The Ponds: Ceilings collapse in Empress St homes

Anxious neighbours at The Ponds fear they will be killed after their ceilings collapsed. One family is now trying to chase the owner-builder to recover thousands of dollars.

Karen and Daniel Lui at their home in The Ponds where the ceiling collapsed.

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Anxious neighbours at The Ponds fear they will be killed after their ceilings collapsed late last year.

A bedroom ceiling at Ken and Sandra Mahoney’s house collapsed in November — shortly before their next door neighbours Daniel and Karen Lui’s open plan kitchen and loungeroom ceiling buckled on December 13.

The Lui family is trying to chase the owner-builder to recover $9000 used to repair the damage and ascertain why building inspections approved the Empress St house, which is four years old.

Mr Lui said he contacted the owner-builder but he was in India.

The kitchen and lounge area at Daniel Lui’s house.

He said the builder used other subcontractors but “they had disappeared”.

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A qualified tradesman inspected the other rooms and found there were faulty bedroom, bathroom and garage ceilings too, Mr Lui said.

Karen and Daniel Lui fear more structural damage will strike again. Picture: Angelo Velardo

The Luis’ two sons aged 25 and 29, also live there.

“Luckily we didn’t get hurt,’’ he said. “It makes me worried when we hear the noise in the ceiling.”

Their insurance under Gallagher Bassett Services does not cover the defects.

Not even a storm prompted the damage — poor workmanship caused the ceiling to crash.

The Mahoneys’ house was built at the same time by the same builder.

They moved into their house on October 5 — just a month before the ceiling collapsed in one of the bedrooms where a fan was recently installed, causing $1600 damage.

The kitchen and lounge area of the Luis’ home has been repaired since December 13.

An electrician warned Mrs Mahoney about the building defects after the ceiling was too far — about 12cm — from the roof rafters.

“He said don’t let anyone sleep in the bedroom — it’s very dangerous,’’ Mrs Mahoney said.

“I had my sister staying with me at this time so I had to get her out of there.”

Daniel and his wife Karen Lui are trying to chase the owner builder to recover $9000. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“I’m a bit concerned now about the whole house.

“I don’t want to be sitting down watching TV and having dinner and have the roof crashing down on me.”

A NSW Fair Trading spokesman said for contracts signed on or after February 1, 2012, the statutory warranty period for major defects was six years, and two years for all other defects.

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