In a bid to prevent the passing of legislation that will potentially destroy the lives of thousands of New Zealanders, advocate for leaky home owners Steven McAneney has extended a plea to all home owners to stop the Financial Assistance Package (FAP) bill for leaky home owners in its tracks.
“The bill is a complete waste of time” Mr McAneney says. “It is also a travesty of justice. Rather than looking after home owners, the Government is looking after its money-laundering councils who have been doing a shoddy job and charging like wounded bulls for their services.
“Think about it. The money they (councils) have earned from issuing dodgy building consents and carrying out shonky inspections is then used to build our parks and repair footpaths. How morally correct is that?”
Mr McAneney’s appeal to stop the bill is in response to ratepayer complaints that they should not have to foot the bill for leaky homes.
In regions particularly hard hit by the problem, such as Auckland, there is a risk of rates going up as councils are sued for their role in the leaky home saga, unless the FAP bill is passed which caps their contribution to 25% of the repair cost.
Mr McAneney says the passing of the bill may temporarily delay a rates increase, but it will also pass on the brunt of the repair costs to leaky home owners.
This is even more unfair than ratepayers sharing the cost, as it was ratepayers as a whole who voted in each council, not individual home owners.
“Why should a small group of home owners pay for the incompetence of councils? If we don’t make them pay for their mistakes, will they ever change the way they do things?”
Mr McAneney has written an analysis of the FAP bill which he has placed on his web site at www.leakyhomeforum.co.nz.
He urges all New Zealand home owners to take control of their financial future and send submissions to the Government voicing their opinions before the February 18 deadline.
