Unit owners forking out thousands to keep Toplace’s Canterbury building upright

Hundreds of new apartment owners have been told they’ve got to foot the bill for emergency works just to keep their building standing.

Hundreds of apartment owners have been told they have to foot the bill for emergency works just to keep their new building standing.

The 80-unit Canterbury apartment block – built by Toplace, whose founder is property developer Jean Nassif – has significant structural problems, according to NSW Fair Trading.

At a July 22 meeting, strata managers were told that if residents want to keep living in the building, they need to install supporting beams in the basement car park.

But a Toplace spokesman has disputed there are structural issues or a need for back-propping, leaving owners stuck in the middle.

Leith Dawes paid $720,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit three years ago and said owners have already forked out “thousands of dollars” for ­repairs and other costs.

Leith Dawes is an apartment owner at a Canterbury apartment block that recently required back propping in the basement car park just to stay upright. Picture: Supplied

“This could all cost tens of millions of dollars to repair – several structural engineers have already said that,” Mr Dawes, himself an engineer, said.

“Owners are already feeling the pinch.

“It’s well beyond the average apartment buyer to try and work out whether the an apartment has serious structural issues which one day may lead to its collapse.”

Strata manager Bright and Duggan managing director Chris Duggan said owners will foot the bill “in the short term, but this will form part of the court proceedings that are afoot”.

“For us this is a precautionary approach,” he said, adding the works have cost about $150,000.

“There are allegations of defects of a structural nature. There are limited works being recommended and we are proceeding with that work.”

The apartment building on Charles St in Sydney’s south-west is at risk of collapse due to its structural integrity, engineers report.

“We are doing works in the basement impacting a number of car spaces. It gives everyone peace of mind.

“We want to ensure safety but also preserve the reputation of the building.”

A NSW Fair Trading spokeswoman said they met with the compulsory app­ointed strata managers for the Charles St property “on July 22 to discuss options which may be taken by them to ensure continued occupation of the building”.

“These options included precautionary back-propping in accordance with advice from the structural engineers engaged by the owners’ corporation,” she said.

“The Building Commissioner and NSW Fair Trading staff were present.

“NSW Fair Trading has been advised the owners’ corporation have undertaken propping ahead of receiving further engineering advice on remediating the building.”

Toplace property developer Jean Nassif.

A Toplace spokesman said this is the second time engineers Rothshire, employed by the owners’ corporation, have made allegations about the building’s structural integrity.

“Subsequent to Rothshire’s initial allegations, all engineers that reviewed the building rejected Rothshire’s conclusions that immediate safety works were required on the building,” he said.

“NSW Public Works Advisory inspected the building on 1 August 2022. They could not identify the cracks or other evidence that Rothshire apparently observed.

“Toplace undertook ground-penetrating radar scanning of the columns on 2 August 2022 (non-destructive testing). The independent company engaged by Top­lace’s lawyers concluded that Rothshire’s assertions were again, incorrect.”