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A LOCAL builder was in court this week defending a civil suit made by a Gordon?s Bay couple, who are suing him for R1,3-million and who had hired him to renovate their mountainside house.

The case is being heard in the Bellville Magistrates Court.

Chris and Anthé Solomon of Kloof Street, launched proceedings against Pierre Kotze of Pringle Bay whose company, PK Building & Renovation, they had contracted for the project.

The original quote for the project was just over R1-million.

The dispute arose a few months subsequent to the commencement of work on the site in January 2001.

The contract ran late and Mr Kotze's company was eventually ordered off the site after a consulting engineer told the Solomons workmanship on certain aspects of the job was poor and "life-threatening".

On Friday, the Solomons' attorney, Ludolph Joubert of Gordon's Bay, questioned Mr Kotze on various aspects of the agreement between Mr Kotze and his clients.

This included the number of plans drawn up, alterations done and billing of "extras".

Mr Kotze confirmed that the Solomons had initially approached him because he'd said he offered an "all-in-one" service.

This meant he would see to the appointment of the necessary professionals for the job and have plans drawn up.

He blamed the delays in the contract on the Solomons' decision to remain on a lower storey of the house while work was being done.

While the Solomons' say Mr Kotze knew about their decision before the project started, he denies this.

On the subject of the damning engineering report on the work done by Mr Kotze's company at the Solomon house, Mr Kotze disputed it in court last week saying construction had still been underway when the report was compiled and that everything he had done had been on the instructions of his own engineer. He suggested the author of the report was biased, pointing out to the Solomons' attorney that his clients had appointed the consultant in the first place and the report would have been compiled accordingly.

He also disputed the Solomons' claim that he had been "overpaid" for the work done.

Mr Kotze said the project had been handled in a "very informal" way as a means of reducing costs for his clients. As such, some of the discussions were verbal and never formalised in writing.

The case continues this week.

The magistrate is Mr JJ van Reenen and Mr Kotze is represented by Frank Raymond.

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