T.P. from Connecticut writes:
Dear Mister Condo,
My wife and I have lived in Connecticut in a condo we have owned now for 10 years. The association changed owners last year. Our condo needs a new front door, our living room floor boards are popping out the rug and eventually will sag causing us to possibly trip. There’s mold in our bathroom upstairs and in our son’s room due to not enough insulation in the attic. Bathroom fan hose in attic not hooked up properly, gutter is leaking water on our cement patio causing it to crack. There are stud holes appearing all over the ceilings.
Who’s responsible for what? Every time we put a maintenance request in they ask us if we are owners. I say yes. Then I hear nothing back. Been going on for 8 years. We wish we could sell but times are tough. We just want to know if the new owners can help out the few home owners in here and stop ignoring us.
Mister Condo replies:
T.P., it sounds to me like your condo association is still under developer control. As such, your claims of construction defect are going to be against the developer. Construction defect claims can be expensive and the process can be quite lengthy. Are other unit owners experiencing the same issues? Chances are pretty good that they are having the same problems you are experiencing. It’s time to consult with an attorney to see what legal actions can be taken against the developer. I am not sure what made you wait 8 years to act but better late than never. I am afraid there is no “quick fix” to this problem. If this was a new construction or conversion to a condo, the developer has sold you a faulty product. You have protections but enforcing those protection will cost you more money in the form of attorney fees. I am hoping that you can find other affected unit owners so you can share in the cost of litigation. Otherwise, you might be better advised to sell, even at a loss. This is likely going to be a costly and drawn out project. Sorry you have such a problem on your hands. Good luck getting it resolved to your satisfaction.