AN ARCHITECT'S LIABILITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 919, 12 September 1910, Page 10

AN ARCHITECT'S LIABILITY.

■' -4 — ; — . WET TIMBER IN A BUILDING. (By Telegraph.—Presß Association.) Auckland, September 10.. An architect's claim for fees for supervision of a building produced intorostiug evidence respecting tlie shrinkage of timber in a house erected in winter.; > , 'Thomas Jones sued Arthur Cuthbert for a supervising foe. Plaintiff is valuator 'for tlio Government Valuation Department. Defendant alleged that plaintiff was negligent in inspection and overlooked, bad workmanship, that ono room had to bo rolinod, and.that the passage and several rooms leaked. Plaintiff said the contractor had done good work, that tlio timber was damp, as it' was erected in winter, consequently tho timber shrunk and warped without tho fault -of workmanship. , Ilis Worship: Surely:you as inspector should have condemned the timber. Plaintiff: It-was apparentl;,* dry, and .'it: is ' often; impossible to tell whether' rimu is dry inside. _ It might be wet' outside-and dry inside'and vice versa. After much evidence the • magistrate gave judgment for plaintiff,/ as apparently the ..defendant's'delay in carting, the timber had caused it to get too wet, and as the shrinkage was not due to'faulty workmanship; or inspection.!