The Curse of Defective Concrete (Mica, Pyrrhotite, etc.) in Donegal homes - Read Mod warning Post 1

Penfailed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118248917#Comment_118248917

They're trying to say that it's 100% for Options 2-5. Option 1 uses the sliding scale. In my case, Option 1 is the only viable solution.

sandyxxx

I grew up in a house built from Cassidy’s blocks,they seem to have lasted ok but our yard concrete didn’t last a winter before chipping and disintegrating away…….My dad left it for years before getting it replaced out of his own pocket….……Looking from afar at this Mica problem leaves me astounded,

….astounded at the sense of entitlement & importance from your lead campaigners,….you’ve got one lad hoppin up & down demanding a blank check from taxpayers money, despite not registering his rental property with the RTB,thus avoiding tax…..another then,threatening to sue the state for not rebuilding his & his fathers 7,000 sq ft mansions…..They threaten to bring down the government & cause disruption in Dublin for not getting their own way…..You can blame the media all you want but they really have done the campaign no favours, …..I do feel bad for families in that situation, and I know most will likely have to put their hands in their own pockets but at least,now, they’re offered a decent fair way out.

malinheader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249163#Comment_118249163

So you genuinely think having to find on average €65,000 to repair your home is a fair way out.

sandyxxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249169#Comment_118249169

….not if it were a like-for-like, but considering you’d be getting a new house upgraded to existing standards then I can absolutely see the fairness in it 🤷🏼

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249139#Comment_118249139

It was a masterful piece of spin by the gov, they played it well.

They now have the vast majority of the population thinking everyone affected in Donegal is complaining that 420k each isn't enough for them.

They played a blinder.

malinheader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249175#Comment_118249175

Your not getting a new house, it was already there. Just one more thing, what about retired people and young people with young families already paying a mortgage and won't be able to get a loan for the money. What do they do.

malinheader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249292#Comment_118249292

Exactly. Might not be good at running a country but up there with the best when it comes to spinning and corruption.

muffler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249163#Comment_118249163

@sandyxxx do not post in this thread again

jack67

In 2005 i bought a site and built a holiday home in Donegal .I believe it now has mica and to say me and my family are devastated is and understatement , we put everything into that house , landscaped the gardens etc , it was our pride and joy , and are still paying it off 4 more years to go , cracks started to appear around 10 years ago inside and outside , every year i was filling them in and repainting only for them to reappear a few months later , now i have finally given up its soul destroying looking at our lovely holiday home crumbling , the house can never be sold and id imagine is worthless , at least i have a home to leave in though , i feel so sorry for all those people affected by this mica curse , i know how davastating it is , but as i said at least i have a home to live in elsewhere . you all have my full support up there .

John_Rambo

Do holiday home owners have the support of the protesters & lobbyists?

firemansam4

Just heard something about the cost of the test being significantly reduced as part of the new scheme, maybe to 500 or 700 euro? Does anybody know any more about this?

DrPhilG

Was chatting to a fella today who is affected. He did have a big house, as he had a big family.

Now that a few of the kids are up and nearly out of the house he's looking at downsizing by about a third of the original size. Still looking at a bill of almost €100k out of his own pocket.

Lose a third of the house you put blood sweat and tears into, through no fault of your own, oh and hand over €100k for the priveledge.

That's the oddest looking blank cheque/free refresh I've ever seen.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118248917#Comment_118248917

And that looks eminently reasonable to everyone else who'll be asked to fork out this 'redress'. More than reasonable. Far too reasonable IMHO.

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249936#Comment_118249936

And the guy I mentioned above? A bill of €100k plus loses a third of the value of the house he originally built. So a net loss of €200k+ and he doesn't get a new house, he gets a downsized house and he has to try and shoehorn his existing kitchen, bathroom fittings, windows etc into the new build.

Thats reasonable too aye?

almostover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118247413#Comment_118247413

I'm new to this and correct me if I'm wrong but the rebuild costs of mica affected home should be quite a bit lower than the cost to build a similar home from scratch? All utility connections, floors, foundations, roof timbers, slates, windows, doors etc should be perfectly serviceable and reuseabale. I'm very happy for the families that their unsafe homes are now going to be made safe but I can't stomach that the tax payer would end up paying for elements of the rebuild that don't require rebuilding.

My fear is that 5 years from now we'll have a new Mica scandal when it emerges that builders reused many of the house elements mentioned above but the full redress was claimed. It needs to be very closely regulated and each rebuild should be put to tender to ensure cost competitive rebuilding.

We need to remember that ever penny that is misallocated on this redress scheme is money that we won't have to build social and affordable housing. A blanket sum for redress based on square footage is the simplest answer but that blanket sum needs to reflect the actual situation, to rebuild the homes so they are structurally sound. Not to rebuild the homes from scratch with all new fittings.

SBourgaize

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250029#Comment_118250029

Reusing as much as possible is already listed as part of the scheme. A limit based on sqft is also what the scheme has been set up as.

zom

"needs to be very closely regulated and each rebuild should be put to tender to ensure cost competitive rebuilding."

I'm sure some fat cats are already sorting this. Government is not forking billions from our pockets without getting something for their cats...

Shelga

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249169#Comment_118249169

Could you rebuild it to a smaller size? Maybe spend €20-30k to get it to say 1700 square feet? Genuine question.

Penfailed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250029#Comment_118250029

All that you have stated in your first paragraph is already happening.

Penfailed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118249936#Comment_118249936

...but it's not reasonable for affected homeowners. I know it's difficult to appreciate all the nuances unless you are living through this but at least try to put yourself in our shoes.

almostover

I fully support the homeowners being compensated and having their homes rebuilt but I'm nervous that the scheme will be abused by builders, engineers, solicitors etc. Also, I find it incredulous that the state has no legal redress against the suppliers of the mica blocks or the builders who used them. The state should do everything possible to recoup the rebuild costs from those responsible. Legislation should be drafted to make that possible and if compensation isn't forthcoming from the mica suppliers then jail sentences should be handed out.

It's also in all voters interests that the building of homes in Ireland becomes more regulated and that building materials are inspected correctly. Otherwise we'll keep paying through the nose for defective properties and there will be more pyrite and mica type scandals.

What is the position with regards to homebond on this? Why didn't structural insurance pay out for this issue?

SBourgaize

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250152#Comment_118250152

"We don't cover defective materials" is what insurance/homebond has stated.

almostover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250231#Comment_118250231

That's a serious cop out and something the government should have put more pressure on. Really goes to show what people say is true, that homebond isn't worth the paper it's written on.

malinheader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250130#Comment_118250130

But why should they have to. Totally no fault of the homeowners what happened.

Shelga

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250387#Comment_118250387

Why should they have to? Because life is sometimes deeply unfair, and having a decent sized house built for €25k seems like an excellent deal, all things considered. Every €10k extra given to individual mica homeowners costs the taxpayer hundreds of millions of euro, plus interest- do you think that is fair and reasonable? Surely there has to be some give and take here.

I can only begin to image the years of stress and worry of living in a crumbling house and hope I am never in that situation- but surely the best thing now is to draw a line under it and move on, rather than prolonging the misery for something you are unlikely to ever get? All while pushing the rest of the country's sympathies further and further away?

Penfailed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250438#Comment_118250438

I'm going to be on the hook for at least €55k (without knowing all the detail). That's out of reach for me. Surely, on top of the stress and worry of living in a damp, mouldy, draughty, crumbling house, that you admittedly can only begin to imagine, you're not suggesting that you heap more stress and worry on people wondering where they're going to find this money?

SBourgaize

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250438#Comment_118250438

Based on their (subject to change) sliding scale, I'll be on the hook for (at minimum) 13k euro. I don't have it, and based on my current status, will not be able to get a loan, nor additional mortgage borrowing (because additional mortgage is usually based on equity, of which my house is worth less than I paid already). My alternative is to wait until the house is no longer safe to live in, default on my mortgage and give the bank the deeds.

malinheader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250438#Comment_118250438

Your in the wrong forum, there is another mica forum where all the ignorant, I'll informed, not interested in the real facts begrudgers and Donegal slanderiing posters are posting. Might be worth taking a look.

Just remember this, citizens in leinster got %100%redress why should citizens in Donegal not get the same.

Shelga

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250710#Comment_118250710

I was perfectly polite. I don't see the need to imply that I'm "ignorant and ill-informed". I still don't understand why the mica owners can't rebuild to a smaller size, to get the work done quicker and save the taxpayers like me hundreds of millions of euro. You've lost any sympathy from me anyway. I'm out.

malinheader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250759#Comment_118250759

Did I call you personally ignorant. No.

It's not sympathy they need and by your post your sympathy was towards yourself and the tax payers in the rest of the country as you stated.