Mascot Towers owners rage after fiery million-dollar meeting

Shouting was heard during a late-night, four-hour meeting and angry owners walked out as they faced a tough, multimillion-dollar question.

Mascot Towers apartment owners were left in distress after a fiery four-hour emergency meeting, which stretched on until almost midnight, provided few answers about their future.

Shouting was heard from inside the room at the Holiday Inn in Mascot and owners walked out as they were forced to agree to pay a million-dollar levy for repairs.

One young couple told news.com.au they were “dissatisfied” and “nervous” about what would happen next following the heated meeting, in which lawyers and engineers gave lengthy speeches.

“I guess we came looking for some answers and I guess there’s not too many at this stage,” they said.

News.com.au last night learned that the insurance claim for extensive remedial works has been completely declined by the insurer, as the building has had ongoing structural issues dating back years. These have voided the building’s claims on insurance.

Mascot Towers apartment owners were left in distress after a fiery four-hour emergency meeting that stretched on until almost midnight. Picture: AAP Image/Danny Casey

‘WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE’

The extraordinary general meeting was held to secure sign off from apartment owners to pay a million-dollar strata levy for emergency remedial works to save the failing building, after rapid deterioration of one site triggered its evacuation last Friday.

One owner, who only wanted to be identified as Roger, told news.com.au the meeting ended with no action plan and all the owners would have to convene again next week.

“Hopefully we get answers next week,” he said.

“There was a majority agreement that we will pay for the levies,” Roger’s partner, who did not want to give her name, told news.com.au.

“Largely because we don’t have a choice.

“We do feel nervous, but we don’t have any other options. We’re hoping the government can come in an assist us.

“While we don’t know what the cause of why this is happening, it’s hard to move forward. We have a lot of people who are concerned but there’s not much we can do.”

Defectors from the meeting said the complex information was “a lot to take in” and there was too much information to absorb, with “lawyers” doing a lot of talking.

“Three hours talking about buildings,” a disgruntled resident said as he walked out an hour before the tense discussions wound up.

Occasional cheering was heard amid the angry yelling, with owners telling news.com.au that some attendees acted like “motivational speakers”, encouraging the troubled building’s residents to “stand together”.

Shouting was heard from inside the meeting room at the Mascot Holiday Inn, and many owners walked out. Picture: AAP Image/Danny Casey

RENTERS DESPERATE TO RETRIEVE THEIR FURNITURE

Renters in the building had their own meeting last night, at a nearby building in Mascot.

A spokesman told news.com.au this would ensure proper information was communicated effectively to renters as it came to light.

The tenants were told they would probably be able to return to their homes for 30-minute visits at staggered intervals.

“They want to get key pieces of furniture, clothing and personal effects, and they were concerned that window wouldn’t provide them with enough time to do so,” the building’s media liaison Patrick McGuire told news.com.au.

“Some people talked about grabbing beds and things along that line — furniture that they may have to replace if their furniture stays in that room for a period of time. I’ve taken the general commentary … that they’d like more than half an hour.

“It comes to a public safety issue and engineering advice as well.”

Unhappy owners agreed to pay ongoing strata fees for emergency remedial works, with costs estimated to be around $4.1 million. Picture: AAP Image/Danny Casey

There is a possibility owners and tenants will be able to access the building as early as Saturday “to recover items of importance” and a second firm of engineers has been appointed for a peer review.

There is no conclusive evidence as to the cause of the current instability.

An engineering summary provided to news.com.au has revealed the troubled Mascot Towers is beginning to stabilise, although engineers will need another week “at the minimum to provide findings that have more substance”.

Experts are still in the process of assessing if apartment residents can reoccupy the building.

“The engineers have advised that there are some signs that building instability is stabilising, in the areas of the building of most concern,” said the summary.

Owners agreed at the meeting to pay ongoing strata fees for emergency remedial works, with costs estimated to eventually reach around $4.1 million.

Some said they felt anxious and troubled as they waited in a long line outside the hotel function room, with many arriving in a group half an hour before the meeting, shielding their faces from cameras.

But the building’s future still looks uncertain, with these pictures revealing exposed joints inside the complex. Picture: Phoebe Loomes

‘IT’S THE LEAST THEY COULD DO FOR US’

Residents forced to stay in hotels and on friends’ couches were confused about why the temporary accommodation clause stipulated in the building’s insurance was not paid out.

They had to find their own places to stay, with some checking into expensive nearby hotels and Airbnbs, while others are homeless and living with friends and family.

Almost $9000 was allocated for temporary accommodation for residents by the building’s insurer, but the payout has been declined while the insurer assesses if a third party is at fault.

News.com.au spoke briefly to three exhausted-looking apartment owners waiting in the bar before the meeting.

Fabiano dos Santos told reporters he felt “angry” going into the meeting.

Asked if he thought it was fair that the insurer had not paid the temporary accommodation fees, he said: “We pay a fair price for strata fees every month … temporary accommodation is the least they could do for us.”

One woman shook her head, remarking: “There’s nothing else to say”.

Others told reporters the building cannot be reoccupied for at least another month, but John Higgins from MyPlace realtors, who represents many of the owners, said he was keen to see the building fixed as soon as possible.

“I’ve got a few residents who can hold on a month, I’ve got a few residents who can’t hold on a week — they can’t afford another week,” Mr Higgins said.

“So it’s very important. We’re gonna have to get the banks involved and see where we go from here.”

Owners from the towers have started a Gofundme page to help raise funds to pay the million dollar strata levy.

Leakage and flooding within the complex, which was evacuated last week, were also revealed. Picture: Phoebe Loomes

‘A LONG, DAUNTING ROAD LIES AHEAD’

Earlier, the newly elected chairman for the Mascot Towers’ Strata Committee sent an ominous warning to the apartment owners for the failing building, after receiving detailed reports of the damage from engineers, telling them he is “devastated” by what has happened to their homes.

He has warned them “a long, daunting road lies ahead” and asked them to work as a united team as they move forward.

The chairman, who was elected in May of this year, told the owners that they would be briefed on an “independent peer review of the engineer’s findings” at the meeting.

The chairman urged owners to work together moving forward, after one owner told news.com.au they’d prefer to go bankrupt than continue paying strata fees to the troubled tower.

Residents of the ill-fated complex predicted high emotions at the meeting, with another owner telling news.com.au people would “not be reasonable”.

Since that prediction, the building’s strata management company, Strata Choice, has appointed a counselling referral service for stressed-out residents of the towers, many of whom received about 15 minutes’ notice to get out of their home last Friday.

On Tuesday, the ABC reported building management had advised those troubled by financial hardship to contact the Salvation Army Moneycare counselling service.

Mascot Towers, where 122 units have been evacuated due to structural concerns within two of the tower buildings in the four-tower complex. Picture by Damian Shaw

SELL FOR ‘LAND VALUE’

One owner going into the meeting said he believed the building should be sold for its land value.

He told news.com.au that paying for repairs, which have reached an estimated cost of more than $5 million before being put to tender, would be financially ruinous for those who own apartments in the troubled complex.

“I believe a lot of people will cry, yell and scream in the building at the meeting and not be reasonable,” he told news.com.au earlier this week. “That’s just my opinion.”

RELATED: Renters locked out of troubled Towers

RELATED: Owners to foot the bill to save unstable building

The Mascot Towers site has two distinct defect sites, news.com.au understands. The strata company has been aware of one of these for more than two years.

The other, more dangerous, defect was noticed in the past “three or four weeks” and showed “rapid deterioration”, according to documents obtained by news.com.au.

While emergency props were installed in the building’s carpark in an attempt to stabilise the building, it was evacuated about nine days after they were put in place.

Support beams were put in place in the Mascot Towers carpark. Picture by Damian Shaw

According to the ABC, one owner, who did not want to be identified, asked if a colleague who is a lawyer could attend the meeting with her.

But she received a frosty response from management, who told her “strict” policies would be enforced, and she could not bring a supporter.

Earlier in the week, building management announced the meeting would only be open to owners of apartments and lots in the building, and photo identification would be required to attend.

The building’s owners corporation extended an invitation to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to attend, saying it wanted her to “tell us what can be done by the Government to assist both owners and residents”, the corporation said in a statement.

A building spokesperson told news.com.au residents were allowed to bring a support person to the meeting. Media were not permitted to attend.

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