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appalachiablue

(41,127 posts)
Tue Jun 29, 2021, 11:40 AM Jun 2021

Surfside Condo Board President Warned Residents of Worsening Damage In April [View all]

Last edited Tue Jun 29, 2021, 02:40 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: MSN/New York Times

Less than three months before the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo complex in Surfside, Fla., the president of the condominium association warned in a letter that the damage in the building had "gotten significantly worse" since it was highlighted in a 2018 inspection.

The letter was written to residents by Jean Wodnicki, president of the association's board of directors, explaining why a list of extensive construction projects were worth a $15 million special assessment that residents were being asked to pay.

Along with the 2018 inspection, which warned of "major structural damage," the letter, a copy of which The New York Times obtained, adds to a growing body of evidence that engineers had raised alarms about serious flaws in the building months and even years before the catastrophic building failure, which killed 11 people and left 150 unaccounted for.

Ms. Wodnicki could not immediately be reached for comment.

That 2018 inspection warned that concrete damage would "multiply exponentially" in the coming years, Ms. Wodnicki wrote in the letter, which was first reported by USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. The engineer who prepared that initial report, Frank Morabito, carried out "a much more detailed survey of the property" and found signs that this acceleration was indeed already happening...

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/surfside-condo-board-president-warned-residents-of-worsening-damage-in-april/ar-AALApna



- Also: NPR, 'Letter from Condo Board Warned Buildings' Damage Has Gotten Significantly Worse,' June 29, 2021, *Includes COPY OF THE LETTER,
https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-miami-area-condo-collapse/2021/06/29/1011280545/letter-from-condo-board-warned-buildings-damage-has-gotten-significantly-worse
_________

- Related: 'Surfside building collapse latest: Bidens to visit site amid search for survivors,' ABC News, June 29, 2021,
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/surfside-building-collapse-latest-bidens-to-visit-site-amid-search-for-survivors/ar-AALzTkG

57 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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doesn't seem fair llashram Jun 2021 #1
Who should be assessed? NT enough Jun 2021 #2
I don't know llashram Jun 2021 #4
One of the "hidden costs" of condo ownership. Phoenix61 Jun 2021 #8
Owned Multiple Condos Assessments Are Common Elevators Windows Painting Etc. DanieRains Jun 2021 #42
"find a real estate agent that is not just looking to get a commission" All Real Estate agents get a Escurumbele Jun 2021 #51
Umm ... what? Hugh_Lebowski Jun 2021 #54
Um... houses do have HOAs obamanut2012 Jun 2021 #57
The builder? What did they do, or did not do that caused that kind of erosion to occur? Escurumbele Jun 2021 #50
He was NOT in that building. There's at least 2 'sister' buildings in the area, it was one of those Hugh_Lebowski Jun 2021 #55
Isn't that how condos work? The residents share the costs? n/t FSogol Jun 2021 #3
Yes. But 15 million? jimfields33 Jun 2021 #14
The condo assoication should have a rainy day fund or can take money out of other budgets. They FSogol Jun 2021 #19
This isn't feasible. The HOA would have to take a loan to do this. No one would give such a loan. rkleinberger Jun 2021 #25
Owners there were able to take out 15-year low-interest loans obamanut2012 Jun 2021 #36
There are 136 units. $15M/136 equals $110,000 on average, but there are different kinds of units progree Jun 2021 #20
The problem is apparently 2 fold... PoliticAverse Jun 2021 #29
$15 million assessment comes down to 110,294.12 per unit Escurumbele Jun 2021 #52
There should have been assessments started years ago, in the same way that companies Baitball Blogger Jun 2021 #5
Fixed monthly association fees in a building like this can run upwards of $700 to $800 per unit. sop Jun 2021 #21
I read somewhere that the fees for the collapsed building were over $900 per month per unit csziggy Jun 2021 #49
Who else would pay for it? It may not be fair, but it's their building, and their responsibility. sop Jun 2021 #6
ok llashram Jun 2021 #9
If your foundation in your house fails, you are responsible to fix it forthemiddle Jun 2021 #7
hmmm llashram Jun 2021 #10
They OWN it obamanut2012 Jun 2021 #37
Since it was water damage, insurance likely wouldn't pay Warpy Jun 2021 #34
lol that's how it works -- of course it's fair obamanut2012 Jun 2021 #35
They collectively own the building and are responsible Deminpenn Jun 2021 #43
The building may catastrophically fail....let's send a letter! Thomas Hurt Jun 2021 #11
But first, let's sit on it for almost three years. TheBlackAdder Jun 2021 #40
Bad writing. I assume she isn't among those missing in the disaster. (Nt) FreepFryer Jun 2021 #12
I think it shows how we are (not) going to address climate change. femmedem Jun 2021 #13
Nobody know exactly what to do jimfields33 Jun 2021 #16
We are at a crisis point right.now. There may not be a perfect, palatable solution but there are JudyM Jun 2021 #22
Yeah, right. That's way too sensible, and you wouldn't want to be accused of that. sop Jun 2021 #27
Yes, there's no one thing to do. femmedem Jun 2021 #53
Insurance companies won't touch condos, like homeowners have insurance? brush Jun 2021 #15
Condo associations normally have the same type of insurance as single-family dwellings. sop Jun 2021 #32
Thanks for the info. Sounds like you're in the business. brush Jun 2021 #33
I would assume that's the case, unless they try to go after the structural engineering firms sop Jun 2021 #44
You sue everyone involved in any way that has "deep pockets". n/t PoliticAverse Jun 2021 #46
Pretty much. sop Jun 2021 #48
I have the sdame insurance company as my parents obamanut2012 Jun 2021 #38
Post 32 explains it well. Contruction defects may have expired as... brush Jun 2021 #45
Can they float Condo Bonds and amortize the cost over 30 years in fees? bucolic_frolic Jun 2021 #17
I would have needed horse tranquilizer BootinUp Jun 2021 #18
Off topic, but I took a horse tranquilizer many, many years ago. spike jones Jun 2021 #26
Sounds like I need a better allegory. Nt BootinUp Jun 2021 #28
So, PCP in the AM, weed and wine in the afternoon, and a hit of acid in the evening? Hugh_Lebowski Jun 2021 #56
The engineer wasn't required to report what must have been major code violations? JudyM Jun 2021 #23
There is no way the homeowners would be able to foot such an assessment. rkleinberger Jun 2021 #24
And that's something to consider before buying a high-rise condo Auggie Jun 2021 #30
Condo's like this sell for many multiples of that amount. cinematicdiversions Jun 2021 #31
They were also allowing 15-year low-interest loand to cover it obamanut2012 Jun 2021 #39
Root causes. NCjack Jun 2021 #41
"tied my most important investment to a group of people" PoliticAverse Jun 2021 #47
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