The apartment block was certified by the now defunct Auburn Council. Insurance giant AIG has declined to pay out because the roof did not comply with the Building Code of Australia. Christian Kresnomurti with his wife Meiliyana and sons Colin and Bryan inside a top-floor apartment with no roof. Credit:Nick Moir "I can't be held responsible ... Why did they pick on me? Because I'm council?" Mr Oueik said. Nearly 200 residents were left homeless after the storm on January 30 tore the roof off their building. While renters have since found new homes, owner-occupiers and investors are in immense emotional and financial stress, as they pursue money for repairs from the developer, the council and the insurance company.

Some families have had to split to squeeze into different dwellings, while others have taken second jobs. Ronney Oueik owns BBC Development which built the non-compliant Water St apartment block. Credit:Nick Moir Phil Thai, owner-occupier of a two-bedroom unit with no roof, said owners had locked in a meeting with AIG boss Noel Condon next week with the hope of reaching a resolution. He said the owners - many mum and dad investors with young families - had obtained a $2.4 million strata loan to start repairing the building themselves. Salim Mehajer (left) and Ronney Oueik. Credit:Auburn City Council

"There's no tarp covering the hole, so all the rain has come through, causing further extensive damage," he said. "It's really disappointing that Ronney Oueik is saying it's not his problem, because I think he does have responsibility." Fairfax Media earlier revealed AIG denied the claim because structural engineer Roderick Broune found "structural defects were the sole cause of the loss and damage" and that, had the building met basic standards, it would have withstood the violent weather. It was also revealed the entire building was approved and certified by Auburn Council itself, which denied Mr Oueik exerted any improper influence over the certification process. Unit owner Christian Kresnomurti said Mr Oueik's words made his "blood boil with anger".

He and his wife Meiliyana poured their life savings into a unit - their first major investment - to secure the financial future of their sons, Colin, aged 8, and Bryan, 6. "We're the victims here, not him. Now we're paying two mortgages, two water rates, two council rates. Our savings are gone and we're in the red," he said. "We've cut swimming and soccer for our boys and my wife is training for a second job to work on weekends, and I'm looking at also working for Uber." Under NSW's recent council amalgamations, all Auburn councillors were sacked as it became part of Cumberland Council. However, all 10 councillors had been suspended since February ahead of a local government inquiry examining the "planning and development matters [that] may have inappropriately benefited a number of councillors".

The Member for Auburn and opposition leader Luke Foley said the inquiry needed to look at the Water Street development. "Auburn Council certified the building. The insurers now say the building had significant defects and should never have been certified," Mr Foley said. "Hundreds of people are now in dire straits. I want the public inquiry into Auburn Council to examine the certification of the Water Street Lidcombe building." Viv May, administrator of Cumberland Council, backed Mr Foley's call for the inquiry to scrutinise the development. "[I understand] repairs are being undertaken at 14-22 Water Street Lidcombe, in accordance with orders given by Council. As to the cost of repairs, this is a matter best left to respective insurers," he said.

Mr Oueik also told Fairfax Media: "[It] was a tsunami, was a disaster that day. Many buildings have the roof have collapsed. Many, many trees have collapsed, many buildings have collapsed." Only one building had its roof torn off that day - the Water Street building in Lidcombe. Mr Oueik also claimed that: "No one has notified me with nothing yet". Lawyers representing BBC Development sent a letter to residents in April acknowledging the issues. More consumer affairs news