So my play on The 12 days of Christmas didn't quite work. The subject matter is not nearly as fun as the original either. Nearly 11 months (since June 7th handover) post-house handover, Plantation Homes has not gotten in touch with us on completing our 12 months defect period.
We (my better half and I), were led to believe that they would get in touch at the 10-months mark and ask us for a list of defects that we have discovered, and start on rectifying the items on that list. So far, the only correspondence we have received back is in regards to the Tariff 33 invoice - which they refuse to pay; and nothing else.
Despite the written assurance of the Maintenance Administrator, our old Site Manager has not bothered to so much as call us to see how we are going. Meanwhile, the stuff wrong with the house and with the contractors selected by Plantation Homes continues to grow:
Cracks in our foundation - is getting worse. Even before we moved in to the house the cracks started. Plantation Homes ensured us that it was part of the house "settling". I'm starting to cry bullsh*t! I have inspected other people's houses that are more than 10 years old - they have very minimal cracks - not deep and continued to widen cracks. Seriously consideration has been given to hiring our own Structural Engineer for an assessment. So that 50-year structural guarantee might not be worth the paper it was printed on!
Termimesh - the guys they tout as the innovative technology in termite defence - we couldn't even get them out to inspect the mesh and ensure the installation is right and we are termite free.
Our garage - we have discovered recently (during the heavy rain that flooded half of Logan, but we were okay and not flooded), that our garage (completed enclosed) was not water-sealed. We saw wet plaster dust coming through from the outside seeping through to the inside.
Our windows - are not sealed properly. We have noticed all through out the summer (and now), that rain and all kind of insects can get through a lot of our windows. Stegbar never bothered to fit them properly and seal them.
Our walls - now that we have been here nearly 11 months, we have noticed that a lot of our walls have small pockets where the plaster is not there. When you touch gently, all that is there is the layers of paint over the hollowness that is suppose to be plaster.
I will be here awhile to list all the issues - but here are just some of the most recent issues, that has been left unaddressed because Plantation Homes refuses to engage us as they promised they would.
Showing posts with label major negligence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label major negligence. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 April 2017
A Connectionless Moment
At our 4 months post-construction, I brought you a blog post on the Tariff 33 Breach of Contract, where they were suppose to have installed Tariff 33 as part of our house, but failed to do so at construction stage. We had been working with Plantation Homes on this issue ever since (it is now close to 11 months since our house finished construction and we moved in).
The latest twist in this apparently unreliable builder (now that we have been dealing with them on issues and they have back flipped on every single issue), is that they refused to pay failed installation costs of this Tariff 33.
Let's recap:
Us with Plantation Homes: we raised the issue with Plantation Homes that they had failed to install Tariff 33 in our house. After much to and fro (including written correspondence to that effect), they finally admitted to their negligence, and got an electrician out to prepare for the Tariff 33 installation.
Us with Plantation Electrician: This guy came out to our house, claimed to have carried out the cable attachment, so a connection can be made from the street to the house. We believed him - seeing how he was suppose to be a professional on the issue. He got us to advise Plantation Homes to send Energex out to complete the connection.
Us with Energex: The Energex Electrician came out to our house, took one look at what the Plantation Homes Electrician did and told my husband the required attachment has not been completed and connection could not be made.
Us with Plantation Homes: After (again) much backwards and forwards, they sent their Electrician out (again), who admitted that it was a (in his words) "minor" thing that hadn't been done. The correct procedure took him less than 5 minutes.
Us with Energex: Another Electrician was sent, this time they were able to complete the Tariff 33 connection to the house. In less than 5 minutes - a simple procedure.
Here is the kicker - because Energex had to send an Electrician out the first time, where the Plantation Homes Electrician failed to do his job properly, they (Energex through Energy Australia our electricity supplier) charged us $451.44 for the "failed installation". This charge is on top of all the time my husband had to take off work in order to wait around for 4 electrician visits.
Despite Plantation Homes' promise to pick up the tab for all costs incurred in relation to the Tariff 33 installation, they are now refusing to pay the second invoice, a cost born by their incompetence. We have now paid the invoice ourselves - seeing as how they could seriously effect our credit rating - something that they don't care about, while the fight with them continues.
Yet another day in paradise with Plantation Homes.
The latest twist in this apparently unreliable builder (now that we have been dealing with them on issues and they have back flipped on every single issue), is that they refused to pay failed installation costs of this Tariff 33.
Let's recap:
Us with Plantation Homes: we raised the issue with Plantation Homes that they had failed to install Tariff 33 in our house. After much to and fro (including written correspondence to that effect), they finally admitted to their negligence, and got an electrician out to prepare for the Tariff 33 installation.
Us with Plantation Electrician: This guy came out to our house, claimed to have carried out the cable attachment, so a connection can be made from the street to the house. We believed him - seeing how he was suppose to be a professional on the issue. He got us to advise Plantation Homes to send Energex out to complete the connection.
Us with Energex: The Energex Electrician came out to our house, took one look at what the Plantation Homes Electrician did and told my husband the required attachment has not been completed and connection could not be made.
Us with Plantation Homes: After (again) much backwards and forwards, they sent their Electrician out (again), who admitted that it was a (in his words) "minor" thing that hadn't been done. The correct procedure took him less than 5 minutes.
Us with Energex: Another Electrician was sent, this time they were able to complete the Tariff 33 connection to the house. In less than 5 minutes - a simple procedure.
Here is the kicker - because Energex had to send an Electrician out the first time, where the Plantation Homes Electrician failed to do his job properly, they (Energex through Energy Australia our electricity supplier) charged us $451.44 for the "failed installation". This charge is on top of all the time my husband had to take off work in order to wait around for 4 electrician visits.
Despite Plantation Homes' promise to pick up the tab for all costs incurred in relation to the Tariff 33 installation, they are now refusing to pay the second invoice, a cost born by their incompetence. We have now paid the invoice ourselves - seeing as how they could seriously effect our credit rating - something that they don't care about, while the fight with them continues.
Yet another day in paradise with Plantation Homes.
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Breach of Contract - 4 months on
Big words and even bigger meaning behind them. It is a topic I was hoping not to have to write, but guess what? I am sick of incompetent people making mistakes on my time and on my dime. Every day this Breach is not fixed, it is costing me actual money - out of my own pocket.
Let me explain.
As part of our signed Building Contract, there was a provision for the installation of Tariff 33 to our hot water system. What is Tariff 33? It is:
Tariff 33 is known as the Economy Plan and is ideal for medium sized electric storage water heaters, solar-electric water heaters and heat pump water heaters. This tariff is also appropriate for other domestic loads such as swimming pool filters, water bed heaters and some freezers, provided they are permanently connected.
This tariff is up to 40% cheaper than your normal domestic tariff. Electricity supply is available for at least 18 hours per day and is switched via load control equipment supplied and maintained by the network provider. The times of supply are completely up to the network provider but are generally outside of the hours of 5-9 pm.
Directly quoted from http://www.tariff33.com/electricity-tariffs-explained/
So this Tariff 33 should have been installed in our house before house handover and we moved in. Obviously, this didn't happen and we didn't know because it is not a physical fixture to the house you'd normally check, like scratched kitchen splashback or chipped tiles. No, we first noticed that this didn't happen when we got our first electricity bill a month in (early July 2016), where Tariff 33 was not listed on our bill.
Perplexed, we called our energy provider and was informed that it wasn't installed on the property and therefore, not metered. We immediately called Plantation Homes where, upon checking their copy of our signed contract, offered to get their Electrician Contractor to come out and get the "hardware" ready for Energex to connect Tariff 33.
Easy and makes sense right?
That was more than 3 months ago. The same Electrician Contractor has visited the house at least twice (each time claiming that he has done what is required so Energex can make the connection). My husband took the day off work yesterday to wait for the Energex guy to come out and connect the damn thing, only to be told that the hardware (I am guessing that means wires from point A to point B) is in fact not in place.
So...still no Tariff 33.
It is still costing us more. Every. Single. Day...to run electricity to our hot water system, amongst other things.
My husband, still believing the system of letting Plantation Homes know works - is going to call them this morning - frustrated as all get out. Me? I am venting here, and letting anyone who is reading how terrible Plantation Homes and their contractors are botching a very simple job.
On a more serious note too - this is an actual Breach of Contract, which I have been holding off going to the QBCC in the hope that they will fix this issue. However, I am running out of patience. Every day they aren't fixing the issue, we are charged more for electricity. Every dollar and cent counts in our household. Even if Energex was able to fix the issue yesterday, they were only going to pay the $500 connection fee - and not any additional electricity we had to pay as a result of their mistake.
So, their incompetence is actually costing me money. If you decide to build a house with them, this may happen to you too.
Let me explain.
As part of our signed Building Contract, there was a provision for the installation of Tariff 33 to our hot water system. What is Tariff 33? It is:
Tariff 33 is known as the Economy Plan and is ideal for medium sized electric storage water heaters, solar-electric water heaters and heat pump water heaters. This tariff is also appropriate for other domestic loads such as swimming pool filters, water bed heaters and some freezers, provided they are permanently connected.
This tariff is up to 40% cheaper than your normal domestic tariff. Electricity supply is available for at least 18 hours per day and is switched via load control equipment supplied and maintained by the network provider. The times of supply are completely up to the network provider but are generally outside of the hours of 5-9 pm.
Directly quoted from http://www.tariff33.com/electricity-tariffs-explained/
So this Tariff 33 should have been installed in our house before house handover and we moved in. Obviously, this didn't happen and we didn't know because it is not a physical fixture to the house you'd normally check, like scratched kitchen splashback or chipped tiles. No, we first noticed that this didn't happen when we got our first electricity bill a month in (early July 2016), where Tariff 33 was not listed on our bill.
Perplexed, we called our energy provider and was informed that it wasn't installed on the property and therefore, not metered. We immediately called Plantation Homes where, upon checking their copy of our signed contract, offered to get their Electrician Contractor to come out and get the "hardware" ready for Energex to connect Tariff 33.
Easy and makes sense right?
That was more than 3 months ago. The same Electrician Contractor has visited the house at least twice (each time claiming that he has done what is required so Energex can make the connection). My husband took the day off work yesterday to wait for the Energex guy to come out and connect the damn thing, only to be told that the hardware (I am guessing that means wires from point A to point B) is in fact not in place.
So...still no Tariff 33.
It is still costing us more. Every. Single. Day...to run electricity to our hot water system, amongst other things.
My husband, still believing the system of letting Plantation Homes know works - is going to call them this morning - frustrated as all get out. Me? I am venting here, and letting anyone who is reading how terrible Plantation Homes and their contractors are botching a very simple job.
On a more serious note too - this is an actual Breach of Contract, which I have been holding off going to the QBCC in the hope that they will fix this issue. However, I am running out of patience. Every day they aren't fixing the issue, we are charged more for electricity. Every dollar and cent counts in our household. Even if Energex was able to fix the issue yesterday, they were only going to pay the $500 connection fee - and not any additional electricity we had to pay as a result of their mistake.
So, their incompetence is actually costing me money. If you decide to build a house with them, this may happen to you too.
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