› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Talkin’ ’bout a renovation › Kitchen Relocation › Current Page
Thank you for your input Jimmy. I have spoken with the local council building inspector who originally said that the kitchen relocation requires DA. He apparently inspected the property today, however I haven't spoken with him since.
The problem is that no-one has seen any plans to know what work has been done and how it has been done because there aren't any!
This afternoon I personally met with and spoke separately to the SM, then the builder then the owner, none of whom can understand why OC approval was necessary prior to starting the work. The owner said that putting water pipes in the ceiling and wall to a new area was not relocating the plumbing because it was being pumped back to the original riser – no new drain was involved. And she was within her rights to do this without consulting the OC. Would this be correct?
There is no doubt common property has been interfered with in this job. The owner's argument is that other renovations have been done without OC approval in this 40+ yo building and that they should be able to do the same. I tried to explain that reconfiguring the unit is a major renovation and needs to be handled differently. The SM, the builder and the owner refuse to believe any approval is needed.
It appears to be a deceptive move – get 'approval' to remove the wall then quietly slip the infrastructure in place to relocate the kitchen before anyone realises.
How do I get help with this situation?