A group of flat owners in Devizes have been devastated by a whopping £13,000 bill per flat.

In February 2022 Aster Housing Group, which manages the building on Hillier Road, hit each flat owner with a service charge for major works, mainly on the roof and windows.

Eight flats are affected and the owners have been told the bill must be paid by March. The total cost for the block is around £104k.

Four own their flat outright while the other four own 50 percent as part of a shared ownership scheme.

India Crisp, one of the four full homeowners, says the situation has caused huge worry in the block.

She said: “We just don’t know where to turn or what to do. We’re in limbo and we don’t know what’s going to happen because we’ve all said we can’t afford it.

“It’s horrendous. People have been experiencing health and mental health issues. We’re all trying to keep our heads above water, but every time the subject turns to the bills everybody is in floods of tears.

“We just don’t know how we’re going to afford to live. Me and my partner are working horrendous amounts of overtime and we’re not even close to being able to pay the bill.”

Jackie Moxon, who has lived in the building for 16 years, insists flat owners are not liable for the work because they were told they were not responsible for the outside of the building when they moved in.

She says Aster have only carried out major works once in 16 years, causing the building to fall into disrepair.

She added: “This has turned into an absolute nightmare. They’ve ploughed ahead doing the work even though we can’t afford it.”

Aster maintains it is doing its best to support residents.

A spokesperson said: “We understand that changes to service charges can be concerning. We’ve been in regular contact with customers at Hillier Road to outline the reasons and the support that’s available to them.

“This year, several elements of maintenance work on this building were needed, including roof and window repairs.

“These costs ensure that this necessary work takes place, and customers were provided with details of the works needed before they began. These works also help ensure the value of these customers homes is maintained.

“We’ve been speaking to and meeting with affected customers to discuss their individual payment options and the help available. This includes setting up a repayment plan or being referred to further support from our financial wellbeing team”.