Council takes legal action against person who built without a Building Consent - 21/07/2004Failing to obtain a Building Consent has resulted in legal action and a fine for a person who illegally carried out work on a Wanganui property.
Roger William Blair was fined $2750 plus $130 court costs and $500 solicitor's fees in the Wanganui District Court on Wednesday, July 21, for carrying out work without a Building Consent.
Mr Blair had converted a garage and shed into a habitable space, complete with toilet, shower, vanity and sink, and constructed a substantial substandard addition without first obtaining a Building Consent. (The plumbing and drainage work associated with this project was subject to a court case which resulted in a fine earlier in the year for the tradesman who completed some of the plumbing work).
The fine was to serve as a 'deterrence and denunciation'. The Judge also noted that it is known to all house owners that a building consent is required before carrying out this work. It was noted that the Wanganui District Council offered every assistance to Mr Blair to correct the issue, and the fine should send the appropriate signal that the health and safety of citizens is paramount in our community. |
