Couple’s fury after court docket mistakenly pays £90,000 compensation to individual they had been SUING – and now is not returning calls
A couple have been left suffering ‘sleepless nights’ after a court mistakenly handed £90,000 compensation to the person they were suing – who has since stopped returning calls.
Gilly and Nigel Cutts’ ‘dream flat’ in Arundel, West Sussex, turned into a nightmare when water started making its way inside the Georgian building.
Whenever it rained water would pour through the ceiling and ‘it got to the point where we’d dread the weather being wet,’ the couple told the BBC.
Together with their neighbours, the Cutts took legal action against the building’s owner and were awarded £90,000 in compensation by a judge.
But, the couple have not seen a penny and were astounded to learn that Brighton County Court handed the building’s freeholder the money by accident.
They said: ‘To say we were speechless just doesn’t cover it.
‘We won our case, so where’s money? It was paid to the wrong person – it’s pure madness.’
Gilly (pictured) and Nigel Cutts successfully made a claim against the owner of a building after they discovering multiple problems inside their flat in Arundel, West Sussex
Mr Cutts (picutred) said: ‘To say we were speechless just doesn’t cover it. We won our case, so where’s money? It was paid to the wrong person – it’s pure madness’
Mr and Mrs Cutts bought the Georgian apartment on Arundel’s high street in December 2015 and immediately experienced issues such as water ingress through the brickwork
Mr Cutts confessed to having ‘sleepless nights’ over the ordeal.
Brighton County Court has since apologised for the error but has not yet paid back the couple. The defendant has not been contactable since.
A spokesperson for Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service said: ‘We apologise to the claimants for this administrative error and remain committed to resolving the matter as quickly as possible.
‘A judge has ordered the defendant to return the funds and we have additionally referred them to the police for investigation.
‘We’ve taken steps to prevent something like this from happening again.’
MailOnline has contacted Brighton County Council for comment.
