SINGAPORE, Aug 30 — What was meant to be a settled dispute over defects at a Singapore condominium has resurfaced in court, more than a decade after residents first moved in.
The management corporation strata title plan (MCST) of Canberra Residences in Sembawang is suing main contractor MCC Engineering (Singapore) for allegedly breaching a 2020 settlement agreement intended to resolve the long-running dispute, The Straits Times reported today.
The 320-unit condominium, which received its temporary occupation permit in June 2013, was marketed as a five-storey, resort-themed development and features a swimming pool, two gyms, clubhouse, playground and barbecue pits.
Residents began reporting problems soon after moving in, including floor tiles popping up, damaged cabinets and water seepage after heavy rain, while water also accumulated at lift lobbies and the basement carpark, management council chairman Leslie Lye told the Singapore newspaper.
The dispute first reached court in 2019, when the MCST sued developer MCC Land (Singapore), the contractor and 16 other parties over alleged defects.
The case was settled in September 2020, with MCC Land and MCC Engineering agreeing to carry out rectification, upgrading and drainage works.
But the MCST now says problems remain, including water ponding, water seepage, defective paintwork, incomplete plastering, rusting fixtures and shattered balcony glass.
The glass panels have proved particularly troublesome, with Lye saying about 400 of more than 4,000 panels around the development had shattered over the years.
Penthouse owner Gan S.T. told The Straits Times that a balcony panel had shattered for the third time earlier this year, despite having been replaced twice since he moved in in 2013.
Under the settlement, the contractor agreed to replace balcony glass and address problems involving water ponding, seepage, paintwork, floor finishes, the swimming pool and water features.
The MCST claims the works were not completed according to agreed methods and standards, and that some defects reappeared during the agreement’s 12-month liability period.
MCC Engineering denies breaching the settlement and says most rectification works were completed, while some could not proceed because the MCST failed to provide access, approvals or confirmations.
The contractor also disputes the MCST’s claim that the works had to be completed by March 2022, saying the timeline was subject to conditions including full access and regulatory clearances, while also citing delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
MCC Engineering said balcony glass replacement was completed by October 2023 except for two units, while repainting and lift lobby works were completed by January 2023, water seepage works by December 2021 and floor finish works by January 2022.
It further argues that some of the defects now cited are new or outside the settlement agreement, and could have resulted from wear and tear, environmental staining, poor maintenance or third-party damage.
The MCST also claims that agreed upgrading works, including an electronic security system, corridor louvres, perimeter and drainage works and shelters at common facilities, remain outstanding.
The contractor disputes those claims, saying some works depended on approvals, agreed specifications or directions from the MCST.
The case is scheduled for an 11-day trial beginning October 20.
