Illegal building has Turffontein resident up in arms

JAN Jacobs from Turffontein is not pleased with his neighbour as he started building on top of the boundary wall that separates the two houses without consulting him.

Jacobs feels that his right to privacy has been violated because of the builders of 37 Eloff Street started their building extension in the middle of the wall that separates the two houses and he believes that it is illegal for someone to start building their house from someone else’s wall.

On May 3 the builders started to break down the walls and some stones fell into Jacobs’s stand while his wife was busy with laundry and it nearly hit her on the head. Jacobs tried confronting the owner but the builders and tenants couldn’t provide the owners’ details.

Jacobs reported the matter to the Housing Department and councillor to stop the builders going any further but they are still continuing to build.

Jacobs said: “I don’t think that the builders are qualified builders and my main problem is that it affects the value of my property. The owner of the property was issued with a letter of demand by the City on June 7, but he’s not stopping. All I want is that the owner should undo what was built because I can’t allow the value of my house to be jeopardised.”

The COURIER contacted Ward 55 councillor Rashieda Landis for comment: “The matter was brought to my attention and an inspector was sent to check the place. The owner of the house was issued with a letter of demand, therefore, the letter of demand gives him 14 working days to comply. Failure to do so will result in further actions to be taken which will be in form of rates penalty and court action.”

The COURIER couldn’t reach the owner of the property for comment and will be monitoring the situation and will inform the readers on further updates on the story.

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