‘We just want to be home’: House collapse leaves London family searching for answers

Six months after the side of their house fell off, this couple is still looking for someone to take responsibility. CTV London's Brent Lale caught up with them.

Six months after the side of their Dreaney Ave. house fell off, Sam Gray and Kylie Martin are still looking for someone to take responsibility.

A contractor was excavating the driveway of the London home to replace their collapsed sewer line when the disturbed soil shifted, and the foundation let go, causing a portion of their home to collapse into the open trench.

“It’s been like this since about early August, and nothing’s happened,” said Gray.

Unable to live in their home of four years, Gray and his wife Kylie Martin are now in a battle with their home insurance company and the contractor over who is responsible, and who is going to pay.

Meanwhile they are staying with relatives and paying a mortgage on a house they can’t live in.

“The biggest frustration right now is that we don’t have a place to call home and we are in the process of registering our toddler for kindergarten,” said Martin.

“As of right now, it’s already taken six months, and the house is still sitting the same as the day it collapsed.”

They fear it’s going to cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“Originally they were quoting us like $600,000 to $800,000 to come and fix it, and we had to have a conversation about whether or not it would be cheaper and faster if that was going to be the price tag, to just knock it down and rebuild it completely,” said Gray.

A friend has started an online fundraising campaign to help cover some short-term costs.

However, their lawyer said they may have to pay out of pocket first, then fight the insurance companies for the claim - which could take years.

“We even went to our insurance company and formally said, ‘we’d like you to open an investigation and pursue your right of subrogation to help us with this,’” said Gray.

“They matter of factly said, ‘No, we won’t be doing that’. We’re left hanging dry by our insurance company, sort of wondering, especially when this was covered by insurance to begin with.”

CTV spoke with the contractor who said his insurance company is actively working toward a resolution.

Sam and Kylie’s home insurance company told CTV that the case is under review.

“We just want to be home,” said an emotional Martin.