Doctor Sues Previous Homeowners Over Alleged Sewage Issues
A hospital consultant claims he and his partner were misled about recurring raw sewage backups into their £625,000 home and garden.
A hospital consultant and his partner have initiated legal proceedings against the former owners of their £625,000 home, alleging fraudulent misrepresentation regarding recurring raw sewage backups. Radiologist Brett Ibbeson and Karen Man Yan Chan claim they were deceived into purchasing the detached house in Suffolk when the previous owners, William and Suzanne Temple, assured them the property had never flooded.
According to a High Court claim, Dr. Ibbeson and Ms. Chan assert that during the property inquiry process, the vendors were asked specifically about sewer issues. The Temples allegedly disclosed occasional problems with the downstairs lavatory not flushing properly, attributing it to the pumping station and noting Anglian Water's prompt repairs. However, Dr. Ibbeson and Ms. Chan contend that months after moving in, they discovered a sewage pumping station on neighboring land could become overwhelmed during wet weather.
Anglian Water reportedly advised the new owners to severely restrict water usage, including showering and flushing the toilet, when it rained. The couple alleges that using water at the property increases the likelihood of sewage escaping from manholes and backing up into the house.
In November 2025, the couple discovered what they describe as a long history of problems involving the sewer and pumping station, including 16 complaints made by the Temples, who owned the house from 2014. These complaints reportedly detailed issues such as the downstairs toilet and upstairs shower not working for several months from November onwards, and the presence of 'residual 3Ps (pee, poo and paper)' in the front garden. Records also indicate numerous visits by Anglian Water to the property.
Dr. Ibbeson and Ms. Chan accuse the Temples of making 'fraudulent false representations,' knowing they were untrue or being reckless as to their truthfulness. They claim the Temples had also threatened to report Anglian Water to environmental health and sought compensation, continuing their complaints until the house was put on the market and requesting emergency drainage of the pumping station five times.
The couple states they would not have purchased the property had they known the full extent of the sewage issues. They are seeking a full refund of the purchase price, along with expenses totaling over £54,000, including costs for a drainage engineer, hotel stays, and Airbnb accommodation amounting to £2,112.86. They are also pursuing future conveyancing fees, mortgage redemption fees, hotel and Airbnb expenses, and borrowing costs. 
They are also claiming compensation for distress, inconvenience, and the loss of enjoyment of the property, based on its notional rental value. The lawsuit was filed after the Temples, who admitted to a 'small number of occasions where there was a small surcharge of sewage in the garden,' denied liability. No defense to the claim has yet been filed.