Houston Construction Defect Lawyer

Construction Defects in Office Parks, Condos & Homeowners Associations

Construction defects in multi-tenant developments can impact an entire community. Office parks, condominium and homeowners associations can seek damages from companies responsible for losses caused by construction defects. The same defects in planning, design, materials, and workmanship that can impact single tenant structures can afflict an entire condominium development, office park, or neighborhood with potential to cause significant financial losses for property owners.

Lawsuits for construction defects in condominiums and neighborhoods can be brought by a homeowners association that represents the combined interests of its members. Commercial property owners, condominium and homeowners associations can bring suits to recover damages for construction problems with roadways, landscapes, and shared infrastructures- problems such as street collapses, sinkholes, utility failures, drainage and sewage problems, and serious erosion problems.

Developers and construction companies are expected to carefully evaluate the suitability construction sites in the planning process. Through careful survey and examination of intended roadway, parking lot, and foundation locations, they should be able to determine whether factors like expansive or collapsing soils exist that would threaten the long-term stability of the construction. Before building, they should take measures to stabilize the underlying surfaces to ensure that the structure will not collapse. Failure to do so may constitute negligence on their part for which they can and should be held accountable.

About Sinkholes in the Community

A sinkhole results when surface soils sink or collapse into a natural or manmade underground void. In karst regions that are rich in limestone like Austin, San Antonio, and much of the Texas hill country, a sinkhole can be caused by the collapse of a cave or cavern roof. Even where there are no caves, other manmade causes such as collapsing drainage culverts can lead to developing sinkholes.

A sinkhole can develop very rapidly. Sometimes they are small and may not be immediately obvious. These are usually discovered because of the damage they inflict- cracks in foundations and walls, cracks in windows, doors that stick and are hard to open. In rarer instances, very large sinkholes- some large enough to collapse streets and foundations can open suddenly causing very serious and costly damage to any home or structure that overlies them.

Failure to identify and mitigate the risk of developing sinkholes from natural voids like caves and caverns may constitute negligence on the part of a developer or builder. Sinkholes from collapsing culverts or other manmade causes may be evidence of poor workmanship or defective construction materials. In either case, whomever is responsible for you losses should be accountable for them.

Other Types of Construction Defects

Poorly planned, designed, or construction utility systems can adversely affect the use of homes and commercial properties. Broken and downed power lines cause disruption of power, telecommunication, and other critical services. Power outages and surges that result can permanently damage costly equipment and appliances resulting in financial losses for property owners.

Drainage and sewage systems are shared infrastructure. Systemic problems resulting from poor planning, defective design, or poor workmanship can impact an entire neighborhood, complex, or office park. When properties don't drain properly, flooding can occur causing water damage and subsequent problems such as mold growth. Faulty sewer systems that fail to drain properly, backup, or leak can present serious health and environmental risks.

Erosion is a naturally occurring process wherein the land surface is transformed and reshaped by the removal of surface soils. This naturally occurring process occurs wherever surface soils are exposed to wind and, especially, water. But erosion is a predictable process and one that can be managed through planning, design, and construction that mitigates its impact. When the predictable impact of unchecked erosion is not considered by planners, designers, and construction companies, they may be guilty of negligence. Even when erosion is anticipated and planned for, poor workmanship in the implementation of those plans can lead to unchecked erosion with serious consequences to property.

A Houston construction defect attorney can help you!

If construction defects caused by negligence in planning and design, poor workmanship, or defective materials have resulted in serious property damage, office parks, condominiums, and homeowners associations can seek to recover damages in court from those responsible with help from an experienced Houston litigation attorney.

Contact a Houston construction defect attorney to learn more about options for claiming compensation for damages.