House damage caused by neighbour’s renovation works, says homeowner

Maladevi claims the cracks on her kitchen wall and tiles are caused by the next door neighbour’s renovation works.

Retired teacher D. Maladevi claims her house in Kota Kemuning, Selangor, has been damaged by a neighbour’s renovation works.

“My next door neighbour started renovations sometime in August or September 2019 and the cracks on the walls of my home appeared shortly after that,” said the 61-year-old.

“The walls, tiles and plaster ceiling of my terrace house are either cracked, broken or damaged.

“I was in constant contact with the neighbour and her contractor but when they failed to address my concerns, I lodged a complaint with the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) in November 2019,” said Maladevi, adding that an MBSA officer visited her home after the complaint was made at the council’s Kota Kemuning branch.

“The officer told the contractors to make some changes.

“The neighbour, who moved in sometime in October 2021, then said the problem was between us and the contractor,” she said.

Maladevi claimed the renovation works had altered the structure of the neighbour’s house.

Despite lodging several complaints and having several meetings with MBSA officers, she felt the council was not taking concrete action.

“MBSA said my neighbour had the necessary approval for the renovations.

“But during one of my meetings with the council, they were unable to answer when I requested to view the drawings for the renovation or the name of the person who approved the plan,” she said.

“The condition of my house is so bad that I’ve had to fork out RM45,000 for repairs.

“It is unsafe to live in a house with so much damage.

“In a letter dated March 2022, MBSA listed all the damage to my house and estimated the repairs to cost RM78,000,” Maladevi said, adding that the same letter was sent to the neighbour who disagreed with the amount.

MBSA then said it would look into appointing an independent valuer, she added.

Maladevi said she had lodged three police reports, including one against MBSA for its lack of concrete action and for not inspecting the neighbour’s house throughout the renovation period.

When contacted, the neighbour declined to comment.

MBSA Corporate and Public Relations head Shahrin Ahmad said the city council sent a consent form to both parties regarding the appointment of an independent consultant to assess the damage to the complainant’s house.

“The cost of the appointment will be borne by the complainant and the neighbour.

“However, both parties disagreed with the appointment,” he added.