Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Polystyrene window frame shock for house buyers

By DERRICK VINESH

derrickvinesh@thestar.com.my


BUTTERWORTH: Several house buyers in Taman Ampang Jajar here had a rude shock when they checked the houses – the outer frames of their windows were made from polystyrene.
A buyer, Lee Kim Tatt, 35, claimed that the polystyrene pieces were covered with a thin layer of cement.
“What would happen if a person steps on the window sill, thinking that it was made of concrete?” he asked when Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) president Mokhtar Mohd Jait visited the project site yesterday.
Not sturdy: Lee showing the polystyrene used for his house in Taman Ampang Jajar in Butterworth, Penang, yesterday.
A representative for the project’s architect said the frames were merely decorative pieces that should not be stepped on.
Another buyer, Yan Wei Seong, 33, claimed the houses did not follow the original plan as per the sale and purchase agreement (S&P) signed in 2006.
“Some units in a particular row have double steps leading to the back lane while some in the same row only have one step, which shows that the ground is uneven,” he alleged.
Barisan Nasional’s Bagan parliamentary constituency co-ordinator David Chua, who was present, said he was surprised that the relevant departments and agencies had given the green light for the MPSP to issue the Certificate of Fitness (CF) to a majority of the units in 2008.
“How could the CF be given when some of the units are not in good condition?
“Access to these houses is also blocked with hoardings and there are no street lights in this area,” he said.
Mokhtar said the developer had agreed to extend the defect-liability period for the housing units by another two years.
“Disgruntled house buyers are advised to list down their grouses, so we can hold further discussion with the developer.
“We will try to come up with amicable solutions,” he added.
Mokhtar said of the 101 housing units, 22 units as well as 17 shophouses had yet to receive their CFs, pending approval from the relevant departments and agencies.
thestaronline

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