The repair costs will be enormous for the 162 co-owners. An analysis by architect André Flora-Velhinho shows that the restoration will cost $2.9 million per building. Twenty-seven buildings are affected to varying degrees by the same deficiencies because they were built by the same contractor whose plans were drawn up and approved by the same architectural and engineering firms. So there are 54 million to be invested by the 162 co-owners, a sum that exceeds the real value of their property.
Édouard Safi and his family are struggling to move as their apartment is uninhabitable.
Photo: Radio Canada
At the end of the meeting, several expressed their frustration, including Édouard Safi. His condo was also partially demolished to allow experts to see the extent of the damage. We’re all in the same boat. But we’re drowning. Me, my wife and my daughter, we’re already drowning.
Édouard Safi’s family had to leave their condominium after water damage. During the corrective work, the experts found that the problem was even greater. Édouard Safi has been wandering from apartment to apartment for a year. In addition, like all other co-owners, he still has to pay his mortgage and a special contribution of $400 a month. He feels taken by the throat. Financially, I don’t wish that on anyone, neither mentally nor physically in the situation I’m in.
Two consortia of co-owners involved
These condominiums are grouped into two co-ownership communities in Boisbriand, namely Pimbina and Pimbina-Loggia. They are part of a larger residential complex built on the site of the former GM factory.
The two unions have filed a lawsuit, currently for $33 million, but the amounts sought could increase. The defendants are the promoter and contractor, Construction Nomade, and the architects and engineers who signed and approved the plans. As we are at the beginning of the proceedings, no one has filed a defense in court, but the defendants have announced that they will contest the lawsuit. The allegations still have to be proven.
Recurrent flooding caused irreversible damage.
Photo: Photo: Co-ownership Faubourg Boisbriand
Water, source of the problem
All buildings were inspected by the architect André Flora-Velhinho. Built on the same model, they are all affected to varying degrees by the decay of the wooden structure. According to the commissioned expert, and as can be read in the lawsuit, the infiltration of water behind the brick facades is due to the failure to take measures to compensate for the shrinkage of the wooden frame, a natural and predictable phenomenon. This shrinkage is caused by the gradual drying out of the water trapped in the wood.
“Wood contains a certain percentage of water. It’s usually around 19%. As it ages, it loses some of that water. When it dries, the wood loses some of its dimensions, so it shrinks, it decreases in volume. »
— A quote from André Flora-Velhinho, architect
Architect André Flora-Velhinho found more damage than initially thought.
Photo: Radio Canada
The experienced architect points out that there are ways in the construction industry that allow this shrinkage to be accommodated without affecting the other components. We have to prepare the building, the assembly, the shell and design it in such a way that we counteract this natural phenomenon.
And according to André Flora-Velhinho, this approach was not carried out. There were no measures on either a design or a structural level. These measures have not been applied.
The health of the co-owners is at risk
All surface samples contain fungus, we can read in the air quality analysis report written by Bâtisso company. According to the results of this analysis, the mold spores were found on the 18 facades [analysées] represent a problematic fungal flora. The analysis of the air quality of a condominium revealed such a load that the co-owner had to leave his apartment.
Marie-Josée Leclerc, manager of the Faubourg Boisbriand co-ownership association.
Photo: Radio Canada
Repair or demolish?
Two scenarios were presented to the owners during the meeting with the experts, but neither of them will allow them to avoid losing their property unless they invest huge sums of money. At nearly $3 million per building, the remodeling cost is approximately $500,000 per co-owner. The manager of the Faubourg Boisbriand consortium excludes this scenario unless the state provides financial support. We agree that it is impossible, says Marie-Josée Leclerc. People can’t afford that. You won’t be able to pay for that unless we have outside help, of course.
Steps have already been taken with her deputy, Treasury Secretary Eric Girard. For condominium lawyer Yves Joli-Coeur, who laments the lack of a law to monitor construction sites, the state must intervene financially. You have to ask yourself: Why? [cette] situation arises? The first reason, of course, is that we build badly in Quebec. [Il faut] that the government accepts its moral responsibility for a legislative deficit that we have known in Quebec for decades.
The other scenario involves the dissolution of the two syndicates, a procedure that allows a trustee to organize the liquidation of the assets, ie the sale of the land on which the buildings were constructed. This requires the consent of 90% of the co-owners. But that’s not all, says Yves Joli-Coeur. It is also required that all mortgageees agree to the liquidation process. Is this legally possible? Maybe, but in practice the answer is no.
The co-owners of Faubourg Boisbriand attend an extraordinary meeting on the state of their real estate complex.
Photo: Radio Canada
In any case, it does not relieve the co-owners of their debts to their mortgage creditors, the managing director reminded. We are talking about people who have recently left their parental home, about retirees, about people who have their pension fund. So these people will ultimately lose everything. Some plan to hand over the keys to the bank, like Ionescu Laurentiu, who bought his condo in June 2021 and has a $320,000 mortgage to pay off. What can I do? do i get sick The only option I have is bankruptcy.
There is no favorable result for the general director. Unfortunately, it offers very few things. We are at a dead end. The situation is serious. We are very concerned. We are talking about a great human drama.