What Leaks?

My husband's letter to the inspector:

19 July 2010

Dear Mr. __:

We have just now received a copy of your report for __ Housing Cooperative Inc regarding the the foundation of Unit __. Given that you apparently did not have benefit of all the facts, we ask you consider the following.

We note that your report does not mention the evidence of water intrusion through the unpainted concrete basement floor slab as evidenced by the photographs emailed to you by [my wife] on 21 June 2010. Other photographs included in that email show that the floor was painted some time after the first photos were taken & efflorescence is clearly visible under the paint. You stated in your report that the floor paint was bubbling and peeling revealing the efflorescence underneath. Of course the paint will peel where the cracks are. The floor was painted over wet cracks. When we store our belongings in the basement, the continued moisture problems will create mold. And it will just get worse.

Note also, that Unit __ has been unoccupied since mid 2009. The previous occupants lived there for about 18 months, not the 6 years as stated in the report. Note, also, that the previous members apparently did not experience any problems with water intrusion or a wet floor. Given the evidence of a wet floor obvious in the photos sent to you & to CMHC by [my wife], the question then arises of when it first appeared & why?

The Coop incurred a vacancy loss of some $5000- while Unit __ remained unoccupied for some 6 months prior to being offered to us. Had the Coop acted on our explicit concerns about the basement when we first mentioned them - Dec 2009 / Jan 2010 - it would not have incurred an additional $6000- vacancy loss. Even modestly competent property management would have had the unit rented out as soon as possible after it was last occupied. The question remains - why was the unit left unoccupied for so long, at such a cost? The answer is obvious: The co-op knew all along that the basement had active water intrusion and were waiting for it to dry out. When was this particular sump pump installed in the unit?

The report does not mention the evidence that was provided to you, the Coop & CMHC, ie photos of wet patches, cracks & efflorescence on an unpainted basement concrete floor. The report reflects only incorrect & incomplete evidence provided by the Coop. Additionally, your report does not reflect any of the evidence & warnings about such problems as it appears on CMHCs own web site, in addition to any number of similar sites on foundation problems.

In conclusion, the report does not satisfy our concerns with respect to the health, safety & property damage hazards presented by the wet floor we viewed & photographed in the basement of __. We are writing to our insurers to ask their opinion with regard to this matter.

Thank you for you consideration of the above. We request & look forward to receiving your reply.

*****

Office Co-ordinator's email to us:

Hi __ and __:

I just accessed your e-mail to the Engineer retained at your request. I would like to respond to a couple of your points given your pointed remarks about the "property manager". I will do so on my return from much needed holidays.

However, I would like to suggest that this Board has taken all steps to ensure that ALL of your concerns have been addressed, at Co-op time and expense. Personally, the Co-ordinator has spent countless hours dealing with Engineers, maintenance staff, CERA, your lawyer(s), and other government agencies enlisted to act on your behalf. An entire Board meeting was devoted to your unit. I can only re-iterate that you were quite abusive to our VOLUNTEER Board members at that meeting. I can only suggest that the Co-op has done everything to address your concerns regarding this move, and can only come to the conclusion that you simply do not want to move.

I cannot speak for the Board of __, but I am at a loss to see what else can be done to satisfy your demands.

Thank you,