Dreams turn to nightmares for homeowners

BY MARTIN VAN BEYNEN

A Christchurch developer who let the purchasers of a property move into what is claimed to be a potential death trap with their five children needs to be stopped, the buyers say.

Kirk Stevens and Paula Saywell are part of a group of disgruntled buyers from Stewarts Gully, north of Christchurch, who have dealt with Brooklands project manager Craig James Robertson in the past year.

"People need to be very careful when they are dealing with this guy," Stevens said. "He has let a lot of people down badly and caused all sorts of heartache."

A nearby property which Robertson renovated and sold last year is understood to have had a slew of electrical defects, meaning the buyers could have received a shock from a "live" dishwasher and a kitchen plug, neither of which had been earthed.

An inspector's report also highlighted problems with the overhead power supply to the house which could have led to an electrocution.

Robertson told The Press he was badly let down by an electrician who left him in the lurch at a critical time.

However, the electrician, whom The Press has decided not to name, says he walked off the job after he heard claims from other tradesmen about illegally joined wires in one of the houses and he was just "fed up".

The Electrical Workers Registration Board, which is part of the Department of Building and Housing, has confirmed it is considering prosecuting Robertson for allegedly doing electrical work on the properties when he was not authorised to do so.

Robertson denies the claims, saying he personally did not do any electrical work on either house. Another inspection of the house with the supposedly "live dishwasher" could not find any electrical defects apart from with the overhead feed wires.

The couple, who have five children, bought the Stewarts Gully property Robertson was selling in July last year after it was advertised on the internet for $260,000. Robertson was renovating the former drug house and promised to have it ready by settlement date on October 30.

However, when the couple moved in they say live wires were hanging out of walls and they later counted 71 items which were unfinished or substandard.

"There we were with all the stress of moving and bringing the family together and then this," Saywell said.

David Kemp, of David Kemp Electrical, said a staff member had arrived at the house late in the afternoon on October 30 to find live wires hanging out where there were supposed to be sockets and switches. Only pieces of paper on the live wires warned of the danger.

"Any inquisitive child could have touched the wires and got a possibly fatal shock," he said.

The house was made safe, but it left Stevens and Saywell with only one socket and no hot-water heating.

Other problems included missing taps on the bath and kitchen sinks, no washing tub and unfinished fencing. Although it is understood Robertson was supposed to obtain a consent for a toilet in the sleepout, no consent was lodged. The couple have now spent at least $10,000 (which they withheld) remedying the problems, but still have no toilet in the sleepout and a large new folding door in the house does not open properly because of a bowed lintel. The new door also needed a building consent which Robertson did not get.

Robertson agreed a number of items needed work when the couple moved in, but said he had been keen to put them right. He claimed the couple then refused to allow his contractors on the property.

Stevens said he refused entry to one contractor only after the agreed period for the remedial work had elapsed. The contractor was Robertson's brother-in-law and he did not feel comfortable with him doing the work.

Robertson said the consent for the lintel was being sorted out.

He said he had offered the couple a reasonable settlement, but they wanted to go to the Disputes Tribunal.

"We didn't see the settlement as reasonable and would prefer not to go the Disputes Tribunal," Stevens said.

A single mother, who cannot be named because of her work, bought a property in the same street from Robertson last year for $220,000. The dwelling was to be completely renovated, including a plumbing revamp, rewiring, recladding and painting.

The house was far from finished on possession date in early December and a property inspector identified a host of problems including electrical issues, poor building work and consents not lodged or obtained.

She finally moved in on January 28. "We had to. My son was starting school and we had been staying in camping grounds and sleeping on friends' couches," she said.

She kept $20,000 from the settlement amount to finish the work which will probably cost about $25,000. In the meantime she must deal with repairs and consent matters.

Robertson often had great excuses for his alleged failures, she said.

"When he tells it, it's categorical. It's like he believes everything he says," she said.

Robertson said the woman's property inspector had been pedantic and another independent inspection revealed very few defects.

Other Stewarts Gully residents have also had difficulties with Robertson. Theresa Morrison, 67, who lives down the road from Stevens and Saywell, asked Robertson to build her a garage with a hobby room and gave him $10,000 to do the work.

He started in April but then stopped to work on another house in the area. Morrision said her daughter had to chase him to put the roof on and when he did not return to finish the job, she learned he had not obtained the correct consent for the work as he had promised. Her matter goes before the Disputes Tribunal in April.

Robertson said he had been told the consent had been dealt with when his staff started work. They had to stop when the council notified him about the consent problem. He had now applied for consent. Morrison said Robertson stopped work well before the consent issue arose and, as of yesterday, had still not applied for the consent.

Robertson said he had "thousands" of satisfied customers and the complaints coming from Stewarts Gully were exceptions. "I've got nothing to hide."

Two companies directed and owned by Robertson were put into liquidation last year with debts of about $80,000. He registered a new company last week called Vacuum Cleaner Installation and Supply.

He is involved in moving relocatable homes.

Christchurch City Council inspections and enforcement unit manager, Gary Lennan, said yesterday a number of notices to fix have been issued regarding the properties. "The notices require that independent confirmation is obtained that the work has been carried out to an acceptable standard. Council will not be making any further comment at this time as legal process to enforce this is ongoing."

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