You are here > Home / Your resources / Articles / Leaky Buildings Flood Building Professionals

Leaky Buildings Flood Building Professionals

By Alan Knowsley, Thursday, 18 November, 2010,

Print this article |

Leaky homes are a concern for a lot of people.  Home owners are turning their sights on any professionals involved in the construction.

In several recent cases handled by us, professionals have been named and dragged in to claims despite having little involvement with the case and nothing to do with the causes of the leaks.

To make matters worse, many professionals’ insurance policies now exclude cover for these very problems, such as cladding on the exterior of the building.

This can be a great concern for many, including architects, builders, project managers and others involved in the building/cladding process.  They are often named in litigation, or as a respondent, in a leaky homes case and have to cover the cost of representation and any liability that may follow themselves.

Knowing your rights and how to respond to a claim is vital.  Here are some important questions to ask your legal team:

  1. Are you able to be released from the claim before you run up large costs?
  2. Should you be joining other parties to spread the liability?
  3. What documents do you need to disclose?
  4. What should you include in your reply to the accusations?
  5. Which expert will best be able to investigate and report on your involvement?

If you are involved in a claim it pays to get early advice from lawyers experienced in this area.  Delay may harm your chances of a successful outcome.

If you are subject to a potential claim about a leaky home call us on our freephone 0800 733 424 for a relaxed chat about what you need to do next.

Call us Toll Free on 0800 733 424

Article Archive RSS Icon

We produce regular articles and newsletters to keep our clients up to date with recent developments and to help them avoid the pitfalls in their business and private lives.

Recent News RSS Icon

Read more news »

Seminars RSS Icon

More seminars »

Downloads

You can download free step by step guides for many aspects of law, including Safety Action Plans, Employment guides and guides for Moving House.

More downloads »

Contact Rainey Collins

Level 16
163-171 Featherston Street
PO Box 689, Wellington 6140
Phone: 04 473 6850
Fax: 04 473 9304

You can find a map here »