THE body corporate at a block of flats in Sydenham is facing a major crisis and has appealed to local engineers and engineering companies for help.
Earlier this year, gale force winds caused concrete stairwell screens to collapse at Sydenham Lodge in Rippon Road. The concrete slabs fell from the 8th and 9th floors of the building in the early hours of the morning on 30 April. Luckily, no injuries were reported, but residents now face safety issues as the stairwell on these floors is unprotected.
Tessa Hulley, chairperson of the body corporate at Sydenham Lodge said the municipal flats were sold by sectional title to residents, although the city still owned about 16 units. “The building is insured but the insurance refuses to pay to fix these damages,”she said, adding that she had approached the Ombudsman who advised her to obtain a engineers report on the damages and other structural concerns.
“Because some residents aren’t paying levies, we cannot afford to hire an engineer to come out and compile a report. We are now appealing to any engineers in our community who would consider compiling a report on the damages pro bono,” she said.
Hulley said she was told it would take around three weeks to compile a complete report on the damages at the building. She said the report would help with their case as it would show whether damage was as a result of structural deformation or a lack of maintenance at the building.
“Assistance is desperately needed, this is a major crisis,” she said.
If anyone can help, contact Tessa on 079 697 1225.
