Neighbors Sue in New York, Claiming Construction Work ‘Compromised Integrity’ of Their Apartments

Residents of a New York City apartment building are?claiming in a lawsuit?that construction on a neighboring office building caused their property to sink almost an inch into the ground, leading to cracks and separation in multiple apartment units and forcing some residents to move out, Commercial Observer recently reported.

Filed in New York County Supreme Court by the 210 Forsyth Street Housing Development Fund Corporation, the lawsuit seeks $2 million for unpaid damages and fees and names the project’s developer, general contractor, construction manager, and engineer.

According to the publication, problems began soon after breaking ground in 2019 at the Lower East Side location, the former site of the?Sunshine Cinema theater, prompting a stop-work order to be issued. Construction reportedly resumed in early 2020, but the residents claim the damage — which they allege “significantly compromised the integrity” of their building — was never paid for.

“When you have all of these eyes on a project to make sure it is going smoothly, you have to wonder how they did not find out sooner and resolve it,” said Josh Rivera , Broker, Professional Liability,? Burns & Wilcox , Orlando, Florida. “It could have been prior damage the building suffered from something else or damage that was not picked up on inspection. Ultimately, the construction next door could have either advanced it or caused it. That is something the lawsuit will try to reveal.”

Read the full article?here.

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