The Pyrite Equality Group writes:
The pyrite remediation scheme was set up in 2013 to address structural damage arising from expansion of hardcore infill containing pyrite. It is estimated that up to 20,000 houses in Ireland are affected by pyrite yet, as of 2016, only 700 homes have been remediated…
The Pyrite Equality Group demand a fairer approach to the pyrite remediation scheme. The current scheme requires houses to have a particular level of damage in order to qualify for remediation. This is excluding the majority of affected homeowners from the scheme and leaving them in limbo waiting for damage to manifest.
The group have released the video (above) which highlights the strains placed on, primarily, young families who, through no fault of their own, find themselves tied to a property which has effectively become worthless.
The group is also asking people to comment on the updated National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) guidelines – which are at public consultation stage – and which set out the required levels of damage that houses need to have to be eligible for remediation. The group argue that the new guidelines will do nothing to address the problems residents are facing.
The guidelines are on the (NSAI) website and those who wish to comment, can send an email to NationalEnquiry@nsai.ie with the subject line of: Pyrite Review IS398-1:2016. The deadline for comments is November, 15 2016.
Pyrite Equality Group (Facebook)
First things first
Get the Banks holding the Mortgages to write down the loans to match the Market Values of these impaired properties
Demanding full loan value when the secured asset attached is permanently impaired is equal to Money Lender activity
First things first – will you be indemnifying the taxpayer for this loss of book value, given that we own most of the banks? Second things second – how will you deal with the waves of other “homeowners” looking for bailouts for gaffs built on floodplains etc
Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money! Me taxpayers money!
Never go full retard, Tish.
Yet
The other parties
The lender
The builder
Both got bailed out
BTW
Those remediation schemes are only band aids
These properties will always be infected with Pyrite
“These properties will always be infected with Pyrite”
How do you make that out?
The pyrite is only in the foundations, when it expands it causes the walls and floors to crack.
We had Pyrite in our home, the builders dug out the foundations to a depth of over six feet.
We’ve had no issues ever since.
Wait till you trade up Bert
There’s been a few of the repaired houses sold on since and their price wasn’t negatively impacted.
Please explain this information that you’re spewing
Its pretty disgusting that this happened at all. Are there even proper building safety inspectors/ surveyors now to check up on new homes? Have the Irish Gov’t set up a system of checks so that is cannot happen again?
You would think that if there’s ANY level of pyrite damage to a home that the Gov’t would have to make reparations or make the original builders/developers do it.
Not really many proper building inspectors, or at least there wasn’t.
The FF govt of the time brought in self-certification. It ‘reduced regulation’ for contractors and thus arguably reduced cost. Everybody ignored the fact that small housebuilders & developers have long been notoriously prone to bankruptcy. Stupid imo but Joe Public seemed happy at the time & happy for taxation to be reduced – less need for inspections etc.
Anyhow, why should the govt take full responsibility for faulty private building?
So many problems with this scheme…
1. Homes are only eligible for remediation when damage reaches “acceptable levels”.
2. A piecemeal approach is used. So if 6 houses in a block of 8, reach the acceptable levels of damage, they are fixed, whilst the other 2 (which obviously have pyrite) wait for an unknown amount of time.
3. Its not grounded in reality. In the real world the banks determine value based on “the presence of pyrite”, not the damage it causes.
4. You could have a core test showing you have “significant levels of pyrite”, but this doesn’t get your house fixed.
The scheme seems to have been set up to give the impression its dealing with the issue, but its a mirage. The real issue for homeowners is: “Does my property have pyrite?” If it does please fix it.
That may be true, but I do know 2 people who qualified for the scheme and had their houses fixed. However if I was pressed to think about it , I would quest that these 2 people are somehow connected. Ones father hangs around with a councilor , the other Im not sure but Ill ask next time I see them …
Why should the govt pay money in order to help individual homeowners realise a greater return on their investment?
It is one thing for the govt to pay money for private homeowners who have experienced significant damage caused by pyrite-related heave. It is quite another for them to pay money for those who theoretically might experience heave at some stage – but have not.
Because they need to take responsibility for the lack of regulation in relation to the use of known defective infill material during the boom. They already have to some degree by setting the scheme up.
Significant damage also boils down to a few mm here or there. No homes getting into the scheme are falling apart like they were at the outset. The differences between Cat 1 and Cat 2 homes are marginal at best.
But they don’t ‘take responsibility’ if other privately sold goods are defective.
They may decide to change the regulations/laws but they don’t generally make the buyer whole.
Is it fair that young taxpayers who cannot afford to buy (or were a bit more careful about buying, did some due diligence etc) should be paying for remedial works to those homes?
We were living in our home for 3 years before pyrite was discovered in the estate.
What due diligence do you suggest we could we have done?
Tell me a little bit about the developer/contractor/architect & engineer involved in your housing estate?
Do they have a long record of quality design/construction? Did they have a low probability of bankruptcy over the following 6 years?
People do more research into car manufacturers & smart phone makers than they do those responsible for the biggest investment they’ll ever make.
I realise that I am being pretty insensitive here, Bertie, and of course, I get your point of view.
I just hope that we’ve all learned a lot from the last 15 years
Builders and developers let away with murder building faulty houses yet the homeowners still expected to pay out every month on massive Mortages on worthless houses. Its is so unfair! This scheme needs to be looked at to include all homes affected and let people move on with their lives. Builders and quarrys should also be pursued by the government to contribute. IF I bought an electrical good and there was a fault in it the manufacturer and seller would be liable not the buyer or the taxpayer!
People in pyrite affected estates are still paying massive mortgages on homes that are labelled zero value until the receive a pyrite free green cert. This is ruining people’s lives as they can’t move, can’t sell, can’t upgrade from apartments as their family grows, families can’t sell if a loved one passes away, couples who separate can’t move on with their lives it impacts so many situations. You can’t fix the damage, paint, put in a new kitchen or tiles as then you are hiding the damage and won’t be eligible for the remediation scheme. You literally sit looking at the cracks hoping they get worse so that they can get fixed and this can take years.Meanwhile the developers responsible liquidated and have no responsibility for the damage and it’s left to the government to sort out. It’s a disgrace bailing out the banks and developers while hard working taxpayers and left in this horrendous limbo.
You can’t imagine the stress a situation this brings to a family unless you are in the situation. What is it going to take for the government to start listening and helping people who are in this situation through no fault on their own!
The stress and strain of pyrite.. waiting on our homes to fall down around us. The builders and quarries walked away went into liquidation and now operate under different names and we are left to live with this nightmare. Yes the government and banks should work together they clearly don’t which adds to our never ending nightmare. when you say the tax payer why should pay for it… the government came up with the scheme to help families the majority if not all of these homeowners are the tax payer!
Complete hyperbole.
I am sure that the damage caused by pyrite is distressing & expensive to remediate.
There is almost zero chance that a house will ‘fall down’.
pyrite equality group?
as in:
‘what do we want?’
‘PYRITE!’
‘when do we want it?’
‘NOW!’
If an estate tests for pyrite in 25% of the houses all of them should be fixed. Our communal areas have been destroyed by the remediation teams “temporarily” set ups. Digging out every other house that was lucky enough to get into Cat2. All the while the rest of us left on limbo with ticking timebombs under our house, can’t decorate, can’t sell ever. Yet still have to pay huge mortgages and the thing that really really gets me is we also still have to pay the property tax!
I have seen it with my own eyes watching the momentum the builders have built up, they are faster and faster as hey learn the layout of the houses, it becomes more efficient and cheaper to remediate an entire estate that to attack it piecemeal.
How is it that homebond and the quarries have got away without having to remedy this. Especially homebond, I know they claim they were given bad stone by the quarries but that is their problem to follow up on.
If I buy a TV and it breaks because the manufacturer got a bad batch of resistors from some chinese supplier that is not my problem they still have to replace my TV
I have raised this issue so many times with local elected reps & nobody can give me an answer!!
Living in an Estate that is affected with Pyrite isn’t pleasant at all. It causes high levels of stress on families with young children, who’ s parents are paying big mortgages on something thats worth nothing. Moving out for remediation isn’t easy for everybody as some children are put under emotional trauma because of it. This needs to be dealt with once and for all .. for all left in Limbo…
Living in a valueless home that is cracking and crumbling around you and you are unable to repair while paying a large mortgage is heart breaking as well as emotionally and financially straining. This is my home where my husband and I bought so we could raise our family and provide security for our sons. Not only is our home worthless, physically my sons can’t open or close my kitchen door because of the effects of pyrite. This is a safety concern yet the damage in my home is deemed insignificant to categorise under the current scheme. This is unjust and unfair as a consumer I’m entitled to a home fit to live in or at least have it repaired. The scheme has been developed for this purpose yet with the current level of progress to date Is not significant with the number of affected homes growing. It is time for the government to address this issue and resolve this crisis once and for all in an effective manner
That’s really awful. The Gov’t have to do something about this. Its so unjust
I do feel very sorry for those effect by pyrite. It’s not their fault and I’d say horrific to live with.
Disgusting that people are living in these over priced homes with crippling mortgages with a value of zero it’s so unfair.
It really should be a case of you have pyrite or your don’t. Its black or white.
In my own case we got a core drilling test done in 2 rooms cost of 3k out of our own pocket. We wanted to be sure as we had out grown the house, 3 very young kids. This gave us a rating of very high pyrite reactive in fill. The building condition assessment came back as 1 not high enough. Pyrite board say no your house isn’t damaged enough. How crazy is that. It took another couple of years for the house to reach the cat 2 rating to be accepted. In the meantime the house has become extremely cramped. We cannot do any renovations cannot extend. Thankfully after a number if years we are nearing end game and house should be fixed in 2017. But its been some battle to get this far. Between TDs engineers home bond solicitors pyrite board and housing agency. We will need to move out for 3 months while work is being done I’m lucky none of my children are in primary school.
They should be fixing houses by estate not this piece meal nonsense they are doing.
I’m emotionally drained from it and I’m one of the fortunate ones getting fixed. The people in cat 1 I feel very sorry for. To top it all off the nsai want to make the regulations stricter.
Its simply wrong