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'Wonky' house set to be auctioned off for the third time this year

The property in Kent was condemned after a sinkhole opened up.

The house on Victoria Road in Broadstairs, Kent. (SWNS)
The house on Victoria Road in Broadstairs, Kent. (SWNS)

A “wonky” house condemned after a giant sinkhole opened up in a cul-de-sac is set to be auctioned off for the third time this year.

The three-bed house in Broadstairs, Kent, carries a guide price of just £90,000, less than a quarter of the average in the area.

But for that cut price, you will have to contend with a lopsided property caused by two giant sinkholes which opened up in 2009 and 2014.

Neighbours are urging authorities to stop the relentless sales of the house on Victoria Road, which remains subject to a dangerous structure notice.

The house has been put up for sale numerous times. (SWNS)
The house has been put up for sale numerous times. (SWNS)

The latest sale follows several buyers who were allegedly drawn in online by the price and quickly sold Number 58.

The property was sold for £110,000 in September 2017, then just a month later for £136,000.

Just six months after that, it was snapped up for £151,000.

George Allum, who also lives on Victoria Road, said one man paid £129,000 for the house after his wife bought the property without viewing it.

He said: “He came down and said ‘I've just lost my money - there’s nothing you can do with it’.”

Mum-of-five Karen Rumsey added: “I want the council to do something so it can't be sold again.

“Every time it goes to auction we think ‘oh, here we go again.’”

The sinkhole appeared two days before Christmas in 2009, when a burst water pipe created a massive opening that swallowed the ground around people’s homes and washed away the foundations beneath the houses.

Residents were evacuated and at one property, the subsidence was so severe the family were not allowed to return for over two years.

Another six-metre-deep sinkhole opened on Victoria Road in 2014.

Neighbours are urging authorities to stop the relentless sales of the house. (SWNS)
Neighbours are urging authorities to stop the relentless sales of the house. (SWNS)

Number 58 is the only house that has not been repaired.

The front door sits at a strange angle, fresh white paint on the wall appears to cover cracks, and the front garden and path slope downwards.

A spokesperson for Thanet District Council confirmed the authority issued dangerous structure notices for the homes on Victoria Road impacted by “sudden ground subsidence” in 2009.

“All the properties were subsequently repaired, with the exception of 58 Victoria Road," they said.

“This property remains empty and still subject to a dangerous structure notice.”

The spokesperson added: “The onus is on anyone purchasing a property at auction to carry out due diligence prior to the sale."

A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesperson said repairs were carried out to Victoria Road after the sinkhole emerged in 2009.

A Southern Water spokesperson said the company is not aware of any current issues.