The Victopia apartments will cost up to $67 million in total to repair, according to the body corporate chairman, although work is yet to finish. Photo / Dean Purcell
The Victopia apartments will cost up to $67 million in total to repair, according to the body corporate chairman, although work is yet to finish. Photo / Dean Purcell
The body corporate of defective Auckland apartments Victopia is taking court action to forcibly sell two units owned by people refusing to pay their share of the repair bill.
Dariusz Koper, chairman of the block’s body corporate, gave a written update to owners of the 14-level block developed by Koreanbusiness Dae Ju on the Nelson St/Victoria St corner.
Koper told the NZ Herald he expects the end repair cost to be between $66 million and $67m once all the work is completed on the block, where a 40kg concrete panel fell in 2019.
In his body corporate update of May, he told of court action against the owners of two Victopia apartments who had not paid what they owed to the body corporate, which is footing the huge bills.
Negotiations were proceeding with the owner of a third unit.
The Victopia block is changing visually after many years of repairs. Photo / Dean Purcell
Debts with interest and legal costs totalled about $570,000, Koper said.
“The recovery efforts include negotiations with one overseas-based owner to receive full payment and two cases awaiting final court judgment to sell two apartments and recover debts with interest and legal costs,” he wrote.
“The three owners will also be issued loan repayment levy invoices, which will be added to the total debts to be recovered.”
Koper did not say this, but owners who do not pay their share of bills potentially increase the liability on all their neighbours.
After years of being covered, Victopia is now re-emerging from repairs. Photo / Dean Purcell
Repair costs stood at $62m last year, but have risen since.
Koper said that, from February to April alone, work cost $2.06m. That was lower than anticipated, which was partly due to “decreased construction activity”.
He also told how work was progressing on the block, with repairs nearing completion.
Repairs a few years ago at Victopia. Photo / Sylvia Whinray
Most balconies were now available again for residents to use.
Occupancy of level 14 is expected this month.
The completion of works is forecast for the end of August, subject to some conditions.
Scaffolding is now being removed from Victopia Apartments on Victoria St. Photo / Dean Purcell
Scaffolding was due to be removed from the north and south elevations of the building, and works are to start on the podium.
“The project is nearing completion with scaffold now removed from the Victoria St elevations and scaffold removal under way in Nelson St,” Koper wrote.
“The construction team has made strong progress on level 14 facade building envelope with works on track and key areas moving forward.”
Victopia Apartments
135 Victoria St West;
Body Corporate 346799;
Built between 2003 and 2005;
Developed by Jung Sun Ha’s KNZ International Co;
203 units;
Built by Brookfield Multiplex as the main contractor;
Designed by ADC Architects;
In 2011, Maynard Marks was engaged to investigate defects;
2012: body corporate starts court proceedings against those involved;
Identified four main defects: cracking of the Eterpanel cladding system, failure of balcony membranes, defective waterproofing to the ground level podium (carpark) and passive fire (fire stopping) defects;
Claim settled out of court with no amount declared;
Teak Construction has been repairing the block for some years;
Scaffolding is mainly down, completion nearing;
Repair cost estimated to be $66m-$67m when all done.
Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 25 years. She has written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
