A COSELEY woman was hit with a hefty court bill after failing to take steps to repair damaged pipes to prevent pests.

Dudley Council served a notice on Natalie Carter, of Queens Crescent, Coseley, requiring action be taken to fix damaged drainage/sewer pipes to a sufficient standards to prevent rodent access to the property.

She was given 21 days to carry out the works by August 28, 2023.

The council said it made numerous attempts to contact the homeowner and advise action was needed to rectify the situation but local authority bosses said no correspondence was ever received, nor action taken to resolve the problem, so the case wound up in court.

Carter, aged 49, was fined £600 and ordered to pay costs of £634 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £240 when the case was finalised at Dudley Magistrates’ Court.

Court documents state the case against the defendant was proved in her absence on July 17 and she was given until August 14 to pay up a total of £1,474 Councillor Damian Corfield, Dudley Council’s cabinet member for highways and environment, said of the case: “We have a statutory duty to investigate reports of this nature.

"We contacted the homeowner on numerous occasions to advise they needed to take action and that we would issue an enforcement notice if nothing was done.

“As the defendant failed to respond to correspondence or act on the issue, a notice was served earlier this month. As there was still no action taken, we have pursued this case through the courts.

“The court found in favour of the council and ordered the defendant to pay a £600 fine, victim surcharge of £240 and costs of £634.”