Court case angers apartment owners

Bill Rehm says fellow apartment owners ignored his advice that they were making illegal and inadequate repairs, so he is suing them. Photo / Greg Bowker

Feelings are running high at Waterside Crescent in Gulf Harbour, where one leaky-apartment owner is taking most of his neighbours to court.

Management consultant Bill Rehm, who bought two units in a block of eight in 2002 to help fund his retirement, has sued five of his fellow owners for carrying out inadequate and illegal repairs.

As the former San Franciscan gave a tour around the canal-based complex last week, one neighbour yelled at him across the fence and another accused him of "frivolous lawsuits" and ruining the neighbourhood with his "American ways".

The tension is fuelled by a stream of strongly worded emails Mr Rehm sends up to several times a day to his supporters and opponents, outlining the progress of his case.

Mr Rehm alleges in his statement of claim that the Rodney District Council should not have given a consent for the work in the first place because the units did not comply with the building code.

The claim also alleges the council failed to ensure the repairs met building code standards, which required at least a complete reclad with a cavity system. It alleges the five owners went ahead with the work without Mr Rehm's written consent, which was required under body corporate rules.

Mr Rehm said he had tried to warn owners in a neighbouring complex of 12 units they would face the same problems by not doing full repairs, but they had ignored his advice.

Several owners claim Mr Rehm originally agreed to the repairs but changed his mind at the last minute.

One unit owner, Tim Findley, said the support posts recommended by architects Creativearch were dropped because the local owners' committee objected to the look and the engineer in charge, Peter Beran of Northcote Building Consultants, said they were not necessary.

He said leaks in the eight units were not as bad as those in other units in the area.

Another owner, Richard Barrington, said the only rotting timber found in the building was in Mr Rehm's own apartment because he had "never spent a cent" on maintaining it.