They bought luxury, but got a wreck: residents of an elite skyscraper in New York are suing the developer
'24.09.2021'
Nurgul Sultanova-Chetin
The board of residents of the elite skyscraper at 432 Park Avenue has filed a lawsuit against the building's developer for construction and design defects. According to residents, these defects resulted in floods, constant elevator problems and even explosions, Said New York Times.
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The Homeowners' Council of 432 Park Avenue skyscraper, one of the most expensive buildings in the world, sued developers on September 23 and is seeking damages in the amount of $ 125 million.
Residents cite numerous floods, malfunctioning elevators, "unbearable" noise caused by the building swaying due to the wind, and electrical explosions. The last of these occurred in June - the second in three years. Because of him, residents were left without electricity for a long time.
1500 construction and design defects
The skyscraper is almost 430 meters high and was designed by the firm of the famous architect Rafael Vignoli. The company first came under scrutiny in February. Then many claims of residents have been disclosed, which are now detailed in the lawsuit.
The amount of damage indicated in the claim includes the estimated cost of eliminating about 1500 construction and design defects in the general elements of the building. However, it does not include possible penalties or individual claims that individual residents may file.
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The amount of damage indicated in the lawsuit could increase, said Jonathan Adelsberg, representing the building's residents' council.
“It's like peeling an onion,” he said, referring to new layers of defects that might still be found. "Now we are working to find out what is still wrong."
At the same time, the developers insist that all the work was done with high quality, and there should be no defects.
Among the buyers are the rich and the celebrities
The tower, completed in 2015, had a projected sales value of $ 3,1 billion. The pencil-shaped skyscraper is the pinnacle of luxury condominium development in the city.
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Among the buyers were: Saudi retailer Fawaz Alhokair, who bought an apartment on the 96th floor for $ 88 million; a member of the Beckmann family who owns the Jose Cuervo Tequila brand; ex-couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, who bought a 370 sq m apartment for $ 15,3 million in 2018 and sold it about a year later.
“Nevertheless, the luxury promised to buyers was not found. The building was sold, suffering from constant breakdowns and malfunctions. Residents were constantly exposed to dangers and inconveniences, ”the lawsuit says.
Residents got stuck in the elevator several times
The complaint referred to defects in a number of interconnected systems in the building, many of which pose a “threat to safety and life”.
The lawsuit says residents "several times" were trapped for hours in stuck elevator cars. The lifts could not work properly due to the building swaying, which often happens in towers of such enormous height, and the developers had to foresee this problem.
The building was flooded several times on different floors. Residents attribute this to poor plumbing installation. About 35 apartments and common areas were damaged during such floods, causing damage in the millions of dollars. As a result of one of the floods, two elevators were out of order for several weeks.
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There were frequent complaints about the noise in the building structure, which was caused by design defects. Noise and vibrations in inclement weather make it difficult for residents to fall asleep. One of them said that when waste is thrown into it, it "sounds like a bomb blast."
The lawsuit stated that the developer did not solve the problem, but only created it. In an attempt to repair a leak in the building's lower level in June this year, a contractor mistakenly drilled electrical wiring, resulting in an explosion. Part of the house was left without electricity and air conditioning in the midst of the heat. The renovation cost more than $ 1,5 million.