Max Goodman Parks residents not happy

Residents of flats in Max Goodman Park in Bez Valley are getting more concerned about the deteriorating living conditions.

According to the residents, maintenance of the building has not been done for years, the grass has not being cut for months, fallen trees were left to rot and the substation’s door that is situated on the property is not locked.

“There are two fallen trees which have not been attended to, but we have reported them. A substation door is unlocked and poses a danger to the children in the area,” said concerned resident Markus Grove.

The Express visited the flats to assess the situation and found the carports falling apart, the grass overgrown and the flats in a terrible condition.

According to residents, they have reported these problems to the council for years.

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Residents said they received title deeds late last year but were not happy. “We own our homes after so many years, but the municipality should have first refurbished the flats because they have left it like this for years and now they give them to us and say it’s your responsibility to fix them,” said a resident who did not want to named for personal reasons.

The Express spoke to Ward 118 councillor Neuren Pietersen about the number of issues raised by residents and he said he was aware of the challenges facing the residents.

On the issue of overgrown grass, Pietersen said the property was not included in the City’s budget for grass cutting. The grass cutting has been affected by poor allocation of budget

“Unfortunately for Max Goodman Park, it will not be receiving this allocation,” he said.

He said on the issue of the maintenance of the flats, it now fell into the hands of the owners. “Those who have received their title deeds are now responsible for the upkeep, maintenance, and renovation of their units.

“On the positive side, they have received a house from the State in a potentially lovely estate with large grounds which the municipality is still responsible for,” explained Pietersen.

He added that the trees that were leaning dangerously have been reported. “The trees have been brought to the attention of the department of housing, to no avail. The department has not been responsive in maintaining the grounds and this lack of service delivery is attracting the attention and intervention of the oversight committee,” concluded Pietersen.

https://joburgeastexpress.co.za/55762/max-goodman-park-resident-fed-up/