My house is very muddy with raw sewage and makes my hair moldy… now I am forced to sleep in the garden with my son

One MUM said her hair started falling out after her home was flooded with sewage, forcing her and her eight-year-old son to live in a tent.

Former army medical officer Brooke Van Der Maat, from Australia, said they suffered from diarrhea and hair loss because their house was filled with mold and traces of feces everywhere.

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Brooke says she was not informed that the Queensland property had been flooded with sewage just two months before she bought it.

Within weeks of moving in, Brooke said she and her young son Oscar began to suffer from the reported contamination incident.

“All my hair falls out. It’s very bad for your mental health,” she said An existing relationship.

A report from a health and safety consultant found that feces were found in many areas of the home – including the walls of the kitchen and bedroom.

“I’ve been told it’s not safe to breathe indoor air,” the mother added.

“It’s in the air, it’s up all the frames, it’s under the bricks, basically everything inside the house.”

She said they were forced to move after being told it was unsafe to live and had to stay out of their tents while bathing in plastic tubs.

After she signed for the home, Brooke said the previous tenant had given her pictures showing it had been flooded with sewage just two months earlier – something the mother said she was not told about. there.

“I was told the tenant left the faucet on overnight and that’s why there was a cut in the carpet in the rooms behind the bathroom but certainly nothing about the drainage,” she said.

But the real estate agent who transferred the home to Brooke told A Current Affair: “Brooke was aware of the flood issues before and after settlement.”

Brooke, who lives on a veterans’ pension, said even though she has insurance on her home, her insurer won’t cover her for pre-existing damage. when she bought it.

The previous owner had claimed through his policy with CGU Insurance, who sponsored a lab report on the property.

All my hair has fallen out. It is very bad for your mental health

Brooke

And the company has agreed to pay Brooke 300AUD (£158) a week to help with the cost of living somewhere else.

A CGU Insurance Company spokesman told A Current Affair: “After learning the property had been sold, we contacted Ms Van Der Maat to check on repairs on site.

“We have offered temporary accommodation to Ms. Van der Maat many times, she has not yet accepted but the offer is still available.

“As an alternative to providing temporary accommodation and of her choice, we have been providing Ms Van der Maat with a weekly payment for her rented accommodation since September 2021.

“We will continue to provide these payments (or organize temporary accommodation) until repairs are completed to the property.”

The company confirmed a site visit was held this month to assess the property so repairs could be carried out.

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