Andrew and Kylie Neale walked away from the eight-year compensation fight virtually penniless and owing a significant mortgage on their $900,000 property deemed worthless because of the shallow mine workings below.

Further details of the Neale’s battle with the board emerged this week after Fairfax revealed on Tuesday that authorities knew for decades about the mine-subsidence risk at the property and failed to inform the family.

Mr Neale said on Wednesday that the couple was forced to pay for expert reports, drilling at the site and legal fees.

They eventually lost the case in 2013 on a technicality after it was deemed they lodged their claim too late.

The Neales agreed to speak this week about their battle with the board after a compensation claim against Maitland City Council was finalised for an ­undisclosed sum.

Mr Neale said before the settlement agreement with the council, the couple faced bankruptcy.

‘‘We’re still a long way behind financially from where we should be and we own a property that we can never sell,’’ he said.

At one stage, Mr Neale said the board informed him there were four areas at the property that were unsafe because of the shallow depth of the workings and needed to be fenced off.

The couple moved out and rented for years, but found it impossible to keep up the mortgage repayments, so were forced to move back in.

‘‘We’ve always been more concerned about the risk to people, not our home,’’ Mr Neale said.

“The house can be fixed, but we have two kids who want to play in the yard. 

“We asked and asked and asked, but the Mine Subsidence Board would never tell us it was safe.”

Labor and the Greens have called on the Baird government to launch an investigation into the handling of the case.

A spokesman for Finance and Services Minister Dominic Perrottet said he was looking into the matter.