New York, NY – Where Do You Turn If Your Brand-New Condo Is Falling Apart?

New York, NY – In 2004, Meggan Berley and her husband, empty-nesters in Dobbs Ferry, ditched their longtime rental and bought a new condominium on Spencer Street in Brooklyn. Then the headaches began. On move-in day, the floors weren’t finished and the kitchen cabinets had no doors. The Berleys lived amid construction for weeks. Then came winter, and the pipes burst. Every time they ran the washer, the walls thundered. Berley’s laptop plug kept burning out, and she heard buzzing from the outlets. Three years later, her building has lost its temporary certificate of occupancy, in part because it’s four stories taller than is legal. “I’ve been completely ripped off,” she says. The developer, did not return request for comment.

From Harlem to Bed-Stuy to Williamsburg, buyers—especially in fringe neighborhoods—say they’re living with bad ventilation, leaky roofs, thin insulation, insufficient fireproofing, and other egregious screw ups. Lawyer Kevin McConnell of Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoghue & Joseph says he has had more calls in the past three years from condo buyers than ever before.

First-time developers lured by the gold rush and hurried construction may account for some complaints. Other builders may be cheaping out. But the biggest factor may be the city itself. The Department of Buildings relies on self-certification—a process in which architects and developers swear that their plans comply with codes and zoning, usually proceeding without inspections until the project’s completed. But last year just 142 examiners reviewed nearly 75,000 plans.

What would help? Oliver Rosengart, a lawyer formerly of the state attorney general’s office, suggests that developers could be required to guarantee their product (currently, only buildings five stories and under come with warranties) and to hold money in escrow until the DOB signs off. For now, McConnell suggests that shoppers have an engineer scrutinize plans. [NY Magazine]