Condo President Indicates Water Leak Not Unusual

I’m not aware of any building code that indicates “the building will be structurally sound, unless stressed strongly by Mother Nature, at which point it’s ok if there’s an envelope failure”. But that’s what Lynn Shore Towers, Massachusetts, Board of Trustees President Robert Trucker said of a resident’s ongoing issue with water running into their unit.

People got heavy torrential downpour over a couple of hours — it’s not unusual that you would have a leak. This isn’t a leak that’s been ongoing that nobody’s done anything about. The problem was solved.

Well, if it still leaks then the problem wasn’t solved.

Previously the owners of the unit had their ceiling collapse because of water damage requiring the couple to vacate the premises over a week, and deal with three months of an open ceiling before receiving a fix. The leak then came back and has been repatched twice.  Now Edward and Maria Mitchell are getting water again.

The role of a board, and the collection of condominium fees, is to ensure the maintenance and repair the common elements (like the roof and overall building envelope). It doesn’t matter the cost or the complexity, or if it only affects one unit in a multi-unit building, repairs must be performed and done well.

Water is one of the most damage causing issues a condominium can face, and it’s never a situation to take lightly. Any water issues should be addressed fully and completely. It’s never, ever, usual that a building should have a leak because of rain – even a horrific downpour.