Q: Fort Lee, NJ Coop building - active leaks from units above AC system, damage to our ceiling , Coop delays repair
NJ Coop building : For past 6 weeks and this problem existed a year ago, the AC system in apartment unit above us leaks. The water first dripped through AC unit , walls but now it seriously damaged ceiling, and continues to leak. Coop management & maintenance delays repair work, and their excuse is that nothing can be done to fix and repair the AC system, until AC in whole building is turned off for summer season. Meaning I need to wait for at least 4 more weeks and hope that ceiling does not collapse and room does not get flooded from active leak. I am completely hopeless in this case and cannot enforce management to stop the leak ASAP. Had already contacted Board and President twice , but all not effective . Coop just knows that nothing can be done at this time and I need to continue to wait. Please advise on what can be done in this case.
A: You really need to retain an experienced civil litigation attorney and file suit against the coop board ,the President and possibly the unit owner above you. Many of these HOA, coop, and condo boards are either corrupt or engage in improper self-dealing. I routinely advise my clients to avoid purchasing any property that has one of these organizations. Pick the best attorney you can find and remember one rule: a good attorney is generally never cheap, and a cheap attorney is generally never good so don't choose based on price. With modern technology, you can be represented by any high-quality attorney in New Jersey irrespective of geography.
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