Vue on King William residents launch legal action, claiming their tower apartments get too hot

RESIDENTS in Adelaide’s tallest apartment tower, Vue on King William, have launched legal action against the developer of the award-winning building — because they claim their properties get too hot.

Residents have complained about the heat inside Adelaide's tallest apartment building, Vue on King William Street. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

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RESIDENTS in Adelaide’s tallest apartment tower have launched legal action against the developer of the award-winning $100 million building, claiming their properties get too hot.

Vue on King William’s community corporation has filed a pre-trial application seeking access to documents from the developer of the 85m-tall tower to build the case for a potential claim in the District Court.

The action comes less than two years after the completion of the 210-apartment tower by developer Vue on KWS Pty Ltd — a joint venture between Adelaide-based Starfish Developments and Melbourne developer the Deague Group.

Vue on KWS lawyer Samuel Hurburgh, of Minter Ellison, said the nub of the issue was that the apartments get “too hot”.

“There’s either an issue with the glass, issue with the thermal performance of the building or with the airconditioning,” he said in a response to Master Mark Rice’s query as to the nature of the corporation’s application.

“I don’t know if it’s all apartments.”

The community corporation’s lawyer Amy Davis, of Barry Nilsson lawyers, told Master Rice it was primarily the apartments facing the west that have the “most difficulty”.

Mr Hurburgh told the court on Thursday that his client is opposing the application by the community corporation for pre-action disclosure of documents.

The Vue apartments were completed in May 2016 and the first residents moved in a month later.

The building is on the western side of King William St, near the corner of South Tce.

A former Vue on King William resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said she and her husband moved out of their rental property last July because of the heat.

“The apartment was always so hot because of the glass and poor airconditioning,” she said.

Starfish Development’s managing director Damon Nagel and Deague Group chief executive Will Deague pictured in June 2016 in a penthouse suite of the Vue on King William. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

“I was told the heat was the price you paid for the beautiful view. We were northeast on level 16. By 8am in summer the apartment was really hot.

“The AC was installed in a position that didn’t allow for (air) flow through the apartment.”

Starfish Developments managing director Damon Nagel declined to comment on the court action.

The Advertiser has sought comment from the Deague Group and comment from the community corporation through legal firm Barry Nillson Lawyers.

The Vue on King William won the 2016 Urban Development Institute of Australia SA branch High Density Housing Award in 2016.