Homeowners from the West Coast, Auckland, Te Puke and Wellington's Hataitai (pictured) have now testified at the biggest-ever leaky home lawsuit. But the James Hardie group of companies denies claims in the $220 million class action, instead citing shoddy building practices and industry deregulation. Four years after buying the unit, problems with the Oteha property emerged. Lawyers for James Hardie have suggested some of the leaks homeowners described might have come from sources other than Harditex. And James Hardie has argued it was getting sued, instead of builders or inspectors, because it was the only entity left with enough money worth pursuing.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 24, 2021 04:41 UTC