Bella Vista owners now able to move on

Former residents of the botched Bella Vista development. Photo: Sam Gardner.

Former residents of the botched Bella Vista development are overjoyed they've reached the end of what has been a long and gruelling saga.

The Tauranga City Council had signed off on shoddy construction work at the development but later deemed the homes too dangerous to live in.

In July, the 21 homeowners rejected an offer from council to buy back the properties at the price paid for them, saying it would lock them out of buying in the current market.

The families threatened to sue but before the court hearings were due to begin, the parties agreed to mediation.

On Wednesday, the council and the home owners reached a settlement.

In a statement, the council said it has agreed to take ownership of the properties.

The terms of the agreement are completely confidential but homeowners told RNZ they walked away with a smile on their face.

Former homeowner Andre Stewart says the settlement was a huge relief for the family and that they were now able to stay living in the area.

"Finally, we can think about our futures, our children, our family, our health, which are only going to benefit now that we are able to make those next steps."

Andre says the settlement has also restored his trust in the council and its systems.

Another former homeowner Lee Konowe says it's an enormous relief.

"It's been a long process.

Both he and his wife have experienced significant health concerns recently and wanted this issue "tidied up".

"Last night was a very good night's sleep."

Lee harbours no resentment for the council but says this saga is a cautionary tale.

"I think it is important that the council play the role that it should, which is to watch for the best interests of the ratepayers," says Lee.

"They should make sure homes are built as well as can be and that the process is the one that satisfies everybody."

So far the council has spent more than $2 million investigating the issue but the cost of the settlement is confidential.

Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless is also relieved at the outcome.

He says it's too early to say what the next step is for the mothballed development.

But in the meantime, the council has some soul searching to do.

"It sounds trite but you do learn from things... I'm just glad we've been able to sort things out."

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is reviewing the council's building control unit to identify how and why the subdivision failed.

The council is also conducting an internal employment investigation to discover what happened.

It is also suing Bella Vista Homes and its former director Danny Cancian.

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2 comments

Suing?

Posted on 03-11-2018 09:31 | By Raewyn

Whats the point when he already declared bankrupt!


Smoke and mirrors

Posted on 06-11-2018 09:51 | By ROCCO

There is only one financial loser here picking up the tab for $millions and that is as usual TCC Ratepayers with all the other protagonists having walked away smelling of roses. LOL


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