Building disputes happen almost every day in Melbourne. After all, it only takes one look at the city to see the construction explosion that has enveloped the town. You can only imagine with all those towers springing up that there are going to be regular disagreements and that’s just the inner-city alone!
It goes without saying that VCAT has its own special tribunal set up for building disputes. And, whilst a VCAT hearing is often the last, unfortunate resort for both builder and developer, it’s really the last thing both of you want in the event of a disagreement.
There are multiple reasons why it’s best to enlist building dispute lawyers before the matter can go to VCAT and we are going to share them with you below:
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VCAT processes are costly
The best building dispute lawyers Melbourne has will always tell you one thing: VCAT processes are costly. When you have your matter heard in VCAT you need to pay an application fee, a hearing fee and/or a fee for other services. All this accumulates to a substantial amount that you as either builder or developer would simply rather avoid.
If you find yourself in a situation that looks like it is headed for the dreaded VCAT process the best thing you can do is immediately enlist professional legal assistance. They can help you avoid this costly process through alternative resolutions such as letters to rectify the issue and, if necessary, mediation with the builder or developer.
Because, after all, a new build is costly for both builder and developer, and the last thing either party wants is to be spending unnecessary capital on a disagreement that most likely can be resolved outside of the tribunal. So, to save on costly VCAT fees, you should always enlist legal professionals to help resolve the matter as quickly and as cost-efficiently as possible.
They are stressful
Whilst you can represent yourself in VCAT it is strongly advised against. This is because you may not know the proper legal proceedings to ensure that you return the best outcome for your development. You may find yourself overwhelmed with the legal jargon that is associated with entering such a stressful process.
With this in mind, you are likely going to have to enlist legal representation for your VCAT process just to alleviate the stress of attempting to represent yourself. This will naturally cost a lot more than if you enlisted lawyers in the first place to implement alternative dispute resolution.
The experts will help you achieve your desired outcome before the stressful VCAT proceedings can begin. The experts have seen just how overwhelming VCAT can be for both builders and developers and work hard to avoid these situations so that construction can continue unhindered
They impede on project completion
Builders obviously want to finish their project so that they can move onto another and maximise their profit. Developers obviously want the project completed so they can move into the home or rent it out to new tenants. But VCAT processes do nothing but impede on project completion to the detriment of both parties.
VCAT often has a long backlog and your matter may not be heard for some time, thus leaving both builder and developer in a stalemate that can long surpass the estimated project completion time. Therefore, the last thing you want to do is get stuck into a dragged-out VCAT process that will delay any positive outcomes for both parties!