Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
The owner Voukelatos asks the agent Ketas, of LJ Hooker, to locate a building contractor to do the underpinning works at 39 Glebe Point Road.
Agent suggests owner use the earlier report issued by Johnston, a civil engineer, to circumvent Council’s rectification order and “avoid the repair”.
The owner specifies a “shoestring” advertising budget for the new tenant search.
He reminds LJ Hooker they chose both previous tenants and that he had “lost a lot of money on both of these people”. He adds “Let’s hope the next tenant will be different” and wonders if “things would have been any worse without any agent involved”.
Contents
1. Contacting Johnston
2. Circumvent any Orders
3. To avoid the repair
1. Contacting Johnston
Mr Voukelatos asks Mr Ketas to contact Rooney and Bye, Mr Atcheson and Mr Phillip Johnston to check who might be able to do the underpinning.
1.1. Mr Voukelatos to Mr Ketas – 18.05.2001 – KF 1, 441
“I am going over my file and re read the Report we got from Rooney and Bye Consulting Engineers last year-do they know of any building Contractors who can do the underpinning (apart from Jack Grant). Can you please ask them?
Would you please try to contact for me Mr Phillip Johnston who would you recall was the Consulting Engineer who in 1990 gave me a certificate re the front wall of the building and who’s last known address was…
Also please try to contact Douglas Atcheson builder…who was the builder who re-built the front wall in 1990. He may be able to do the underpinning or suggest who can do it.
If you contact either of them, get their e-mail addresses so I may give them more information.
Today I asked Theo Casimatis to commence preliminary investigations with a view to taking legal action against Jack Grant since it would appear he is not interested in settlement out-of-court.”
23.05.01 Mr Casimatis to Mrs & Mr Voukelatos KG 1, p. 442
“Did you have any luck contacting people mentioned in my last e-mail to you?
Any more application to rent the shop.”
2. Circumvent any Orders
Mr Ketas informs Mr Voukelatos that they can use Mr Johnston’s report to circumvent any rectification orders Leichhardt Council may impose.
09.06.01, Mr Ketas to Mr Voukelatos KH 1-2, 443-4
“1/ Phillip Johnston has inspected the problem and I have asked for a Report from him because he thinks that the reason the wall appears to have a “kink” in it is due to the fact that it may have been deliberately built not exactly straight! if this is the case it certainly raises some serious questions about the previous reports. In any event we can use the Report to circumvent any rectification orders Leichhardt Council may impose?
2/ the dry cleaning people are still there but will not pay the asking price.
3/ I was also expecting an application from potential café but nothing yet.
4/ I am working on a nil budget, we need to do some serious advertising e.g. 2×6’x4’ signboards on the façade and some Sydney morning herald advertising.
5/ although the place “respectable” the feedback I am getting is that it needs a lot of work. Also the back fence needs replacing and the second hand brick need to be laid near the outside toilet.
Your thoughts?”
3. To avoid the repair
Mr Voukelatos advises Mr Ketas of the good news about the wall and he hopes that Phillip Johnston’s report can be used with Council to avoid the repair of the wall for the time being. He also hopes that the next tenant is different and he wonders whether things would have been any worse without any agent involved.
14.06.01 Mr Voukelatos to Mr Ketas KH 1-2, 443-4
“Sorry it’s taken a few days to get back to you.
Firstly, its good news about the wall. I hope Phillip Johnston’s report helpful and can be used with Council to avoid the repair of the wall for the time being. Please fax me his Report when you get it on…
Secondly, we don’t have a budget for the advertising and therefore we have to continue advertising on shoestring budget.
With the people with the laundry, just remind me what are they offering, maybe if the rent is $1000 per week and the lease and rent payments commence now and not when they get the D.A. from Council we will consider it.”
If you can get hold of Jack you should remind him that we will commence legal proceeding once Theo is back on deck.
So he should re think the settlement since the rent meter is STILL Running.
Finally I know you have done a lot of work with Jack’s eviction but I didn’t feel good about your firm taking $1000 from the limited funds available in my account. Your firm chose and managed both Jack Grant and the previous tenant and in reality I lost a lot of money on both these people.
Let’s hope the next tenant is different.
Please pass these thoughts on to Nick as the matter did make me feel like you were in a rush not to lose the money and it made me wonder things would have been any worse without any agent involved.
Regards,