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For the first time, the C. family thought about a one-time event: On July 7, 2021, the basement of their detached house was flooded. Insurance will cover the renovation of the basement. But the water is coming back. The last time water came to the basement was last November. Already the tenth time, according to the Sunday newspaper.
The family wishes to remain anonymous. Seven years ago, he bought the house in a village between Geneva and Nyon for 1.4 million francs.
The family has now installed a permanent pump and hired an expert to find out the cause of the flood. He quickly discovers that the drainage system that drains rain and standing water is missing. “Measurements indicate abnormal dampness and black mold formation,” the Sunday newspaper said, quoting the report. In ecological development, the neighbor in the semi-detached house is also affected by the problem.
Fixing the problem costs hundreds of thousands of francs
Construction plans show an underground channel that should drain water. However, when experts excavate, they cannot find it anywhere. Just a plastic sheet along the walls should keep the house watertight. “Given the size of these defects, experts believe that expensive renovation work is necessary. The pipe network and seals must be rebuilt. Expected costs: 200,000 francs. A full repair of all defects, i.e. those in the external area, would cost three times more.
So who should pay these high costs? Homeowners see general contractor Fonseca responsible. Its bosses denied to the Sunday newspaper that there was a design flaw. The subcontractor assured him in 2018 that the sewers in the area would work. Also the problem appeared later. The drainage system may be located some distance from the house, depending on the plans. He denies that he wasn’t there. After all, there is no problem in the other twenty houses in the settlement.
family complains
C. family filed a lawsuit against the general contractor and filed a criminal complaint. The charge is fraud and violation of building regulations. The case continues in Vaud jurisdiction. This is the presumption of innocence.
Problems arose during the construction of the settlement. After the inspection, municipal teams requested many corrections at the construction site. But it was too late for the two affected homes. “The walls were already in place,” municipal services told the Sunday newspaper.
Blick has reported similar cases several times in the past. More and more buyers and tenants are affected by construction defects. “Ten years ago, an average of 8 percent of the money invested had to be spent solely on correcting defects. Today the number is certainly even higher,” Othmar Helbling of the Chamber of Independent Builders told the Sunday newspaper. The quality of construction is declining, and this is also related to the shortage of skilled workers. (smt)
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
