SECAUCUS – Dozens of condo owners at Harmon Cove Towers (HCT), who for months have complained about leaks, flooding, and water filtration following a multi-million-dollar renovation to the façade of their development, should get relief soon.
Following a six-hour hearing Monday night, the Hudson County Construction Board ordered two contractors to unclog thousands of weep holes that were inadvertently sealed during the $5.78 million facade restoration project.
The same contractors – Castle Restoration & Construction and Falcon Engineering were also ordered to create several new weep holes where none had previously existed.
The façade project dates back to 2004 when the HCT condo association decided to have repairs made to the upscale housing development on Meadowlands Parkway. At the time, chunks of concrete were falling away from balconies on the building and the development needed better protection from water damage.
Bricks at the 562-unit development also needed realignment.
The HCT board eventually hired Castle Restoration to perform the restoration job and also hired Falcon Engineering to oversee, inspect, and sign off on Castle’s work.
As the restoration project neared completion earlier this year, several residents began complaining of leaks in the ceilings and walls of their units. In a few extreme cases, the walls of some units even began separating from one another. More than 133 units have been affected, according to an April 2010 letter from HCT’s attorney to Falcon Engineering.
In an effort to weatherproof the building, Castle applied a sealant that apparently covered and clogged thousands of weep holes that had been placed in the structure to draw rain water away from the building. Since the water couldn’t be released from the clogged weep holes it apparently drained into the condo walls instead.
The Hudson County Construction Board has now ordered Castle and Falcon to unclog these weep holes.
The construction board also ordered the companies to create new weep holes in the structure after an attorney for HCT successfully argued that such work had been a part of Castle’s contract with the condo association.
Castle and Falcon have agreed to unclog the weep holes that were covered by the sealant, but indicated Monday they might appeal the ruling to create new weep holes where none had previously existed. – E. Assata Wright
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