Family face being homeless by Christmas and £60,000 bill after order to demolish home

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A family say they could be "homeless by Christmas" after being served a court order to demolish their own home. Stephanie Rolfe and Stuart Macdonald have even been told to foot the estimated £60,000 bill to bulldoze the building - leaving them facing "financial ruin." Following a four year saga, the family have now been given less than two months to "dismantle" the timber structure - which replaced a garage previously built on the same site.

The couple, who have two young children, claim that they built the moveable home under caravan legislation. "We had an honest held belief it was lawful", Stephanie and Stuart told Birmingham Live.

Built in a quiet cul-de-sac in Solihull, Warwickshire, their home sits on a plinth, and has been rendered to fit in with nearby homes. READ MORE : Shocking moment M6 driver swerves to take beer from stag do bus at 70mph However, the local council have said the home has a "harmful effect on the character and appearance of the area" and have pressed forward with the demolition order, despite neighbours writing in support of the family of four.

Stephanie and Stuart, who have children Freddie, five, and Mollie, two, said the decision could leave them "paying a mortgage on a home they no longer have" in a cost of living crisis. "We will be homeless by Christmas" Stuart said. "Our son is disabled and has a helper in the local school, there's no way we can get a house near here." Stephanie, 41, and Stuart, 34 have been paying rates and council tax on the property.