Disabled woman’s home demolished after mould infestation

Mould in a disabled woman’s home in Queensland had become so bad it was decided it would be better to demolish the house.

A young disabled woman has been forced out of her Queensland home after it was riddled with mould because of a building defect.

Now a Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) ruling has determined the building in Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, has to be demolished because of the mould.

The saga has caused severe stress to Paige Nicotra, 24, said her mother Linda Hartman.

The house cost $770,000 to build.

Paige was left with severe brain damage as a child after a hospital mistake, and four years ago she was awarded $5.5 million in compensation from Queensland Health.

The home in Redcliffe, north of Brisbane. Picture: ACA

Part of this money was earmarked to be spent on a house for Paige.

The builder responsible for Ms Nicotra’s home was PJ Burns. Director Rick Burns has previously said there were problems at the property and the company was going to fix them.

However, before changes could be made, the QBCC found PJ Burns had failed to rectify structural defects and decided the “demolition and rebuilding of the dwelling” was “reasonable and necessary”.

QBCC found the cause of the mould was due to moisture rising through the slab because of a faulty installation of a damp proof membrane.

Paige has been left without a home after mould destroyed the place. Picture: ACA

It also approved a claim of $200,000 under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme, which amounts to less than a third of the actual build cost.

But Ms Hartman said it was not enough

“The builder has to be held accountable for what he has done to us and I don’t want this to happen to anybody else,” she said.

She added that the work was so bad it should be listed as Tier 1 defective work leading to an automatic three-year ban.

“How can they say it’s not and I’ve been waiting for a response and it’s just never coming, it’s like the QBCC are protecting the builder,” she said.

A QBCC spokesman told ACA they are “empathetic to Ms Hartman’s situation, and our officers have worked continuously to keep her updated and informed during her case”.

“This builder has been subject to regulatory action and may be subject to further regulatory action in the future,” the spokesman said.

PJ Burns declined to comment as court proceedings are ongoing.

Originally published as Disabled woman’s home demolished after mould infestation