Help! Construction next door effecting walls and floors!

Hello everyone, Thanks so much for help with this in advance. I live in a row house in the North Slope. There is a serious gut/renovation project going on next door, complete with new beams, floors, staircases, etc. My second and third floors are showing some damage. It looks as though the walls and the floors have begun to separate up to 1/2 inch in some spots. This is new, as I just redid my floors before the construction and did not have this problem. Of course, I am concerned that a ton of dust is getting in from next door. But I am also alarmed about the separation. Any advice about repairs, safety, recourse with the contractor and owner next door? Many thanks!

timothyevansus

in Construction 9 years and 7 months ago

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catboot | 9 years and 7 months ago

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On the subject of notes, use the voice memo function on your phone, hit record and stick it in your shirt pocket before speaking with them. You’ll have a recording of what was said. We lived through a flip next door (and 3 sets of flippers) and have recordings that sound like something out of a mob movie. Be proactive, document everything and, as a rule of thumb, don’t believe anything they promise, unless it’s on paper.

slopefarm | 9 years and 7 months ago

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I would add to all of the good advice above that you should keep contemporaneous notes of any conversations you have with anyone connected with the renovation — owner, contractor, workers, etc. And document everything well, with photos, noted, measurements. And, while I am generally of the go slow school in terms of escalating, I do think it wise to lawyer up quickly, and specifically with someone who does construction/property damage issues. You want someone with experience and expertise in resolving exactly these kinds of problems (both amicably and otherwise). There’s a roadmap to follow here, so no sense trying to figure it out on your own.

peter90 | 9 years and 7 months ago

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I happen to work for an engineering company downtown that deals with this kinda stuff all the time. Depending on the work that the contractor is doing, they are supposed to have a remedial work action plan or a protection plan for neighboring buildings/propetys. You should probably have a property assessment done by a PE. They will be able to determine weather or not it is directly related to the construction. If it is they would be required to correct any and all damage to you’re home. Definitely take lots of before and after pictures when work is being done next to your home! Especially in NYC!!

neweco | 9 years and 7 months ago

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Make sure the contractor carries adjacent property insurance .

altfra | 9 years and 7 months ago

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I’ve lived through two of these situations. From my experience, be EXTREMELY PROACTIVE. I lived in a brownstone apt in the West Village where the person who bought it was literally tearing the building down around the 3 remaining tenants. We went to court, we did everything outlined by some of the responders above. The people who owned the brownstone next door would not get involved. Well, they ended up having their foundation compromised and were in court forever. The situation I am in now is slowly coming to an end. I now live in a small apt building near Gramercy Park. It’s very old (circa 1890). The building next door was torn down about ten years ago. They’re still working on the condo that replaced it (if you can believe that!) They worked on the foundation forever, and a little over two years ago over that summer I noticed cracks (large) in the corners of my windows and the front of the building. I called 311 and explained the situation. They sent inspectors the next day and shut them down for months. They had to install a steel beam in our basement to stabilize our building. However, the building on the other side of the construction (a very lovely brownstone) didn’t survive the new foundation. All the tenants had to move out and I’ve heard that the building will have to be demolished and rebuilt when the condo is finally completed. I can’t stress enough how important it is to get an engineer into your building, call the Building Deparrtment, and find out the name of a lawyer who deals with these issues. Don’t wait until it’s too late! These older buildings are very fragile and when they’re destabilized it doesn’t take much and then you’ll be the one moving. I hope this helps…

workisfun | 9 years and 7 months ago

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HB12345- Point well taken. You may be a special case…or not. My personal experience has been that allowing someone else, who has no fiduciary responsibility to me, to work on my home, is a bad idea. That party will not assess damage or risk that is greater than what I can see. Independent and expert evaluation and documentation is critical, just in case… Cracked plaster is one thing, a cracked foundation behind that is quite another. I was burned by empty promises and hack workers trying to fix their own mess, and it cost me a lot.

sqhaexgkh | 9 years and 7 months ago

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I would just make a call to the homeowner or go over and ask to speak to the foreman and show them the issue. Give them the chance to repair the damage without getting worked up or involving the DOB. I’m in the process of a large gut and our neighbors had some cracking in their plaster from our work. We handled it the next day, no issue. Give your neighbor a chance to do the right thing. Sometimes replies on this forum, while valid, get ahead of themselves and focus on the worst case scenario. Obviously if your neighbor refuses to make the repair, the above reply is well suited.

catboot | 9 years and 7 months ago

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Check the DOB website to see if there is a permit that conforms with the work. Is the renovation a flip job, or is it being done by someone who intends to live there? From my experience, flippers will tell you what you want to hear and do nothing to solve a problem. An owner renovating a place he/she intends to live in tends to be much more response to construction problems.

shahnandersen

in Construction 9 years and 7 months ago

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I would: 1) Immediately talk to the contractor and owner. Show them the damage. Ask them what they are going to do to fix it and prevent future problems. 2) DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Take photos. Keep a diary of when problems occur and of all your conversations. 3) Hire an engineer to provide you with an assessment of what it going on structurally. Have the engineer meet with the contractor to discuss the issues. If it is really serious the engineer can advise on how to file a complaint with the Buildings Department which could result in a stop work order.. 4) If recommended by the engineer after those discussions, hire a lawyer experienced in building construction issues. 5) Talk to your insurance company to assess how they cover any damage. 3) and 4) will cost you serious money, but nothing compared to your investment in your home (not to mention your piece of mind). All this assumes that there are Building permits and the work is being done legally. If not immediately file a complaint with Buildings.