A resident of the Beacon South Quarter complex in south Dublin has described how "streams of water" run down the insides of his apartment's windows during heavy rain.
“We were one of the earlier residents to move in here in 2007, and we didn’t notice anything at first. It might have been as much as four years in when we saw the first puddle on the inside,” he said.
However, after the first puddle, things became progressively worse.
“It wouldn’t happen every time it rains, but if you get southerly winds and heavy rains at once, then the windows in both bedrooms and the living room can be affected with constant dripping and water running down the inside of the frames,” he said.
Apartment owners at the complex are facing costs of more than €10 million for water damage repairs and work to fix fire safety defects in their homes.
“The fire safety issues were uncovered last year when investigations were undertaken in relation to the water ingress,” he said.
“We don’t know yet the extent of the water damage, but we’ve been told after this length of time there could be wear-and-tear behind the scenes, but we’re one of the luckier ones, there isn’t plasterboard coming off the walls.”
Sinking fund
Owners of apartments in blocks A, B1, C and D in the complex are being asked by BSQ Management Company Ltd to pay a total of €9.1 million into a sinking fund for fire remedial works, while residents in blocks A and D are being asked for just in excess of €1 million to cover water damage in their buildings.
A report by fire consultants from Jeremy Gardner Associates found a large number of fire safety deficiencies in the complex.
The deficiencies varied in seriousness but none of them made any of the blocks “potentially dangerous buildings” that would require evacuation under fire safety regulations.
Apartment owners will be attending a meeting on the costs on February 6th.
