New condo residents upset over defects

Problems at Sengkang condo include cracked tiles and water seepage that damages furniture, attracts insects

ngjunsen@sph.com.sg

In June, they received the keys to their homes at La Fiesta, a 810-unit leasehold condominium in Sengkang.

Yesterday, nearly a hundred residents gathered at the development to attend an informal meeting to share their woes.

They claimed they have been hit with a series of problems, including water seepage. The property is built by EL Development (ELD).

Last year, the property developer was in the news as well after residents received their keys to the Trivelis flats in Clementi.

About 500 home owners hit the developer with complaints of shoddy workmanship and poor design for the Design, Build and Sell Scheme flats.

One buyer of La Fiesta wrote to ELD seeking assurances on May 15 last year.

That prompted the developer's managing director Lim Yew Soon to write an e-mail to the condo buyers four days later: "We can understand the concerns of the purchasers of La Fiesta after learning of what happened in Trivelis.

"We would like to assure you that we will learn from the lessons in Trivelis and not let history repeat itself in La Fiesta."

Some residents at La Fiesta feel otherwise.

PROBLEMS

The development received its temporary occupation permit in May, and by August, some residents said they were already experiencing problems.

Residents claimed their cabinets and shelves were showing signs of wear and tear. They also spoke of cracked bathroom tiles and ponding in parts of the units.

Some residents claimed their units were also hit by water seepage that stained walls, damaged furniture and attracted insects to the wood rot.

Others complained that the finish was not what they had expected.

Senior programme manager Tan Swee Yong, who has been living there for a month, claimed his bed left deep indentations on the flooring.

Mr Tan, 39, said he had to climb 14 storeys to his unit as both lifts had broken down at the same time.

Residents paid between $1.1 million to $1.5 million for the units. Some said the developer provided only stopgap solutions.

IT consultant Lim Chee How, whose home is hit by water seepage, said: "The first time it happened, they patched it up and assured me it was fixed. Then water seeped through again at the same spot and in another (adjoining) room as well.

"We have been calling the developer every day to fix the problem."

The residents have gathered signatures from 120 units to petition the developer to enter a mediation session with them.

Several residents also communicate via WhatsApp groups and on Facebook.

Resident Chook Kheen Choong, 44, who is the owner of an Uber car rental, said: "Actually I see this as a happy problem because it brought the neighbours together to solve something."

This article was first published on Aug 21, 2016.
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