Mrs Richards has withheld payment of council tax levied on her house, which she claims was rendered uninhabitable during botched building work carried on a neighbouring property.
An independent surveyor found that the work, carried out by a Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council-approved builder and funded by a council grant, had caused substantial damage to the party wall. The builder concerned is believed to have subsequently gone out of business.
For six years Mrs Richards has been living in "temporary" accommodation, within sight of her house, in a rented flat she found herself. She alleges that she has had no help whatsoever from Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC. She struggled for a period to pay council tax on both properties.
She told The Cynon Valley Beacon, �it became increasingly clear that, despite my best endeavours, the local authority would not resolve the serious housing nightmare I was placed in.� She cannot afford to pay council tax for both properties.
Mrs Richards has maintained her payments on the flat, and has been battling with the local authority to have her uninhabitable house removed from the valuation register. She has been embroiled in the dispute for some years, and last year faced the very real threat of imprisonment.
After her last court appearance she stated publicly that she was prepared to fight against what she calls 'this great injustice and ridiculous situation' and face imprisonment, rather than pay for services she is not receiving in respect of a house a mere 50 yards away she cannot live in. �RCTCBC are adamant [that the house] is a second home that can be lived in,� she told The Cynon Valley Beacon.
�It seems quite clear that RCTCBC does not care about the people in the community it is there to protect and serve. There is no humanity or responsibility in our local authority, despite the spin you might read about.The reality is a completely different thing. Actions speak so much louder than words, and the proof is there for all to see.
�I think it is a disgrace that sick and vulnerable people are forced into such a situation whilst those responsible sit back and make matters worse. I won't pay for something I cannot live in. I cannot afford to get the house repaired,as we have been repeatedly refused a grant to help us, or any compensation for the entire nightmare. It seems clear we are facing financial ruin. It makes me wonder just how much more we can take now."
Mrs Richards feels that the Council Tax system is both unfair and deeply flawed � a view backed up by her experience of many years' struggling against the system to no avail. She feels that Council Tax should be scrapped and replaced by a fairer system, and that complex and unusual situations like hers should also be taken into account.
She will not give up her fight.
"RCTCBC have caused untold suffering and hardship to myself and my family and refuse to sort the mess they have caused out and compensate us accordingly. Instead they seem to feel that bullying and threatening me with Court proceedings, imprisonment, bailiffs being sent to the flat is the way forward - it isn't.�
Mrs Richards' elderly father is also in very poor health, but his family are unable to care for him. He is currently living in a local care home. Her husband George, in his early sixties and still working, is receiving treatment for cancer. Mrs Richards admits that their marriage has been under strain as a result of their predicament.
�The upset, financial problems, and trying to cope with our general situation, is causing us all additional and totally unnecessary stress. We also have struggled to cope with living in unsuitable accommodation which has greatly impacted on our lives. We have been stuck in a state of limbo."
Mrs Richards will have the assistance of a member of Stand Your Ground, acting as a McKenzie Friend.