A Hastings woman with Cerebral Palsy says Mercy Renovators not only took her $4250 deposit, but also her independence.
Sarah de la Haye, 44, understands others lost far bigger sums of money when the Hastings company went into voluntary liquidation last November, but the emotional cost hit hardest.
After moving into fiance Craig Hansen's Hastings home the couple decided to revamp their bathroom so she would be able to take a shower without assistance.
They had planned to remove the bath and shower to make room for a wet area - for which Ms De la Haye had already picked out tiles, hand railing and a showerhead.
Mr Hansen paid the deposit on a credit card in early August but when he heard Hawke's Bay Today editor Andrew Austin on Kidnappers Radio speaking about the liquidation, those hopes were dashed.