KEY POINTS:
At least 40 leaky home owners are on death watch, their lives wrecked by the spectre of mounting repair bills while they remain trapped in their rotting homes.
John Gray, head of the Leaky Homes Action Group, said that in the past few weeks - after raising the
issue - he had been swamped with information about people suffering severe trauma.
He told a Sunday newspaper one owner had committed suicide and another 10 were on suicide watch. But the situation was now much worse than he feared.
"People have contacted me to say their family member or neighbour is in much the same situation," he said. "There's at least another 40 people out there who are very depressed."
Most of the at-risk homeowners live in Auckland, but people with places in Whangarei, Mt Maunganui, Wellington and Christchurch were also suffering severe mental stress. Victims were facing bankruptcy, mental breakdowns and sometimes being put in hospital.
Victims have told of living in dread of the next big storm and the leaks it will bring, of their precious free time swallowed by endless body corporate crisis meetings, dealing with mountains of paperwork and simply trying to come to terms with the unfairness of the situation.
Latest figures from the Department of Building and Housing's Weathertight Services showed a rising number of Aucklanders suffering. In early 2005, 1080 active claims were registered in Auckland City's boundaries. But in August this year, 1444 claims had been made. The service has 372 claims from North Shore City, 106 in Rodney, 335 in Waitakere, 256 from Wellington, 214 from Christchurch and 33 from Queenstown. The service is now handling 3145 claims, a third more than the 2261 claims logged in 2005.
Even some top corporate executives who are experts in the property sector have found themselves victims of leaky homes.
Ralph Waters, former chief executive of Fletcher Building, bought an Auckland home which had weathertight issues a few years ago. He spent much of his time here involved in extensive repairs. He has now returned to Sydney.
Wayne Young, who owns a unit in the Waterford Apartment block at 10 Ruskin St in Parnell faces bankruptcy after objecting to steep legal bills and disputing lawyers' role in representing unit owners. Another apartment owner in a the large three-block Ellerslie complex fears a rising tide of bills.
Robin Bailey has an apartment in the 76-unit Ellerslie Court iron-gated community on Harrison Rd where repairs are under way.
"Our block is finished and work has started on Block B," he said. "There is a long way to go before the job is finished and I fear there will be additional levies."