'It makes me sick': Residents of Mascot Towers fume as it's revealed they may NEVER move back into the crumbling building
- The owners corporation said a return to the building in the short term is 'unlikely'
- The issue will be assessed on a 'month by month' basis, the corporation said
- Residents have been forced to stay elsewhere after evacuating on June 14
- One tenant revealed he is yet to collect his belongings from his apartment
Residents of Sydney's Mascot Towers have been left outraged after learning they may not be able to move back into the crumbling building.
The owners corporation revealed engineers have received documents from the local council and investigations are continuing with no conclusive report yet available.
'A return to building occupancy in the short term is unlikely at this stage. This will be assessed on a month by month basis,' the corporation said in a media release on Thursday.
Mascot Towers engineers and a representative from Fair Trading NSW were scheduled to address owners at a meeting on Thursday night.
Residents of the building's 132 units have been forced to stay elsewhere since cracking in its primary support structure and facade masonry sparked the evacuation on June 14.
The owners corporation said on Thursday building occupancy in the short term is 'unlikely'
Residents of the building's 132 units have been forced to stay elsewhere since cracking in its primary support structure and facade masonry sparked the evacuation on June 14
Cracks (pictured) on the 132 unit apartment building caused a mass evacuation on June 14
Apartment owner John Higgins said he is frustrated over the lack of answers and said tenants have been told the building could be vacant for up to a year.
'It makes me sick. I spoke to one beautiful owner yesterday, she's had two days off [for] stress leave, she'll be here tonight,' he told news.com.au on Thursday.
Another resident, Fady, told the news site he is yet to retrieve his belongings from his apartment and is now considering finding a long-term place.
'We just need to know what's going to happen. Are we going to stay out of the building for another week? Another month? Another year? That's the part we don't know,' he said.
Engineers had requested documents dating back to 2004 including detailed structural plans for Mascot Towers, and geo-technical and hydraulic reports.
The information may help them pinpoint the cause of the 10-year-old building's issues.
Geo-technical engineers are this week assessing the site, an update sent to owners and residents said on Tuesday.
Pressure continues to mount to repair the building which has been found to be sinking.
The State Government has offered emergency assistant packages but residents have turned them down.
Some are even considering filing for bankruptcy, according to news.com.au.
Last week, outraged residents attended a four-hour emergency meeting at the Holiday Inn at Mascot where more than 100 apartment owners agreed to pay the $1million special levy to fund emergency remedial works.
Owner and resident Bill Tucker said there was little option but to pay the massive bill.
'There's not much choice,' owner Brian Tucker told reporters.
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Engineers noticed cracks in the building's car park two weeks ago which raised alarms
Residents are seen carrying their personal items out of the Mascot Towers in Mascot, Sydney, Sunday, June 23
Residents first uncovered they might have to pay for the repairs after they learned the warranty on their building had expired
'It was a pretty overwhelming vote. We just want to see everyone back in the building.'
Residents first uncovered they might have to pay for the repairs after they learned the warranty on their building had expired.
On Wednesday, the developer of a neighbouring building again rejected speculation linking their recently-completed project with Mascot Towers' problems.
Aland Developments said they had engineers undertake a dilapidation report of surrounding buildings, including Mascot Towers, before the construction of Peak Towers.
'This report documents the state of the Mascot Towers building prior to the construction of Peak Towers, and clearly confirms there was pre-existing damage to the building,' managing director Andrew Hrsto said in a statement.
'Aland is confident the inquiry underway will demonstrate conclusively that the structural issues with Mascot Towers are unrelated to construction of Peak Towers and in fact pre-dated the commencement of construction by several years.'
