Owners of Summardai Apartments face $400k repair bill to fix ‘building code violations’
Imagine buying a new home, only to find it’s riddled with faults. Furious Frankston apartment owners have spent $100,000 trying to fix chronic ‘defects’ in their building, where a balcony has been cordoned off because it’s in danger of collapsing.
South East
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Angry apartment owners say their building is cracking, damp and dangerous, but no one will take responsibility.
One balcony in Frankston’s Summardai Apartments is cordoned off because it is collapsing and other units in the complex have leaking roofs, mould growing on walls and ceilings and huge cracks in the brickwork.
The owners’ corporation chairman Craig Fitch said the situation in the building, which was finished in 2013, was very stressful.
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Owners had raised $100,000, he said, but this had already been spent on some fixes and another $300,000 would be needed to address outstanding problems.
“The State Government needs to take tougher action. The owners want the builder to fix the building code violations.”
A resident, who didn’t want to be named, said cracks, water damage and mould in apartments had created a horrendous situation.
“It seems like little things, but they mount up,” she said.
Resident, Kevina Wright said they were struggling because there were so many defects.”
The closure of a basement car park due to issues with the sprinklers have led to tensions with nearby traders.
Business owners told the Leader they had suffered downturns because Summardai residents were parking in customer spaces on the street.
Cafe owner Rosie Major said no one was coming up with a solution
“They are letting traders suffer.”
Frankston mayor Michael O’Reilly said the council and the Victorian Building Authority were working together on short-term safety issues, including closing the carpark until a new fire alarm system was installed.
Frankston state Labor MP Paul Edbrooke said unit owners had been uncovering major flaws for years but the owners’ corporation had begun to bring the building up to standard. The builder could not be contacted for comment.
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