Water leak...at what point do I need a professional cleanup restoration?

[jaynews]

I live in a condo. There is a leak on the side of my unit in which water seeps in underneath the baseboard near a window corner and the hardwood floor gets wet. The leak happens in wind-driven conditions when water splashes against the side of the building. I replaced the window seals and nothing is coming in through the window itself when it happens. The association's response so far has been to caulked some places outside where the window frame meets the siding.

I observed the leak happen two times (in the past few weeks), and I believe it happened at least once before that. When it happens, I put a towel down to absorb the water. Beneath the surface, near where water seeped in, the drywall gets excessively moist according to a moisture detector, and can stay moist for days. There are no stains yet on the wallpaper side of the drywall. Baseboard is starting to warp somewhat and hardwood showing early signs of damage. It's hardly noticeable at this point though.

Questions:

1) If the leak happens again, what should the condo association's next step be to protect my unit and the building?

2) If it keeps happening again, then at what point do I need to call in a pro to deal with potential mold and damage happening behind the drywall?

3) At what point do I have the right to insist that the association pay for professional cleanup and restoration? I live in NJ.

Thanks,

J.

[buffalobill]

your contract is an agreement between two parties. there is no "standard agreement". they vary widely.

1. read your written agreement.
2. always protect your investment with proper repairs following the conditions of the written agreement.
3. read your written agreement and consult an attorney if needed.

jaynews wrote:

[Norminn]

In Florida, to formally initiate an issue with the condominium association, one sends a certified letter to the association. That is spelled out in state condominium statutes, as is the fact that board members can be PERSONALLY liable for failing to perform their duties .. maintaining the building is one of the major duties of the board. If you have a management company, I would copy them on the letter. The boring document that nobody reads should state what parts of the building the association is responsible for .. read that.

What style of building is it? What type of construction? Age?

[Joseph Meehan]

You need to start be taking a careful look at your condo agreement. I suspect this is the association problem not yours, but agreements and state laws vary greatly. If you are not sure after reading it, contact a local attorney. This could get real expensive and you don't what to start something until you know the legal answers.

Yes, it is time for a professional.

[Malcolm Hoar]

If this isn't already documented, you need to address that right away. Write a letter to the HOA and management company. Summarise what has been done so far and make it clear that the leak is still unresolved. Formally ask them to detail the actions they plan to understake.

Do this right away to protect yourself if things get expensive and nasty down the road.

You need to spend some time reading your HOA's rules -- every HOA is different. You may need to clue up on some of the applicable NJ law as well.