Israeli Court Orders Construction Firms to Pay Couple NIS 161,000 for Home Defects
Translated & summarized from Bizportal by baba
A Haifa court ordered Tkuma-Yechiam and subcontractor Rashid Salameh to pay Shavit and Inna Lazar approximately NIS 161,000 for significant defects in their newly built home. The judge denied the companies' request to make repairs, citing their initial denial of damages and failure to act. The ruling followed a nearly six-year legal battle over issues including moisture, cracks, and a poorly constructed rockery. The award covers repair costs, emotional distress, and relocation expenses.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A Haifa court ordered Tkuma-Yechiam and subcontractor Rashid Salameh to pay NIS 161,000 to Shavit and Inna Lazar for home defects.
- The court rejected the companies' request to repair the defects themselves, citing their initial denial of damages.
- Defects included moisture stains, plumbing leaks, cracks, and a poorly constructed rockery around the house.
- The ruling came nearly six years after the lawsuit was filed in December 2020.
- The award covers repair costs, emotional distress, and alternative housing expenses.
- The court-appointed expert valued the necessary repairs at approximately NIS 62,250.
A Haifa Magistrate's Court has ordered construction company Tkuma-Yechiam and subcontractor Rashid Salameh to pay Shavit and Inna Lazar approximately NIS 161,000 for defects in a home built for them in the Yechiam kibbutz expansion.
Judge Sigalit Mitz rejected the companies' request to repair the defects themselves, ruling instead that the couple would receive money to hire their own contractor. One of the key reasons cited was the companies' initial denial of most of the damages. The lawsuit was filed in December 2020, and the ruling came nearly six years later. Although the parties had agreed midway through the process for the court's expert to assess the defects, the couple claimed only one item was ultimately repaired.
The couple signed an agreement with Tkuma in 2013 for a 150-square-meter home. The house was delivered in December 2015, but by 2017, a "year of inspection" report noted issues such as holes in the rockery, soil erosion, and a sinking driveway, with the comment "not treated." Further reports in 2019 and 2020 detailed ongoing problems with moisture, cracks, and the rockery, despite repeated promises from Tkuma to address them. The couple eventually hired an engineer, sent demand letters, and filed suit.
The list of problems included moisture stains, poor sealing, plumbing leaks, hollow tiles, wavy plaster, and inadequate painting. The most expensive item was the rockery surrounding the house, which the expert found was constructed randomly and required dismantling and rebuilding at a cost of NIS 14,600.
Tkuma argued the claim was excessive and that it had performed repairs, while the subcontractor stated he had no direct contract with the couple and that his workers were prevented from completing some tasks. The judge emphasized that the responsibility to initiate repairs lies with the contractor, and that the companies' denial of the damages justified denying their request to make the repairs themselves. The final award included NIS 102,670 for repairs, NIS 15,000 for emotional distress, and NIS 10,000 for alternative housing and moving costs.
Mentioned