Submitted by Fattom23 t3_zxepvv in philadelphia
The vacant home next to me is on the market, which is great (having new neighbors will be way better than a burnt out shell). However, there's going to be some extensive demolition/construction and I've heard horror stories about people's row houses being damaged by improper work. Does anyone have advice/horror stories/steps to take to try and protect from anything going wrong in the demolition?
The legislation which outlines exactly what's required of the people doing the renovation, specifically to protect you, goes into effect on New Years Day:
Make sure whoever is doing it is properly licensed/insured and that there's someone on the hook if something goes wrong and the demolition/construction damages your property.
I was forced out of one of my apartments due to work next door - there was a foundation being dug and they didn't properly reinforce the sidewall to my building and it cracked. All the hallways and door frames in my building were super angled, it felt like I was walking through fun house. The real estate company doing the construction paid for my accommodations and expenses for a while until I found a new place which was nice, but still the situation sucked badly.
In spite of the new legislation, it's always wise to keep an eye on the construction - take photos, including of permits, make sure it's known that you and neighbors are watching. These developers will try and get away with anything they can. If you see anything problematic, you're better off calling OSHA than L&I, which is basically in bed with the developers.
They have to show permits upon request, right? I'm concerned about the permits not being loaded into Eclipse right away, so I won't see them.
Doesn’t the contractor have to post the permits at the work site, too?
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Permits need to be displayed on site. Not just on request. They're typically taped up to the front windows.
I just went through this. I contacted a lawyer who told me to get my house professionally inspected. You can’t mention that the inspection is in case of litigation. No one wants to get involved in that and they won’t return your call or show up. Document everything, the roof, walls, etc in that inspection.
I've had an inspection within the last year; I wonder if that's sufficient to document the state of the house if anything should go wrong?
I'm expecting the house will be totally demolished (it's really far gone). Are they still displayed before there are even windows?
if the house is demolished, permits are generally placed onto any fencing in the area that is protecting the lot
that's a question for your lawyer.
I don't have a lawyer; there hasn't even been damage to the house. I'm just trying to do the stuff people say "I wish I'd done" before any construction starts.
If you get a chance to shake hands with the new owner(s), take it. Better to meet now than in a courtroom.
The new law is interesting but only useful if enforced. To help protect your investment here's an FAQ from L+I - Construction activity has started next door. What do I need to know?
Basically: Try to address things directly with the subcontractors on site if possible, "hey foreman, i see that boom lift you're moving around is close to my retaining wall - keep an eye on that, will ya?" Regardless of their response, the message they will get is that you're monitoring the site. Otherwise, it's as others said - document, document, document in case things go south.
If you have the address you can also look up the permits on Atlas
That link is super helpful. Thanks a bunch!
Ok I get that….
I guess if it were me, I think it’s worth that hassle and those costs because this is my biggest investment, and would help me sleep at night.
Yeah, lots of construction going on of lots they cleared out and permits are always on the fence at these places.
You're welcome! Good luck.
Photograph everything. They will try to cut corners because it saves cost and boosts the profit margin on the project.
We had a hole-digging start next to our house before the new owner had even had the permits transferred to their name. I phoned up the previous owner who was shocked and surprised "They're already digging but under my company's name?", then he called someone he knew downtown and about 20 minutes later a Tony Soprano figure showed up to shut it down and post stop work orders. Despite this, 2 days later I videoed them taking the signs down and trying to recommence work claiming that they'd already paid for the permits last week - "yeah, but you don't have them yet" (at which point you can call the police)
Good advice. I hate the part at the end where I rely on Philly PD to do anything, though.
This is mostly correct, but OSHA ain't doing shit for a single home construction. There are not even close to enough OSHA inspectors to inspect all of the workplaces. If you're concerned you should still call L&I with specific safety concerns.
In my experience the 311 app is quick to respond to construction complaints
Good to know. I hope I don't have complaints, but it's good to be prepared.
I think this is a suggestion to find a lawyer- Community Legal might be able to give you an actual answer!
It's pretty low effort for them to send a car over to tell several people to fuck off of a site, they might actually do it.
Document everything with photographs, monitor your foundation and look for new cracks appearing.
If you can, get an inspection done again and don't hesitate to report the site via 311 and L&I for failure to display permits or otherwise fucking up.
It’s not. You need one just before they start or have started construction.
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There's a Facebook group, Riverwards L+I Coalition, where all your questions have already been answered.
The big ones for me: Make sure their insurance includes insuring your building. Text or email making it known that they need permission before walking on your roof. Get a Nest camera and spend the $12/mo for 60 days of footage access. Don't be afraid to talk to the developers and the construction team - talk about how you want to make sure both parties are protected, and make it clear that you're available to talk to if they need anything. Point the camera out and tell them it's there for the protection of the neighborhood - they'll appreciate it because without fail, someone's going to try to break in and steal their tools one night. You can keep track of permits on https://atlas.phila.gov/
And like everyone said - photographs! Take photos of where your walls meet your ceilings, of the new construction as it goes up, especially where it connects with your house.
Good luck! Hopefully they don't have to do any underpinning!
A home nearby recently got demolished, I was surprised at how lengthy the process has took. I believe they’ve been going at it since September. I guess different types of demolitions exist, in my mind I was expecting the building to collapse suddenly!
Them: "let's start digging a huge hole in the ground next to someone's house"
L&I: "You don't have permits or a license to do that. Stop it."
Them: "Nah, let's just do it anyway, screw the building code"
Police: "Get permits, or down tools, or we'll be forced to arrest you"
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