Pillars in apartment bedroom, is this 1914?

[speights boy]

If a room is unusable (or severly restricted) is that the councils problem?

Aren't there rules now about bedroom size and natural light in bedrooms ?
Honest question, as I don't really know.

[Wayne]

Aren't there rules now about bedroom size and natural light in bedrooms ?
Honest question, as I don't really know.

I believe there are but not about pillars turning a previous double into a single room.

[BigDreamer]

If I go by what the article says, it seems that the original plans did not include the pillars and a 10% deposit was made. It was only later when a new electronic version of the plans were made available which showed 'wavy' lines presenting the pillars. How can this be OK? If I made a 10% deposit based on plans I saw originally I expect they do not change.


Or is there more to this story that someone knows?


On a side note, I have been reviewing a Universal Homes contract and was surprised to find a clause that allows Universal Homes (bulider) to make changes to the plan as they see fit *without* making the purchaser aware! If the builder in the article had a similar clause then I suppose they could get away with it?

[Wayne]

If the builder in the article had a similar clause then I suppose they could get away with it?

The arguement gets harder but you would argue that the change fundamentally changes what you were buying (the usefulness) and the clause was for much more minor things.

[BigDreamer]

The arguement gets harder but you would argue that the change fundamentally changes what you were buying (the usefulness) and the clause was for much more minor things.

Agreed Wayne.


I know of a very recent scenario with Universal Homes showing a 2 bedrooms house plan with 1.5 bathrooms (1 WC and 1 full bathroom) in Gulf Harbour and a neighbour who went into a contract with them based on the plans showing the 1.5 bathroom only to find out later that they changed the design to only be 1 bathroom (separate WC and separate bath/shower but not another WC). I read their contracts and, unfortunately, their lawyer did not advice them of the clause I mentioned above. I pity them but a lesson learned that they should read their contract very closely.


I would consider this a major change, personally.

[Wayne]

I would have said that the loss of a toilet was a big change.
The clause is more around the room being 3.2x3.4 changed to 3.1x3.4
not the loss of a room etc

[Davo36]

I think the council should just stay right out of these sorts of things.

[muaythai]

Hire Auckland barrister Eugene St John.just won a similar case, court of appeal.

Hire Auckland barrister Eugene St John, won a similar case court of appeal

So.
This is world's best practice design for a vibrant, affordable, most liveable city ?
We should be so proud.

[Sherryf]

This is so unique for the modern time! LOL
Jokes apart I think there should be legal actions taken against them, what a blunder!

[Wayne]

This is so unique for the modern time! LOL
Jokes apart I think there should be legal actions taken against them, what a blunder!

I expect there will be if the vendor tries to enforce the contract that the purchaser isn't going to settle on.

[Davo36]

I wonder what real estate agents will show when showing these things to buyers in the future.

"And you even have your very own pillar! Just think of what you can do with it - hang pictures on it, or what about mirrors all around, perhaps with a little bar in behind it! I think they're an asset! Just last week we got more for one with a pillar than one without, honest!"

[Wayne]

But wait, there's more - you even get a free pillar in the bedroom!

[Sherryf]

I wonder what real estate agents will show when showing these things to buyers in the future.

"And you even have your very own pillar! Just think of what you can do with it - hang pictures on it, or what about mirrors all around, perhaps with a little bar in behind it! I think they're an asset! Just last week we got more for one with a pillar than one without, honest!"

Okay that's really a good idea, you change your point of view and make it better, isn't it? But in the bedroom?? Oh my my!