Mother Says Her Hair Started Falling Out After Her Home Flooded With Sewage

Brooke claims that the suspected contamination caused her and her little son Oscar to suffer within weeks of moving home.

"All my hair was falling out. It's very bad for your mental health," she told A Current Affair.

Fecal particles were discovered in several locations of the property, including up the kitchen and bedroom walls, according to a health and safety consultant's assessment.

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"I was told that it wasn't safe to breathe the air inside the house," the mum added.

"It's in the air, it's up to all the frames, it's under the tiles, it's everything inside the house."

She claims they were forced to leave the house when it was deemed unsuitable to dwell in, and they resorted to sleeping in a tent and bathing in a plastic tub outside.

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Brooke claims the former tenant provided her images after she signed to buy the house, showing it had been flooded with sewage just two months earlier, something the mother claims she was not informed about.

"I was told the tenant had left the tap on overnight and that's why there was a cut out in the carpet in the rooms behind the bathroom but certainly nothing about sewerage," she said.

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But the estate agent who flogged the home to Brooke told A Current Affair: "Brooke was aware of the flooding issues before and after settlement."

Brooke, who lives on a veteran's pension, claims that despite having insurance on her property, her insurer will not pay the damage because it occurred before she purchased it.

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The former owner filed a claim with CGU Insurance, which paid for a laboratory report on the property.

Brooke will be paid 300AUD (£158) every week by the company to help with the costs of moving.

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"Once we became aware the house had been sold, we called Ms. Van Der Maat to check on repairs at the site," a spokesman for CGU Insurance told A Current Affair.

"We have offered temporary accommodation to Ms. Van der Maat on several occasions, which she has not yet accepted but this offer is still available.”

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"As an alternative to providing temporary accommodation and at her choice, we have provided Ms. Van der Maat with a weekly payment for her rental accommodation since September 2021.”

"We will continue to provide these payments (or organize temporary accommodation) until repairs are finalized on the property."

A site visit has been scheduled for this month to examine the property and make repairs, according to the company.

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