Your SBPRA Committee is aware of the ongoing Decking issues reported by our members. These have been sent to John O’Dell (SBM) on several occasions without any meaningful response.
The SBPRA advises its members to send John O’Dell, and Holly King (Sandy Bay Directors) recorded delivery letters, or emails if preferred. These should state that you now expect them to take full accountability for all safety issues and repairs as a matter of urgency. Ask SBM to take full responsibility for the poor quality decking that they have had installed. (Please copy the SBPRA into all emails). Do not communicate with SBM verbally when doing this. If SBM try to update you by phone, please advise them that all correspondence must be via letter or email only.
Decking issue fall into one of two main categories.
- Physical Health and Safety issues with a risk to life and limb. (Highest Priority).
- Unsightly appearance or poor installation.
Each of the two categories mentioned needs to be approached in a slightly different manner. Different questions need to be asked of SBM. Examples of the type of questions and actions the SBPRA believe you may consider are below.
Physical Health and Safety issues
- Provide your name and contact details to SBM so they can respond directly to you.
- Provide an accurate description of the Decking issue you have reported. Provide photographic evidence of the issue if possible.
- Ask for a report reference number from your original complaint to identify and separate your Decking issues from any others on the park. If one has not been assigned ask for them to create one for you.
- Provide SBM with the date that you first reported your Decking issue to them, also provide further dates of any subsequent contact you may of had with them.
- If you are worried over a Decking safety issue, ask for the SBM Health and Safety Officer to carry out a full Risk Assessment on your Decking. When completed you can ask to see this and note the recommendations entered on it. Request a copy of the report.
- Advise SBM of any accidents that may have occurred (caused by your decking), however small they may of been. If you have reported such accidents to SBM before, please ask them to provide a copy of the accident report which they should have completed.
- If unsatisfactory remedial repairs have been attempted on your Decking, please advise SBM in writing of this as soon as possible .
Unsightly Appearance and / or Poor Installation Work
(Note:you may use some of the actions advised above in your response to SBM).
- We advise that immediately you move in, you take photographs of any issues that you may have with the decking, and any other issues or damage that you may observe with your home, particularly if at a later time they could be atributed to fair wear and tear, misuse, cleaning actions and cleaning chemicals, jet washing or owner inflicted damage.
- Scratches, Dents and Discolouration’s are difficult to attribute blame to anyone, especially if these issues weren’t reported on the original snagging lists for your property. Residents may ask SBM to provide an independent assessment in these cases.
- If SBM will not do this, another possible way forward is to choose to arrange your own assessment. This will be needed to determine if there was any fault with the workmanship and / or materials making up the Decking when it was first installed.
- At the end of your letter to SBM, we advise you to politely inform them that you purchased your property and decking from them as a package. Advise SBM that you now hold them and only them responsible for carrying out timely repairs.
- The SBPRA advises that you continue to send repeat chase up emails to SBM if they do not reply to you, this is most important. The more written complaints SBM receive the more diffcult it becomes for them to ignore and deny accountability.
- Regrettably the SBPRA can only advise its members of possible ways forward with these Decking issues. Residents must decide for themselves what appropriate actions they may choose to follow. Whatever action you decide to take, please keep the SBPRA updated with any progress.