I don't *&^%ing believe it

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 18th Aug, '11, 17:04

It was built for the Olympics. I can never quite fathom the link as it's miles away from Olympic Park but I've heard that from a few people. It's award-winning for architecture, but obviously not build quality.

There are outstanding claims on the developer, currently being settled. Leaking bathrooms - which we had heard about in relation to the block opposite.

This problem we have, they say has probably been there since it was built but it hadn't previously rained as much or hard as it has this year. I find that hard to believe, I remember our first couple of months here in 2008 and wondering when the hell the rain would stop. About a month ago it really was Singapore rain and 8 units in our particular column had leaks, but they are all leaking on the courtyard side, not Botany Road side, and that source has been found. We like to be different. We've now had 3 sets of flood tests done but no water came through from any of them. Engineers have been sacked, new ones appointed, and now we're waiting for the manufacture of a cap to go over a duct, allegedly.

We are quite a big complex, and the Exec Committee suspects the management company doesn't have the resources to manage us especially as the building ages and requires more maintenance. (I also suspect the agent assigned to us is a waste of space and everything is everybody else's fault.) They've changed companies at least once already so maybe they're all as bad as each other.

Meanwhile I can't travel with Neo, can't get the new floors and decorating done, planned to be job hunting again by now...certainly didn't plan this time off to sit around waiting for a miracle.

Just today I have promised to start legal action on Monday if I don't have some firm plans by COB tomorrow. We consulted a lawyer over a month ago but it seems the first step is Fair Trading and mediation, which sounds a bit wishy washy to me.

daffodil · Post by **daffodil** » 18th Aug, '11, 17:37

It really is pants.

Maybe you 'd like to compare and get in touch with my former Reuters colleague (cocktails at Toko....) as he is similarly unhappy with the new unit he bought in a complex on the Redfern side. Numerous very costly issues and lengthy delays, I believe he didn't end up taking legal action against the developer but it was close and he may be able to shed some light on the process.

Lichtgestalt · Post by **Lichtgestalt** » 18th Aug, '11, 19:00

Time to get your own house then kooky

Fat Bob · Post by **Fat Bob** » 18th Aug, '11, 19:59

And here's me always thinking the building work in Singapore was shoddy. Obviously there are worse places.

Lili Von Shtupp · Post by **Lili Von Shtupp** » 18th Aug, '11, 22:21

That is just awful, Kooky.

Maybe in the meantime you can get a kiddie pool, a space heater, and a bottle of champagne and turn the room into a spa.

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 19th Aug, '11, 07:54

Daff - the guy who took his partner to Jonah's? Yes, would be good to swap stories. I found a Flat Owners forum but TBH it seems heavily moderated, not much opportunity to be open about things.

Lichty - we love this apartment, we don't want to move. It's two storey, house-sized, 3 balconies, we THOUGHT low-maintenance for lazy people. Apartment living shouldn't be like this.

Bob - trust me, that's the short version of events!

(Do you remember that brand new condo we had on Holland Road - I had about 60 points on the snag list when we moved in. e.g., Turn on water heater in common bathroom, common bathroom floods. Turn on aircon in master bedroom, water comes out of bottom of door frame. Empty bath in en suite, ensuite floods - no waste pipe. Now that was a shoddy place!)

Lili - now there's an idea. As it is, the kits play in the tubs we have under the leak, I can see one day Fu is going to take a bath.

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 19th Aug, '11, 14:19

FML. Today I have murky brown water spurting out of the taps. Investigations lead to plumbers installing hot water to a couple of the retail units downstairs, and kindly turning off the water without giving us any notice. I'm supposed to be going out soon and I look like a ginger Billy Idol.

What is it with me and water? I love water. I was born by the sea. Being by water calms me, I can stare at it for hours. Yet I can hardly swim, get horribly seasick, and seem to be ****ing jinxed when it comes to property and water. Water doesn't love me back.

Is it any wonder I drink?

Pinklepurr · Post by **Pinklepurr** » 19th Aug, '11, 14:28

Sounds like you need a strong one right now!

Lichtgestalt · Post by **Lichtgestalt** » 19th Aug, '11, 14:31

Kooky wrote:Lichty - we love this apartment, we don't want to move. It's two storey, house-sized, 3 balconies, we THOUGHT low-maintenance for lazy people. Apartment living shouldn't be like this..

Well, if it is then you either love it so much that you don't mind a bit of water dripping on your head or you take action... whinging poms

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 19th Aug, '11, 14:49

Pinklepurr wrote:Sounds like you need a strong one right now!

Well I can't drink the water, what else is there?

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 5th Jan, '12, 14:32

(Please note the date of the first post on this thread).

I'm not ranting. I'm just so over it.

Good news: Roof fixed, certified, and so master bedroom ceiling finally got patched and plastered on Christmas Eve. Not yet painted, and won't be before the rellies come on the 18th, but after nine months of mattress on floor, asthma attacks due to mould, sofabed downstairs on my own, moving of bed downstairs, furniture on balcony, mattress on floor...I am finally sleeping in my bed, where my bed should be. Lovely.

Bad news: I think I've mentioned on other threads (and certainly on Facebook) the 2nd leak we found when we were ripping out ready for the new flooring. It was supposed to be fixed up before Christmas, but rain stopped play for almost a week. Then it was supposed to be finished by tomorrow, and the floor is due to be put in that last room on Monday.

Yesterday they actually admitted to us that the replacement subseal for the patio doors has not yet been ordered, will be measured up for on Monday and will take two weeks to manufacture - which means it will be ready slap bang in the middle of the rellies' visit so we told them they can't fit it until 31 January. Then there's 3 days for fixing up the internals, IIRC.

Today they say the factory won't re-open until the end of January, and THEN it will take two weeks for manufacture.

So we haven't had any external doors on the small room for 3 or 4 weeks now. They're going to put them back in tomorrow, temporarily, not least because we'll be going away when the rellies are here (at least it's on the 4th floor).

We've had tradies here up to 6 days a week since 28 November, including some public holidays. I'm just so chuffing fed up of it, but I know I have to be available to provide access if and when they need it, which is weather-dependent so usually we don't know until that morning.

They just expect us to be able to be here. It's a good job my contract finished in December, but I was hoping to get some job apps in next week and now I don't know whether I should or not.

And it's a good job we bought a place with three bedrooms, isn't it?

AND, lovely as most of these guys are, why do they all have explosive bowel problems? I dread going in my bathroom after they've gone.

baloo · Post by **baloo** » 5th Jan, '12, 14:36

Note to self: Don't buy an apartment in Australia.

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 5th Jan, '12, 14:40

Seriously, don't. Certainly in NSW residents have virtually no power against shit management. We did eventually engage a strata lawyer but even they advised us there was not much we could do, as things get done when they get done.

They did send a letter but the (now sacked) Strata Manager sat on it for nine days before sending it on to the EC. I think that finally sealed her fate so not all bad.

baloo · Post by **baloo** » 5th Jan, '12, 14:41

"Condos" are a relatively new concept in Australia so I'm not surprised the laws haven't caught up yet.

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 5th Jan, '12, 14:45

Well if Oz as a whole (or at least the coastal cities) is pushing apartment living as the answer to the housing shortage, and trying to move people away from the one-storey home on an acre, it needs to catch up fast.

We bought a place so we could put up pictures without asking a landlord's permission. Now we can't even choose the colour of our curtains.

Fat Bob · Post by **Fat Bob** » 5th Jan, '12, 16:09

Can't you just pay for it yourself and then claim it back from the Management? Or at least, if they do not act after a certain amount of time.

chocolate · Post by **chocolate** » 6th Jan, '12, 04:56

AND, lovely as most of these guys are, why do they all have explosive bowel problems? I dread going in my bathroom after they've gone.

that would make me cry too

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 6th Jan, '12, 05:57

Fat Bob wrote:Can't you just pay for it yourself and then claim it back from the Management? Or at least, if they do not act after a certain amount of time.

If only it were that simple. These are major building defects we're dealing with, and we have had a whole host of builders, engineers, forensic engineers, plasterers, tilers, painters...you get the picture.

9 units in our section of this building (there are 4 blocks in all) have had problems this year; allegedly the rain this year has been the first major test of a 12 year-old building. And it failed spectacularly.

The bill will be in the many thousands. What is not covered by insurance we and our neighbours will be paying off for quite some time, hence the 100k loan voted for at the AGM. Another reason I have tried not to get litigious, as I don't think my neighbours should have to pay for the failings of the management.

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 6th Jan, '12, 08:27

Electricians here fitting lights and fans, have just commented it's a wonder the block is still standing. Light fittings screwed into metal frames in ceiling, which are live and completely blackened.

(Did I tell you the main problem with the leaking patio doors is that they screwed through the sub-seals, so they're no longer actually SEALS?

)

baloo · Post by **baloo** » 6th Jan, '12, 08:37

Sounds like its time to spruce it up, get a out order to suppress all the negative information about he building nd sell it.

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 6th Jan, '12, 08:49

Just as I'm getting it how I want it?

baloo · Post by **baloo** » 6th Jan, '12, 08:55

Kooky wrote:Just as I'm getting it how I want it?

Ahmed still coming over every morning then ?

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 6th Jan, '12, 09:28

Oh hello Bob, didn't see you there.

Ahmed's been and gone, leaving a huge wet...puddle on the balcony. Flood testing in progress. Now I just have Laurie and Gary to keep me company. Gary is a Kiwi with a mohawk and a ferret, one of the more entertaining tradies I've experienced. (The cats are thankful he left the ferret at home.)

Lili Von Shtupp · Post by **Lili Von Shtupp** » 6th Jan, '12, 10:02

baloo wrote:
Kooky wrote:Just as I'm getting it how I want it?
Ahmed still coming over every morning then ?

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