Homeowners in Burnley left with huge legal bills after law firm collapses

ITV Granada Reports correspondent Elaine Willcox spoke to some of the residents affected in Burnley.

A mother says she is at risk of losing her home after being left with thousands of pounds worth of damage and rising legal fees when a law firm representing her went bust.

Sharon Lord is one of more than 80 homeowners in Burnley encouraged to sue by SSB Law, after cavity wall insulation they had purchased using grants in 2014 began to cause damp and mould.

The law firm told her the damages could amount to as much as £50,000, and promised to represent her on a no win no fee basis.

But when SSB Law went bust in January 2024, the single mother-of-two was left to pay more than £17,000 in legal fees - alongside around 1,500 other property owners who had been represented by the law firm.

She is now joining calls to halt their rising legal costs, left over as a result of the company going bust.

She said: "You trust the Government, they're the people who are supposed to help and as far as we were aware they were vetting these people.

"But they came in and did so much damage to thousands of properties."

New solicitors have taken up Sharon’s case, which have stopped her legal fees rising for now.

Diane Longworth, also from Burnley, was forced to spend her life savings on a £7,000 legal bill she was told she would never have to pay.

She said: "It was a week before Christmas, and I opened it and i didn't know what it was about. I've never been in debt.

"I just had nearly had a heart attack, my heart was beating so fast."

Diane was also being represented by SSB Law, after they told her the wrong foam insulation had been used on her property.

She said: "I’d like everybody to not have to pay for something they thought was right - and I’d like my money back."

Her calls were echoed by Solicitor Erich Kurtz.

He said: "What has to happen is the... insurers for SSB Law or the insurers in the underlying claim - one of those two needs to pay."

MPs from various parties have called for a review of the number of cases where residents have been left with mould and damp as a result of the government funded insulation and say residents shouldn't be left to foot the bill.

In response, the Government said in a statement: “Everyone has the right to live in a secure and safe home

“Cavity wall insulation through our energy efficiency schemes must be installed by Trustmark registered installers – ensuring work is carried out to the highest industry standards."

However, the requirement for Trustmark registration only came in 2016, two years after the Government grant was made available.

A spokesperson from the Solicitors Regulation Authority said: “We are aware of the concerns of many householders. We are investigating whether SSB Group acted appropriately in these cases. We will take action against solicitors if we find they have fallen short of the standards we expect.

“If there has been negligence, those affected may wish to consider getting legal advice as they may be able to make a claim on the firm’s insurance.

"They may also wish to contact the Financial Services Ombudsman to see if there are grounds for redress in relation to insurance providers, and the Legal Ombudsman in relation to the standard of service they received from the firm.”

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