Jonathan P. Cohen, P.A.
Call (954) 462-8850
Jonathan P. Cohen, P.A.
Call (954) 462-8850

500 East Broward Blvd., Suite 1710
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33394
Phone: (954) 462-8850
Fax: (954) 848-2987
info@jcohenpa.com

Construction Defects in Luxury Condo Leads to Litigation

Miami construction defect lawyer

The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.
The content in this article is available for general informational purposes only.

Legal Help from a Miami Construction Defect Lawyer

Construction defects can result in substantial losses for property owners. When defects in construction occur, they can result in a loss of structural integrity or damage over time. Recently, condo owners at a luxury condo development in South Beach called Glass filed a lawsuit against Terra, the developer, John Moriarty & Associates, the contractor, and Rene Gonzalez, the architect for alleged construction defects.

The Glass condominium project was built in 2015 and features luxury condos with floor to ceiling glass walls and 360-degree scenic views of Miami Beach and the ocean. The condo owners took over the condominium association in 2016 and subsequently discovered multiple defects in the construction. According to the complaint, the condo owners hired an outside expert to inspect the building. That inspection led to the discovery of the defects. The defects include cracks in the balconies, multiple points of water entry in the assembly of the sliding glass doors, stucco cracks and rebounding, cracks in the ground floor, and exposed grout. The condo owners claim that the defendants failed to build the project in a manner that met the building codes or the permitting process. The complaint also alleges other defects, including a lack of a drain in the area of the loading dock, corroding mounts, and no fitness center design.

The condos initially sold for tens of millions of dollars. A penthouse that was sold in 2015 went for $20 million. Since then, however, the condos have dropped significantly in value, and some have been sold at a deep discount. Terra would not comment because of the pending litigation.

Construction Defect Litigation

The law firm of Jonathan P. Cohen, P.A. handles many types of construction defect claims, including the following:

  • Structural integrity problems
  • Roofing issues
  • Dry rot
  • Building method problems
  • Mechanical failures
  • Leaks causing mildew
  • Electrical problems
  • Lack of proper insulation

When construction defects are discovered, property owners need to act quickly. On matters involving the designing, planning or construction of an improvement to real property, there is a four-year statute of limitation for bringing a lawsuit. There’s also a 10-year statute of repose to sue for latent defects that acts as an absolute bar to bringing suit no matter when you may have discovered the latent defect. This means if a property owner waits too long to take action or discovers a latent defect too late, he or she could lose the right to file a lawsuit to recover damages. But before a suit can be initiated, under Fl. Stat. § 558.004, Florida property owners must give notice of the defect and provide an opportunity for the contractor to repair it before a lawsuit can be filed.

Contact Miami Construction Defect Lawyer Jonathan P. Cohen, P.A.

Property owners who have discovered construction defects should contact Miami construction defect lawyer Jonathan P. Cohen for a free consultation. The law firm of Jonathan P. Cohen, P.A. represents people in construction defect cases and has helped many to recover damages for their losses. If you need legal help for construction defects, contact our Fort Lauderdale firm today by calling us at 954.462.8850.