After NY condo building boom, shoddy work rears head

David Zalubowski/AP
Workers completing the facades on a row of condominiums in the Denver area.
Photo: Condominiums in Lakewood (AP Photo)
Workers completing the facades on a row of condominiums in the Denver area.

this report from the New York Times detailing shoddy building in Brooklyn caught my attention this morning:

It took just three years for balconies to crack and concrete to flake from the facade of one Brooklyn condominium. Another building was prone to flooding, because the storm drainage system was never connected to the sewage system. With buildings rising at a pace not seen in years, some fear that shoddy construction could be making a comeback, too.

As developers feverishly break ground on projects to cash in on soaring property values, lawyers, architects and engineers say they are fielding more calls from residents complaining of structural defects in newly built homes. There is growing concern that some developers are repeating the mistakes of the last housing boom and delivering substandard product. As more residents settle into new buildings, the trickle of calls could soon turn into a flood.

CPR's Ben Markus reported in December about the push here to make it harder to sue over construction defects by requiring preliminary arbitration, and more:

Potential legislation would require a majority of homeowners to vote to proceed with a lawsuit, not just a majority of the HOA board.

The Colorado legislation is expected to get a hearing later this session.