KwandaGroup review: Building project bettie bay director herman roux [protected] [protected]@kwandagroup.co.za

We appointed Kwandagroup in March to build a house on a stand we have in Betties Bay. The house plans was already approved for a house 165 square meters. We made it very clear that we cannot spend more than R2000000 in total on the project. They quoted us R1700000 to R1900000 and we signed a contract with them.

On 10 April we paid them R153 748.45 in order to start the project. They started shortly afterwards, did the fencing, signage, arranged for a geotechnical report appointed an engineer and then things started slowing down. On enquiry there was always excuses. Waiting for plans for the foundations from the engineer, waiting for the certificate of enrollment from NHBRC, waiting for water to be connected by the municipality and electricity from Escom. The director told us several times that the applications was done and the application fees paid. With lots of pressure from our side we had a meeting with the director and quantity surveyor of Kwandagroup on 11 August on which they gave us a new quote of R3918 487.20 for the 165 sqm house.

That was totally impossible for us to do.

When telling the director we cannot go ahead he said not to worry and promised to refund our money for the work that has not been done.

He promised to come back with a statement but did not until I nagged him.

In the mean time we tried to stop the water and electricity connections as we do not have any use for it now We found out from Overstrand Municipality Escom and NHBRC that no applications was done for our stand and no deposits paid.

The director of Kwandagroup came back with a calculation that they own us R50 791.90. He made us pay the application fee for the water R6965.00 and electricity R14709.36 which they did not pay

They also removed the fencing and signage from the stand which we have paid for R24269.42

We asked them to

-Refund the R50791.90

-Provide us with receipts for the Water and Electricity applications which they

said they have paid, if not refund us for it

-Refund as for 50% of the Fence and Signage cost as we have paid for it

Total R84600.97

We already send them a bank account for refund, I have send then several emails in connection with this but they just don't react