Major balcony issues

Feelin Good

Hi all,

I was hoping someone here might have some advice or guidance.

We live in a complex of about 74 apartments. They are a mix of one story apartments with a two story duplex above them.

Some of the apartments suffer badly from water ingress due to problems with the balconies.

Our property agent arranged for a survey. The surveyors found that not only was there issues with the water ingress, but also that the balconies don't meet current safety standards.

They drew up a document of the issues and put the job out to tender. The lowest quote came in at something like €300,000 and we each got a bill for around €4000.

There are people in the development who had previously paid for works on their balcony concerning the leaks who are expected to pay this surcharge too. Also people who specifically bought a ground floor apartment with no balcony above them so they would not have any balcony related problems .

We are finding it difficult to get insured. We are insured, excluding the balconies, at the minute but the management agent said we will not get insured again next year if progress has not been made in the repairs.

Has anybody here experienced anything similar? Or does anyone have any advice about who I might speak with? I've no idea about the ins and outs of it and was just hoping to maybe hear similar experiences and outcomes

Thanks for reading

Gumbo

Feelin Good wrote: »

Hi all,

I was hoping someone here might have some advice or guidance.

We live in a complex of about 74 apartments. They are a mix of one story apartments with a two story duplex above them.

Some of the apartments suffer badly from water ingress due to problems with the balconies.

Our property agent arranged for a survey. The surveyors found that not only was there issues with the water ingress, but also that the balconies don't meet current safety standards.

They drew up a document of the issues and put the job out to tender. The lowest quote came in at something like €300,000 and we each got a bill for around €4000.

There are people in the development who had previously paid for works on their balcony concerning the leaks who are expected to pay this surcharge too. Also people who specifically bought a ground floor apartment with no balcony above them so they would not have any balcony related problems .

We are finding it difficult to get insured. We are insured, excluding the balconies, at the minute but the management agent said we will not get insured again next year if progress has not been made in the repairs.

Has anybody here experienced anything similar? Or does anyone have any advice about who I might speak with? I've no idea about the ins and outs of it and was just hoping to maybe hear similar experiences and outcomes

Thanks for reading

This is what happens when you buy an apartment i'm afraid.
The issues could be from bad workmanship when first constructed, or simple wear and tear on the joints/seals where the balconies meet the main structure.

Can you ask the Management Company why the Block Insurance is not covering the damage? This might provide more insight to the cause of the problem.

Cuddlesworth

Feelin Good wrote: »

also that the balconies don't meet current safety standards.

You might need to be more specific.
Are they not safe according to a engineer or law?
Or are they not built to standards required during construction of the block?
Or do they not meet current "new" building standards?

Liam McPoyle

kceire wrote: »

Can you ask the Management Company why the Block Insurance is not covering the damage? This might provide more insight to the cause of the problem.

Wear and tear / gradually operating causes are specifically excluded from most / all property policies in the market. The builder would likely have had products liability insurance which covered defective workmanship but as with many apartment blocks, alot of the builders have become insolvent and resurrected themselves as a new entity thus removing all liability they may have.

peteb2

Business Cat wrote:

Wear and tear / gradually operating causes are specifically excluded from most / all property policies in the market. The builder would likely have had products liability insurance which covered defective workmanship but as with many apartment blocks, alot of the builders have become insolvent and resurrected themselves as a new entity thus removing all liability they may have.

It wouldn't cover the rectification of defective workmanship on the part of the builder. That's not what products liability covers.

It would be a homebond issue or one for the engineers PI cover who specd and certified the work if anything.

Arklow10

Oh dear- I would speak to the Management Company who are made up of owners for an update, if required an EGM should be called to discuss and agree a plan.
Also has there been an AGM with the Managing Agents and Managing Company to clarify these aspects?
It will be impossible to sell this apt unless all issues are rectified.

rovertom

I noted a similar issue in an apartment I inspected recently.
Balcony structure crossing cavity and poorly detailed, bringing water into building. Detail repeated all over the development. Purchaser ran a mile from it.

Arklow10

Look up the really sad case of the Berkeley balcony collapse tragedy.

Doop

Similar issue happened in Hunterswood
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dont-step-on-them-apartment-owners-in-dublin-estate-told-balconies-unsafe-36989626.html