be paralysed, I'm petrified. If I want some fresh air I'll sit in the car on the drive. That's not life. I haven't been able to hang any washing out, so my mum has to do it.
"They've kept me prisoner for 12 years. My anxiety is off the charts. Some days I won't even answer the door. It's turned me into someone I don't even recognise. They've taken my life away from me. I could've had a family in this time."
Kathryn Jones, Dudley Council's director for housing and communities, said: "Throughout 2023/2024 we've undertaken a full stock condition survey exercise across all of our housing stock to check on the condition of properties and undertake any repairs.
"We've been attempting to engage with the resident since November 2023 to undertake the survey and any repairs needed but unfortunately the tenant has not allowed us or our contractors access to the property. Our officers are continuing to try to work with the tenant to gain access and resolve these issues."
For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch