Real estate, whether a new Miami high-rise or a single family home, is a huge investment. For most, it’s the biggest investment they’ll ever make in life. When you do decide to put your hard-earned money into real estate, you want to protect your investment at all costs. You’ll spend countless hours fixing it up, maintaining it and imbuing it with your special touch. So, when something threatens your property, it can be heartbreaking.
That’s what one Florida homeowner is feeling after four years of battles over what he sees as construction issues with a home he bought in Sarasota in 2008. He alleges that construction defects led to extensive water damage in the home, which he has had to fix out of his own pocket. He’s filed several suits against engineering groups, contractors and even the former homeowner. He is claiming that the previous homeowner failed to disclose the defects at the time of the sale.
The homeowner filed an initial suit in 2010 and, more than four years later, there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight.
Whether the homeowner’s cases will pan out remains to be seen. In a case like this one, a Florida construction litigation attorney would look at several factors. Did the defects actually cause the water damage? Was it really the fault of the contractors and subcontractors or did pressure from the developers cause the issues? Did the homeowner know about the perceived defects before buying the home?
Whichever side of the aisle you’re on — whether you’re a homeowner who feels slighted or a contractor who needs an advocate against a developer — contacting an attorney is a critical step in making sure your interests are protected.
Source: heraldtribune.com, “A water damage saga on Bay Shore Road,” Harold Bubil, May 31, 2014
