A LOVING dad has told how his family have been left the only residents of a derelict estate after being forced to stay put because the council undervalued their home.
Demonique Wilson, 55, said he had been offered £165,000 to move out of his three-bedroom property – the equivalent value of a two-bedroom house.
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The mental health nurse said he was ready to move but only if the council gave him the true value of his property.
Demonique and his wife Thabo, 45, have been in a long-running dispute with Salford City Council for over a decade.
Demonique, who lives in the house with five of his seven kids, said: “The only reason we are still living here is because the council has wrongfully valued our house as a two bedroom rather than a three.
“We are not being greedy and we just want what our house is worth.
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“My surveyor has found that houses of a similar size to ours in this area that have sold for between £227,000 and £300,000.
“I think I could probably find a home for £220,000 and I am ready to move but the council should do the right thing.”
Demonique, who bought his house in 2004, added: “The council isn’t getting valuations on comparable properties.
“The council has not offered any evidence that a like-for-like house in this area has sold for £165,000.
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“I couldn’t buy a two-bedroom flat across the road for that.”
Demonique said a judge may ultimately have to decide the payout if an agreement cannot be reached.
The family has been living alone on the street since their neighbours moved in 2009.
He said: “My children don’t know what it is like to have people living nearby.
“I would love for them to go next door to play with friends.
“The stress is also getting to them.
“The younger ones don’t understand. They think that the council is going to force us out with no where to go.
“They are worried.”
Salford town hall bosses want to demolish the house in Holcombe Close, Pendleton, to make way for a £250m regeneration project.
A planning application that would see the row of houses demolished and replaced by the 485-home scheme is under consultation with Salford council.
– which is part of a major regeneration of Pendleton that has been taking shape for over a decade – is ‘under consultation’ with Salford council.
The family bought the home 15 years ago for £70,000 and now have a mortgage of less than £23,000.
A solicitor representing the family is arguing that it would cost between £227,000 and £300,000 for a home with at least three bedrooms in the area.
“I think the city council are being unreasonable,” said Mr Wilson. “They have offered me what it would cost for only a two-bed property.
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“How can I accommodate a family of seven in such a place? It’s virtually impossible. This situation is causing me and my family a great deal of stress.”
A council spokesperson said: “The council can only pay the market value of the family’s current home and has offered the family additional assistance in the form of a relocation equity loan to help bridge any gap to help the family buy a new home.”
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