New twist as Sydney tower residents spend fourth night out of homes
Owners of a Sydney apartment building which was evacuated due to cracking and reports of movement have reportedly been told they will have to pay for repairs.
There are 122 units in the Mascot Towers and owners will have to fork out $8197 for each unit they own totalling about $1 million, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Residents were unable to sleep in their own apartments after concerns about the structural integrity of the building were raised about 6pm on Friday. All of them were evacuated.
A notice from Strata Choice reportedly informed the owners “urgent repair” and maintenance was needed “to ensure the complex is safe and secure for all residents to return to their homes”.
The owners have also been asked to pay for alternative accommodation for those who were evacuated.
A general meeting will be held on Thursday.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted Strata Choice for comment.
Owners Corporation Network’s Stephen Goddard told Sunrise the $1 million repair bill was “no surprise” to him.
“They will spend $100,000 just finding out what’s going on in consultancy fees,” he told the program.
On Monday, a number of residents were allowed in the building for 30 minutes to collect belongings, Nine News reported.
Some were seen pulling suitcases through pouring rain while others collected pets which had remained in the building over the weekend.
A renter known as Cameron said he’s been left “effectively homeless” following the evacuation.
The general thing going through my mind was, ‘What can I leave here and just go buy?’" he told AAP on Saturday.
"I have enough socks and jocks to last for a little bit, but apart from that I’ve left TVs and thousands of dollars of computer equipment.”
A 10-year-old girl and her family spent the night at Mascot Town Hall, local state MP Ron Hoenig told reporters.
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