This is the hillside mansion residents live in fear of. Now the City of Johannesburg wants the High Court to order its demolition.
But residents of Quellerina, in Roodepoort, fear the order will come too late.
Perched atop a ridge, the triple-storey house is cracked and a large part of its retaining wall has collapsed.
Several properties lie below the house, all in serious danger should it collapse.
The problem, the municipality and other building officials have said, was evidence of shoddy workmanship.
Poor design, poor-quality building materials and poor workmanship have all been blamed for the situation.
Council spokesperson Nthatise Modingoane said the council had compiled a report which would prove the house was "an imminent danger".
He refused to reveal who the house's owner was or why the council had allowed the building to be put up.
"The matter is being dealt with by the city's development planning and urban management department, and it is at an advanced stage," he said.
However, residents are scared now that it's the rainy season.
"We find ourselves thinking that it is going to collapse (every time it rains), but the council won't do anything about it until people are dead or property is damaged," said resident Natalie Pereira.
"Walls started coming down seven months ago and we immediately notified the council, but we're still waiting."
Local councillor Steve Kotze said it was surprising that the structure had been allowed to go up while the council was supposed to have been monitoring safety and quality standards.
"Looking at those cracks, one wonders if the council had approved the house plans at all. If people are killed, what sort of excuse are we going to have from the council?" he said.
"This is a matter of life and death and I think something needs to be done to save lives and property while awaiting the court order."
The Star took the matter to the National Home Builders' Registration Council (NHBRC), which protects the interests of builders and homeowners, regulates the industry and monitors standards.
After visiting the property in Maluti Street, an NHBRC official's report agreed that poor workmanship was at fault, and it also identified other problems.
"The property poses a serious threat to life as well as to other properties downhill. Serious measures must be taken urgently in order to protect lives," the report found.
NHBRC head Phetola Makgathe said either the contractor or the engineer could be blamed for the problem.
"The engineering fill was not properly compacted, hence the retainer wall falling. The engineer who approved the structure could have monitored the compaction," he said.
"The builder has deviated from normal building standards in that he did not use any brickforce in walls, and slabs were not properly reinforced."
Makgathe said one option besides demolishing the house was to seek an engineering solution. This meant finding a qualified and approved engineer who would redesign the whole structure.
"This could mean half of this house must be reconstructed, and that could cost three times more than the original building cost.
"A structural engineer would also be needed to monitor reconstruction of the house, especially the retaining walls," Makgathe said.
All attempts to contact the owner of the house, who is known to The Star, failed.
A reliable source within the municipality said the owner was attempting to halt the demolition of the house, saying he would repair the dwelling and sell it to recoup his losses.
Meanwhile, Quellerina residents hope the house stays intact until a demolition order has been obtained.
By Poloko Tau
www.iol.co.za
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