Expert Witness (Other) – Harbour City
12-24 Gore Street, Auckland NZ 1010 (2021 – 2022)
Proceeding: CIV-2014-404-000716 – Body Corporate 366567 v Auckland City Council & Ors
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Status: before the High Court of New Zealand – judgement in January 2024 ([2024] NZHC 32)
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Tony’s role: expert witness for Zurich Australian Insurance Ltd (insurer for the architect), briefed by Parker Cowan Lawyers.
Description: This matter concerned a 40-storey apartment building in Central Auckland. There were 13 claimed defects at this building which fell into four broad categories: fire, structure, external moisture and internal moisture.
Tony was instructed to provide an opinion on whether the fire (and structural-fire) claimed defects were in fact defects, and if so which parties were responsible. Tony provided a brief of evidence in March 2022. The matter proceeded to trial and the judgement was issued in January 2024, but the claims against Zurich were discontinued at or about May 2022.