A GROUP of homeowners in Greenock's east end have slammed housing bosses over a FOUR YEAR wrangle about bills for refurbishment work.

Owner occupiers in Blairmore Road are disputing a final bill for work carried out in 2015 and have branded the district's largest housing association 'incompetent' over the dispute.

Major works were carried out to meet minimum Scottish Housing Quality Standards but residents say the way the project was handled was a 'shambles'.

Resident Jenny Buckley, 61, is one of the people involved in the protracted battle with River Clyde Homes and claims their figures don't add up.

She says items were wrongly added to invoices but the final bill is dearer than a previous one despite items being removed.

She is also unhappy that costs for scaffolding were included, a share of £13,643, and insists owners were previously told they would not be liable for that.

Jenny said: "We are all frustrated and so fed up.

"It has been going on for years and we're just getting half answers and feel as though we are being palmed off all the time."

There are 17 flats in the block, with nine privately owned, and payment reminder letters have been issued by RCH even though residents are still querying the final amount being charged.

Now they fear they could be dragged into court.

Owners say that two different bills were issued in 2018 followed by a third this year.

They say the first two included items that shouldn't have been on them and contained other costs for works that weren't completed.

River Clyde Homes admitted an error and removed items from the bill but the situation has still not been cleared up.

Jenny said: "They told us that they have taken the bill back to the estimated cost but the final bill is £1,998 each.

"That is more than the original bill, which included drainage and work on balconies that were taken off.

"We were told that the two previous bills were incorrect and didn't include VAT.

"We have been told these other bills are now obsolete but they are in black and white and we are trying to compare them with the final one we have to pay.

"The final bill has come down to £69,890 - but the cost for us has gone up."

A major bone of contention was the fact that owners were charged for balconies being coated with liquid plastic, when the association had no permission to carry out the work.

Andrew said: "They are private and shouldn't have been done."

Jenny added: "We waited nine months to be told in writing that the cost of the balconies had been taken off.

"The staff dealing with homeowners are not doing a satisfactory job, they are incompetent."

Jenny said: "There has been a total mix up and we have lost trust in what they are saying.

"People are feeling under pressure because they are getting reminders.

"They don't want to go to court."

Bosses at RCH say they are committed to resolving the wrangle and have offered peace talks.

Richard Orr, senior project manager with RCH, said: “We have met with the owners on a number of occasions to discuss the content of the works, the significant funding arranged on their behalf and the works which were arranged with costs due.

"Contractors' preliminary works such as erecting scaffolding are not covered by the management fee paid to River Clyde Homes for administering the factoring service.

“We recognise that works to the private balconies were conducted without authorisation and monies were fully refunded to owners with our sincerest apologies, while owners enjoy the benefit of the improvement works.

“We continue to be available to the owners of the block to discuss any element of the work, funding or costs due to be paid.”