Tragic leaky building cases 'all too common' - lawyer

Sixteen families are facing crippling debts and some will lose their homes at the townhouse complex. Two of the families have been unable to make the initial downpayment of more than $100,000 for repairs, due to begin next year after eight years of wrangling. In this case, Auckland Council has washed its hands of liability, saying private certifiers signed off on the complex. But that loophole now appears to have been closed. Leaky building expert lawyer Paul Grimshaw says it's sadly a common occurrence.