Property Reporter
COMMERCIAL property association Sapoa has criticised the National Home Builders Registration Council for not acting sooner in the case of a property development dispute in Weltevreden Park, Johannesburg.
Sapoa CE Brian Kirchmann has questioned why the council did not pick up the inherent problems in the piece of land used for the development. The council has ordered that the full title security development called Eldorado, in the West Rand, be demolished.
The council said that shortly after occupation of the 21-unit complex in December 2000, severe structural defects, in the form of cracks, appeared in some units.
Very little could be done to remedy the situation and as the complex was enrolled and the builder registered with the council, inspectors intervened. The problem can be traced to the fact that the site was originally a quarry for brick-making material that had been refilled.
A geotechnical contractor had performed a dynamic "drop weight" compaction to overcome the loosely placed fill and to establish a structural platform for development.
However, the work proved to be inadequate.
The builder is suing the geotechnical contractor for damages, but the outcome of the court case is expected three or four years down the line, so the council has decided in the interim to finance the relocation, item accommodation and payout amounting to R5,5m.
Kirchmann said the council was supposed to ensure developments were done correctly.
"They could have saved all the heartache and cost if they had intervened in checking and ascertaining that the site was not fit to be built on," Kirchmann said.
However, council technical manager Fred Wagenaar said the onus was on the developer to investigate the land that he intended developing.
Sep 22 2003 07:20:10:000AM Nick Wilson Business Day 1st Edition
Publisher: Buisiness Day
Source: Nick Wilson
