A Canberra couple are thousands of dollars out of pocket due to what they describe as an "admin bungle" by the ACT government with Mr Fluffy demolition dates.
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Ric and Christine Baker surrendered their Curtin home on June 30 under advice from the ACT Asbestos Taskforce that this would allow it to be bulldozed before December 2016.
However after moving out to a temporary rental property, the couple were told via email their demolition had been rescheduled and may not be completed until July 2017.
"We have not been kept in the loop," Mrs Baker said.
"If they don't demolish this until July next year that's $550 a week we have lost. It will work out to be about $20,000 out of pocket."
Mr Baker said at every step they had been at the "government's behest" and making plans for housing and their financial future seemed futile as the government continued to "change the goal posts".
Head of the taskforce, Mr Andrew Kefford, said the Baker's property was not included in the initial schedule released in August 2015, and in the February 2016 update was tentatively set to be demolished for 2018 or later as the government had not yet acquired the home.
He said the process had "many moving parts" but refuted any suggestion information given to the Bakers had been unclear.
Mr Kefford stated on Friday the home would be "down by the end of the year" however an email the couple received from his staff failed to include that commitment – another reminder Mrs Baker said of mixed messages.
Mr Kefford said once a surrendered home was in the schedule there was little uncertainty about when it would be demolished.
The difficultly came with juggling homeowners' desire to minimise the financial impact of renting on one hand and demolition sequencing, scheduling and contracting process on the other, he said.
"There are houses that I have owned for 18 months that I haven't demolished yet because of where they are and what the schedule says," he said. "There are first right of refusal owner's blocks that aren't due to be demolished until the second half of next year."
Mrs Baker said it was clear the taskforce's plan to minimise impact on communities and maximise cost efficiency by clustering houses for demolition had gone awry.
Compounding their frustrations, the couple are still awaiting a buyback price and have no ability to draw up architectural plans while this limbo drags on.
As the initial valuations were based on October 2014 figures, the longer the wait the most costly it will be for the Bakers to return to their home at an increased market price.
The couple, who are both still working but nearing retirement age, said all the uncertainty had been exhausting.
