$7500 fine for illegal fireplace

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 626, 5 March 1996, Page 1

$7500 fine for illegal fireplace

A man who built a free standing fire place without obtaining a building consent has been fined $7500 and ordered to remove the fire place. The man faced a charge of carrying out building work without a current building consent when he appeared in the Palmerston North District Court recently Ruapehu District Council chief executive Cliff Houston said they had very major concerns about people erecting fires without a building consent because it could be risky. "In this instance the fire was installed so badly, fire service staff believed there would have been a 90 per cent chance of fire if it had been lit," said Mr Houston. "The purpose of the Building Act is to protect people and property and the size of the fine the owner received shows the courts were not prepared to allow such practices." He said if you are contemplating installing a freestanding or inbuilt fire this winter it is a lot cheaper to get a building consent — at $15 1 — than face legal costs and a fine. "It will also mean that you as an owner will get the benefit of an inspection to ensure the installation complies with the legislation."