Verona Langston, a 62-year-old Bilston mum, has endured a relentless ‘daily hell’ after hiring cowboy builder Neil Parker to convert an extension into a downstairs bedroom and shower room. Commissioned in April 2023, the project quickly spiraled into a nightmare, leaving her with a botched renovation, a leaky ceiling, and a hefty £17,000 repair bill.
Parker, 53, operating under P&B Garden Buildings, left Mrs. Langston with a host of issues: a sagging floor, shoddy plasterwork, windows and doors that failed to keep out water and couldn’t be fully operated, plus faulty electrics. The resulting ground-floor room remains unusable — a bitter irony for Verona, who wanted the space after suffering a severe fall down the stairs that left her with cracked ribs and a fear of using the staircase.
The ordeal has taken a heavy toll on Mrs. Langston’s wellbeing. Registered disabled and now forced to sleep and live in her cramped living room, she still must negotiate her stairs on her backside daily to access the upstairs shower. “It doesn’t feel like home anymore,” she told BirminghamLive. “It feels like you want to escape because everywhere you go, it’s a reminder of what that man has done.”
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Mrs. Langston first met Parker by chance at a party. Intrigued by their conversation about the renovation, Parker quoted £14,000 for the job. After seeking other estimates, she eventually hired him — a decision she regrets. Problems arose immediately, from poor workmanship to disputes over payments. At one point, Parker even brought fence panels from a different job to burn on her property, ignoring her asthma and health concerns.
Despite taking Parker to court, where he admitted charges under the Fraud Act and Consumer Protection regulations, Mrs. Langston’s troubles continue. Parker was handed a suspended 20-month prison sentence, ordered to complete 20 days of community service, and pay her £2,000 in compensation via small monthly installments — an amount Mrs. Langston feels is insufficient.
Her mental health has suffered greatly. “I cannot go through this winter with my anxiety levels the way they are when it rains,” she said. Heavy rainfall causes water leaks in multiple places of the extension, worsening the misery. Additionally, police recently contacted her following complaints about alleged threats to Parker—a claim she denies, emphasizing she hasn’t had contact with him since court.
This botched project has also strained other aspects of her life, including her marriage, with the potential sale of the home looming. “It has put me in a bad situation because the house may have to be sold, plus the divorce and everything,” she said, describing the ongoing nightmare that started with a simple desire for a safer home space.