Very...Slow...Contractors
We desperately need advice and recommendation regarding some very slow contractors that our building’s sponsor hired. In a nut shell, we live in a condo in a gut renovated brownstone (read new construction) with serious flaws. The sponsor has agreed to remedy the defects, and has hired a general contractor to do the job. So…
We desperately need advice and recommendation regarding some very slow contractors that our building’s sponsor hired. In a nut shell, we live in a condo in a gut renovated brownstone (read new construction) with serious flaws. The sponsor has agreed to remedy the defects, and has hired a general contractor to do the job. So far, so good. One major issue requiring repair is a massive leak that comes from a green house atrium structure on the top floor of the building. When it rains, it literally pours buckets inside of our apartment. The leaks have been confined to one room, but all the sheetrock and insulation have been stripped in that room, and the water is collecting in a tarp the funnels into a bucket. So, one bedroom out of our two bedrooms is completely uninhabitable. (We have two kids.) Long story short, this has been going on since December, and the contractors still don’t even have a bid together. They claim to be unable to find a sufficiently qualified waterproofer to tackle the issue. Each week, some new emergency comes up and the contractors do now show up. Because we do not pay them, they don’t seem feel accountable to us. We’re nervous about insisting that the sponsor fire them, because it has already taken up so much time, and we fear an even greater delay.
Apologies for the long winded explanation. I think the advice is going to be to find new contractors.
Can anyone recommend a contractor skilled in this area? We have been informed that the entire greenhouse needs to be replaced. Specs have been prepared by an architect.
Many thanks.
Call NYC Restorations, Inc. (646) 201-9362
traditionalmod- Of course you should expect a new construction condo to be well-built and move-in ready. The sad thing and total truth is that for the most part they have serious flaws both hidden and visible. It should not be this way but it is.
That is why I mentioned you should always expect the worst- that way there is less surprise when the crap workmanship and total negligence begin to show. Warranties usually end at closing and the rest are all about a year or less. A developer will wear you done before putting in money to fix their own garbage.
Buy mainly based on location and overall size, if a house expansion capability (FAR) and you can’t go wrong- everything else can and probably will need to be fixed if you have the money and plan accordingly.
Will add one more thing when buying a house that has just been meticulously renovated, gut renovated or whatever- know that if it went on the market as soon as the renovation ended it is full of crap work. No one goes through a long and usually stressful renovation only to sell before the paint has cured. It means the seller now thinks they are smart enough to avoid the same mistakes again and want to try elsewhere. If the property was renovated by a flipper it is even worse as they usually don’t even try. The only case where buying a house renovated immediately prior to sale is not as suspicious is when the seller needs to sell because of job loss or relocation to another state. However, that is the least common scenario.
It’s true inspectors either unintentionally or intentionally (to get more referrals from the broker) miss a lot of things. But I disagree people should expect a brand new condo to have problems like this. The whole concept behind a new condo is that it’s “move in ready”. It’s how new condos are marketed to families in brownstone Brooklyn. It should not be a mystery to developers that people are rejecting their badly done high-priced condos and instead for the same money getting a house in an affordable area and renovating it themselves.
Instead of wasting time and sanity, realize now that all sponsor repairs and punch-list items are bull. They will never get done properly. There is little incentive as you already bought the place. Since this is a condo that you own just see if you can get some money from the sponsor and have the repairs done by your own people.
I tell people I know that they should go into buying a new construction condo, old co-op or building knowing that they will need work and money to fix problems. Most all (90% easily) of these new condos (especially those built during the boom times) are constructed by people I wouldn’t hire to sweep. The worst combo is when you get an inexperienced AND cheapskate developer hiring trying to build as cheaply is possible. So many corners are cut on these projects that I am surprised they don’t roll away.
City special trade and general inspections miss way too many things. Self-certification hides the remaining crap. Home inspections that a buyer might have done before a purchase are also for the most part useless exercises to make buyer feel better.
give me a break Jock, of all the possible suggestions. yeah, call Mayan if you want for someone to find a cheapo water proofer, charge you a premium, have you pay 70% up front, then not finish the job!
Call Mayan Metzler, he has done greenhouse work.
(347) 992-0410
Jock deBoer, AIA
deBoer Architects
Was there money held in escrow from the developer pursuant to the settlement??? If so, get your lawyers to work on releasing it. If not, the settlement was negotiated poorly from your lawyers’ standpoint.
In NY, the warranty of habitability only applies where there’s a landlord-tenant relationship, so limited to rentals and co-ops (where proprietary leases are issued to shareholders), but does not apply to condominiums. I have no experience with either condo or co-op, but hard to imagine that no leverage can be found and applied between you, your attorneys, your insurers and the Department of Health. Did the settlement provide a timeframe for repairs? For your own benefit, you might want to contact/visit the BBG as well as McGovern-Weir Greenhouse to talk about repairs, maintenance and contractors used for their own greenhouses.
Thanks, to clarify, we are owners of the condo, so rent is not an issue. The purchasers of the condos sued the sponsor, and the repairs are pursuant to a settlement.