Chancery unit owners seek advice over leaks
By NICK SMITH - The Independent | Friday, 20 February 2009
Chancery, the award-winning, widely praised inner-city Auckland high-end retail development, has been exposed as being ridden with leaky building syndrome.
The Chancery body corporate and unit owners such as high fashion brands Mellencamp, Adrienne Winkelmann and Working Style, jeweller Swarovski and hairstylist Servilles have engaged law firm Dawson Harford over the leaking problem.
Dawson Harford partner Simon Stokes confirmed he had filed proceedings in the High Court at Auckland against developers Chancery and Westmark Group, architects Ignite, Grant Harris, Ricky Doo and Jeremy Whelan and builder Multiplex.
The $40 million development, which opened in 2000 and won the Property Council's supreme award in 2002, first showed signs of leaky building syndrome two years ago, Stokes said.
"There are a number of defects in the building, which have led to water ingress in various parts of the complex," Stokes reported.
He said it was unclear how much of the 4600-square-metre retail area was affected.
"For the most part, those defects affect the exterior of the complex, rather than the interiors of individual units," he said. "We are not aware of any commercial loss [due to the leaks] having been suffered to date."
Nor is it clear what impact two years of water-damaged exterior will have on the development's $54m valuation at its completion in 2000.
That will be confirmed when a valuation impact report is obtained.
For that reason, Stokes said, no specific amount of damages is cited.
"It is very early days and we don't know precisely what it might cost to repair the defects."
A telephone conference for the various lawyers appearing on the matter is set down for March 5.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4853784a13.html
By NICK SMITH - The Independent | Friday, 20 February 2009
Chancery, the award-winning, widely praised inner-city Auckland high-end retail development, has been exposed as being ridden with leaky building syndrome.
The Chancery body corporate and unit owners such as high fashion brands Mellencamp, Adrienne Winkelmann and Working Style, jeweller Swarovski and hairstylist Servilles have engaged law firm Dawson Harford over the leaking problem.
Dawson Harford partner Simon Stokes confirmed he had filed proceedings in the High Court at Auckland against developers Chancery and Westmark Group, architects Ignite, Grant Harris, Ricky Doo and Jeremy Whelan and builder Multiplex.
The $40 million development, which opened in 2000 and won the Property Council's supreme award in 2002, first showed signs of leaky building syndrome two years ago, Stokes said.
"There are a number of defects in the building, which have led to water ingress in various parts of the complex," Stokes reported.
He said it was unclear how much of the 4600-square-metre retail area was affected.
"For the most part, those defects affect the exterior of the complex, rather than the interiors of individual units," he said. "We are not aware of any commercial loss [due to the leaks] having been suffered to date."
Nor is it clear what impact two years of water-damaged exterior will have on the development's $54m valuation at its completion in 2000.
That will be confirmed when a valuation impact report is obtained.
For that reason, Stokes said, no specific amount of damages is cited.
"It is very early days and we don't know precisely what it might cost to repair the defects."
A telephone conference for the various lawyers appearing on the matter is set down for March 5.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4853784a13.html