To dob or not to dob?

P

Prop_Perspectiv

Not sure if this is the right forum for this.

We have just left a rental property that we have some safety concerns about. The owner showed us (on our first day there) where he had taken out a row of supporting piers under the house to make a storage room :eek:

The cracks in the back of the house (where the piers have been removed) are quite alarming and I mentioned it several times to the R/E agents (no action taken - but this was only in phone calls so it's not written down anywhere). New tenants are due to move in next week - a young family.

I don't know where I stand morally. I would never forgive myself if something happened to the house with people in it but could I really dob a fellow investor into council?? For what it's worth, this guy is a complete ******** and has lied and covered things up and made our life difficult all year.

What would you do?
 
'well its a fellow investor' as you watch the ambulance leave
No issue, dob in a *richard cranium* should be a national hot line catchphrase
 
Last edited:
Prop_Perspectiv said:
I don't know where I stand morally. I would never forgive myself if something happened to the house with people in it
Click to expand...

It is not dobbing.

You have a duty of care to either correct something or advise the relevant party where something is wrong that could lead to injury or death.

Obviously the Owner isn't going to correct it, so put your concerns in writing to either the PM/Owner with a copy to your local Council.
 
You have no legal duty of care - but the agent does as does council.. If you notify them, make sure it is in writing, and could be used in evidence down the track.
 
Joe D said:
It is not dobbing.

You have a duty of care to either correct something or advise the relevant party where something is wrong that could lead to injury or death.

Obviously the Owner isn't going to correct it, so put your concerns in writing to either the PM/Owner with a copy to your local Council.
Click to expand...

That's what I would have thought as well. If someone died in there due to it being unsafe, you might not only feel bad, but you might be liable if it's found out that you knew about it and didn't do anything.
 
I know several people who were injured in the balcony collapse in Brisbane where a mother died. A friend broke her back in that fall and I know another couple who had just gone inside before the collapse. There are a lot of traumatised people from that tragedy.

Report this to the PM. It is not dobbing. It could save a life.
 
Just spoke to council. They offered to keep the complaint anonymous. I laughed and said I'd already informed the agent several times by phone and just now in writing. I think their going to know who did it lol.

Thanks for the repplies, just wanted to make sure I was doing it for more nobel reasons than to just screw the landlord over (there is lots of bad blood between us).

Will update this thread when I know what's happened - the council gave me a reference number to follow up in a week or so.
 
As a structural engineer in QLD significant changes to building structure (like removing an internal row of columns) require a Form 15 certification confirming it is designed properly and safe to be submittted with overall certification docs to council. (I resist the counter that the value of work was lower than $15k so certification isn't necessary, as it is a fundamental change to building structure, not a cosmetic change). NSW doesnt have the same level of legal accountability for engineers.

As for effectively doubling the span of floor joists in a domestic residence most engineers would be alarmed if the original building was appropriately designed in the first instance as it is likley to quadruple the stresses in the beams (M=WL2/12 and S=M/Z assumed ) substantially risking the possiblity of joist failure.

In my view of the a duty of care applies (and now applies to me as I have read this blog) and it is a requirement for this significant building modification to be notified to the local council for their investigation. It may (just) still be an acceptable structural change, but it is more likely to be an unauthorised building modificaiton in my view resulting in unsafe design putting the public at risk.

I highly recommend that this potentially defective building is brought to the attention of the local council.

PS I have been reading these blogs for at least 5 years but this is the first time I have registered and posted on it as I take this sort of building modification seriously.
 
We undertook a building and pest report on a deceased property and were informed that the flooring, joists etc around the bathroom were the worst the inspector has seen in 45 years and that it needed immediate rectification of approx $35K. The vendor refused to acknowledge that there was any problem and refused to negotiate stating that he would rent the property out instead.

With discussion and approval from the BP contractor a copy of the report was issued to each and every local agent and PM agency so that any future occupant would have to be made legally aware by the agent.

It was not a case of retribution but ensuring that someone did not end up getting hurt.

You have done the right thing.
 
Thanks for that info Steel Concrete. That's what we thought - we move houses and are aware of the intense engineering that is required for house foundations. I seriously hope this house is shut down. I have just found an email from March of this year in which I informed the agent of the defects of the house. Am thinking I should probably take it up with Fair trading because I am worried about these property managers and their conduct.
 
Prop_Perspectiv said:
I have just found an email from March of this year in which I informed the agent of the defects of the house. Am thinking I should probably take it up with Fair trading because I am worried about these property managers and their conduct.
Click to expand...

I'd be reminding the agent about this email, and their possible liability should something bad happen assuming they have not taken it further ...
 
Prop_Perspectiv said:
Not sure if this is the right forum for this.

We have just left a rental property that we have some safety concerns about. The owner showed us (on our first day there) where he had taken out a row of supporting piers under the house to make a storage room :eek:

The cracks in the back of the house (where the piers have been removed) are quite alarming and I mentioned it several times to the R/E agents (no action taken - but this was only in phone calls so it's not written down anywhere). New tenants are due to move in next week - a young family.

I don't know where I stand morally. I would never forgive myself if something happened to the house with people in it but could I really dob a fellow investor into council?? For what it's worth, this guy is a complete ******** and has lied and covered things up and made our life difficult all year.

What would you do?
Click to expand...

One of my tenants went to council with a complaint regarding one of my properties, its quite a process in Perth from the documents I viewed and once council is involved it can drag out for quite some time.

The issue with my property involved the roof which was leaking, had a tarp on the roof which insurance company organised, unfortunately insurance company held up the process. End up replacing the roof.

What I did was discuss directly with the tenant and they agreed to phone council to remove complaint.

I would only go to council as a last resort.

MTR
 
In the last month, we had 2 different tenants, make a complaint to the building inspectors.
At one property there were some issues, but the tenant caused them..then called the BI.

In both incidents, it was because the tenants were attempting to break their lease illegally.
It didn't work.
Residential Tenancy Officer stated that the landlord must be given time to remedy first, which wasn't done.

The Inspectors (2 different ones) both stated there wasn't anything wrong, and they said they get these complaints alot especially at the end of a month. One tenant is now on file for making false complaints.
 
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