Joe Czajka and his family lived in a three storey Victorian house in Bradford, West Yorkshire. It was never meant to be their forever home; the plan was always to move on within the next few years.
A few years earlier, the house had had cavity wall insulation fitted through a Government funded scheme. About two years after the work was done, a canvasser knocked on the door and said he had seen evidence at the front of the property that cavity wall insulation had been installed. When Joe confirmed the work had been carried out, the representative explained there were signs it might have been done incorrectly. Joe and his wife had no idea there was any problem at all. They were told it was probably creating issues such as damp. They had noticed a few damp patches but had never connected them to the insulation, and they were led to believe the insulation was the likely cause. The representative said he would send a surveyor to look at the property, and that the likely outcome would be that the insulation had to be removed.
Joe got the impression that the person who visited was not a solicitor, but a representative of a law firm called SSB. He explained that several other people in the area had been affected, and that the firm would be acting on their behalf too.
Signing up, and a promise of no win, no fee
At first, Joe and his wife were really concerned about the cost of legal action and whether they could afford to go ahead. They had already been thinking about the future. They wanted to sell the house within a few years, and they knew that if damp or failed cavity wall insulation was flagged in a survey, they would probably have to pay for any necessary work, which could run into tens of thousands of pounds. Because they had been presented with both the problem and a solution, signing up with SSB made sense to them. They were told the next step would be for SSB to instruct a surveyor to attend the house, and that they would not be able to sell the property while the case was ongoing.
When all the paperwork arrived from SSB, and because they were so worried about the costs, Joe and his wife called and emailed to clarify that the case was definitely being run on a no win, no fee agreement, and that they would not be facing any bills. Several times, they were reassured that it was a genuine no win, no fee agreement.
The case is dropped
The case then seemed to take an inordinate amount of time, with very few updates. In the summer of 2023, they were told that another survey would have to be carried out, because the original surveyor was no longer in the UK and his evidence and reports could not be used. The new surveyor found that, based on his findings, there was no evidence the insulation was problematic. On that basis, SSB Law advised them it was dropping the case and that the file would be closed.
It was around this time that Joe and his wife started seeing media reports of people in the same situation as them who had been presented with large legal bills. Joe recalls thinking how lucky they were that their case had never progressed, as they too could easily have found themselves in a similar position.
A £35,000 demand out of nowhere
In about November that year, they put the house on the market and began planning a move to Lincolnshire. Then, in June 2024, Joe came home from work to find his wife in tears, holding out her phone. They had been sent an email with a court order attached, containing a demand for £35,000. The couple could not understand why they had received this bill. They had been told at every step of the way that they would not be facing any legal bills at all.
With two very young children to care for, work to keep up with, and the shock to process, it was an extremely difficult time. Joe openly admits that he found himself in some very dark places while trying to work out what to do next, and both he and his wife struggled greatly. He spoke to his dad for advice, and they started checking social media to see if anyone else was in the same situation.
Finding WE Solicitors
Searching online for help with SSB, Joe came across articles mentioning a couple of law firms that said they could help people like him. He approached two firms, one of which was WE Solicitors. David Wingate was on annual leave at the time of Joe’s first enquiry, but got back to him promptly and let him know that his colleague, Ezmay Walker, would be in touch. The other firm they spoke to advised that they would be part of a class action, and that the case would likely run for twelve months or longer. The couple were panic stricken, worried they might have to sell their home to help pay legal fees.
Once Joe had spoken to Ezmay, he felt she had a very human approach and that his case was not treated as just another file. She was approachable, replied promptly whenever they made contact, and had a good knowledge of the case.
Joe and his wife were told that WE Solicitors would deal with the case and take a very proactive approach. David Wingate, a partner at WE Solicitors, explained that he would contact the firm pursuing the debt to ask them to stay their proceedings, and would also speak to the insurer to try to reduce the bill. At first, the firm chasing the debt was adamant that the bill would not be reduced and that it wanted the full amount.
The outcome
Looking back, the couple describe it as a very stressful time, but they stayed quietly hopeful that WE Solicitors would be able to help. In September 2024, they received an email from David confirming that the lawyers had agreed to cancel all of the fees, and that the debt was no longer theirs to pay.
By sharing their story, Joe wants to reassure others that, despite everything that happened with SSB and the anxiety it caused, not every firm is the same. He says WE Solicitors made them feel completely supported. Calls and emails were dealt with promptly and, even though the firm had many other clients to look after, they were always made to feel like the only one.
If ever I needed to instruct a law firm in the future, WE Solicitors would be my first port of call. I cannot thank them enough.
If you have been affected by the collapse of SSB Law, or you have received an unexpected legal bill or cost order over a case you believed was no win, no fee, WE Solicitors can talk it through with you. There is no pressure and no obligation, and the first conversation is free. Call 0800 294 3065 or use our online contact form for a free, confidential chat.
