Lauren Koff's property in Sea Point.
Image: Supplied
A Sea Point resident says the construction of a block of flats next to her property has made her life a living hell, claiming it has led to parts of her boundary wall collapsing, her window cracking and noise pollution, among other issues.
This, while Save Our Sea Point Residents Association (SOS) are set to face the Western Cape High Court this week in their legal plight against the same development.
Resident, Lauren Koff, claims her property has suffered significant damage, over which she has reached out to the City, ward councillor, and the developers.
“Damage to my property began in the beginning of February when their machinery faulted and a bolt came off and sprayed grease and red sand and mud all over my house,” she said.
“The entire back area was covered in orange sand and my awning and tables and chairs and walls were full of grease.
“The contractors came in to try to clean up, however, my house turned from white to a tinge of orange/brown.
“My walls are still full of grease that they could not remove. My tiles are cracked, grouting came loose from them trying to pressure clean and I noticed that my wall started cracking, straight after I had just repainted and filled all my outside walls.
Damage to property.
Image: Supplied
“Then it started at the boundary wall issue. They are illegally building too close to my boundary wall, therefore tampering with the integrity of my wall.
“Over the past three to four months my wall started cracking some more and leaning, clearly being pushed by heavy sand being stacked against it.
"The wall collapsed!! This damaged my bedroom window.
“Broke ten huge pots plants and plant creepers, broke a huge custom-made cement table and chairs.
“Broke another marble table and chairs, my satellite dish, cut off my electricity, dented my roof and gutter, broke the outside counter and basin.
“The contractor came into my home this morning with an attitude, basically telling me that if my wall wasn’t so high it would have broken.”
Lindsay Rogers of SOS said they supported Koff, adding that other residents in the same road had also been affected.
“We are shocked to learn of the ongoing plight being suffered by neighbours in the immediate proximity to the site, like Mrs Koff on Duncan Road, whose current home-life has been rendered intolerable by the noise and vibration from construction works, just 1.68m from her common boundary, shared with that of the development site behind her property," he said.
The Cape Argus has since reached out to the developer and councillor for their response and awaits feedback.
During previous communication, the developer told the Cape Argus the construction was legal.
The City’s Deputy Mayor and mayco member for Spatial Planning and Development, Eddie Andrews, said they would request a building inspector to the site to investigate the damage caused to Koff's place.
“The City is not aware of the allegations about the collapsed wall. A building inspector will visit the site in due course."
The City confirmed in May that the construction was legal.
Meanwhile, in April, residents launched a legal challenge against the development located at 29 and 31 St John’s Road, where buildings previously were older than sixty years.
Andrews said the development was under a review application.
Rogers said the legal action included request to the developer for cessation of construction pending the judgment of the review.
The association has requested this review to be heard on June 11.
Andrews said the approved plans related to development on two separate, unconsolidated properties, and consolidation approval was not required for other approvals.
He said an appeal by the residents dealt only with an application for consolidation and does not affect the validity of the approved building plans.