Calls for 100% redress in apartment defects debacle
Over 200 people turned up at conference in the Plaza Hotel

Calls for 100% redress in apartment defects debacle

CALLS for 100 per cent redress in the apartments defects debacle are growing, with more developments joining the campaign.

Owners of affected properties are seeking a one-on-one meeting with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien, before he signs off on the memo regarding what scheme will be in place, to cabinet on December 17.

Over 200 owners attended a conference on Saturday at the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght.

Members of the ‘Not Our Fault’ campaign, include apartment and duplex owners in Park West and Hunterswood, Ballycullen, who formed a bond in recent months upon discovering they were in the same boat.

Numerous developments built between 1991 and 2013 are facing serious financial pressures to pay for defects they knew nothing about when buying their properties.

In many of the cases, an apartment owner is facing a bill of €68k to fix a problem not of their doing, and a demand of a €15k first instalment by the end of this year.

Potentially 100,000 homes across the country are affected.

TDs in attendance at The Plaza Hotel conference included Paul Murphy (PBP/Sol), Eoin O’Brien (SF) Sinn Féin, Brid Smith (PBP) and Sean Crowe (SF).

There was no one in attendance from Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil, although they had all been invited, according to the campaign group.

Residents arrived from a number of developments, including the Crescent Building, Academy Building and Concert Building, all from Parkwest, and built by Harcourt Developments and builder P Elliots & Co. Residents from Hunterswood attended, along with people from The Metropolitan, Inchicore, the Belfry CityWest, Beaumont Court, Cathedral Court, among others.

At the Plaza, Michelle Diver from the Mica Action campaign shared valuable information on how to proceed.

Pat Montague, from the CDA Apex IE Technologies Ltd, put on a visual demonstration of new fire techniques in preventing fire and fire-retardant paint, that could be used in the affected buildings and save on costs of having to tear down plasterboard and ceilings.

“It went very well, we also spoke to people that said they got a lot of information from it, as they didn’t know where to turn and now, they know they are not on their own,” said a spokesperson for the campaign.

“One person from the audience asked was there not any counselling services in place as he said he was aware of people having mental health issues over the huge cost, and the pressure being put on people who simply cannot pay.

Paul Murphy and Eoin O’Broin answered a lot of questions from people on the floor.

In fairness to Paul, he has been with us at every step of the way.”

Campaigners took part in the ‘Raise the Roof’ protest on Saturday, November 26, in Parnell Square,  which marched to the Dáil.

They will also protest on December 14, outside the Dáil before a memo goes to cabinet on December 17.

“This is regarding what scheme will be put in place for us,” said the group.

“We are looking for 100 per cent redress and it needs to be retrospective for people that have already paid-up levies.

“There was talk of offering tax credits that would be of no use to us because in the crescent building there are 232 units and only 69 owner-occupied.

“That would mean the rest of the people would have to take out a loan of €68,500 to pay for the works and then claim it back in tax over the next couple of years.

“Most of these people are accidental landlords. They couldn’t sell it because of the 2007 crash, and rented them out so they could move out and rent or buy a bigger place for their family to live in.

“They would not have the means of taking out these loans.

“We are looking for the government to take the project in hand themselves.

“The management companies are not qualified to see projects of this scale through.

“We asked our management company for a breakdown of the €15.9m to fix our building and they refused to share it with us.”

“Nobody is going to be able to sell these apartments for 7/8 years, so everyone is stuck where they are.

“It isn’t a nice feeling for people going into Christmas.”

Members urge people in other developments facing similar defect problems to join the Not Our Fault campaign.

“The only way we can win this fight is with numbers and pressure on the government”, said the group.

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