Project Type
Single Family Home
A free standing residential building that may be part of a homeowners association. Common construction defect problems include water intrusion through roofs and windows, stucco cracking, inadequate or improper drainage around the home, interior drywall cracking, slab movement and cracking and movement of backyard improvements. Typically, the construction defects arise from improper design and construction of the single family home, as well as improper construction of slopes immediately adjacent to the homes causing soil movement.
Custom Homes
The Law Offices of Michael A. Hearn has represented dozens of custom home owners. These homes have been located in very expensive gated communities, where the cost of construction and expectation of quality are high. However, even after spending extremely high costs for the construction of these beautiful homes, certain types of issues often arise. Typical issues include such things as improper flashing around wood windows, poor flashing around exterior balcony decks, improper installation of tile roofs, and improper installation of windows. Due to the high end nature of the finishes, the cost of repairs to custom homes is typically exorbitant.
Multi family projects
These projects include condominiums, townhomes, PUD’s and apartments. This construction type results in damages including water intrusion from roofs and windows, stucco cracks, deterioration or failure of second floor balconies, and interior damage. These projects generally are repaired, maintained and controlled by a homeowners association which brings claims on behalf of the unit owners.
High Rise
Most residential high rises are considered condominium projects. However, the firm considers them a specialized product type given their unique construction elements. Proper high rise building construction takes highly skilled design professionals and contractors. Difficulties arise from the load placed on the building due to the structure's height, as well as the load's impact on the windows, sliding glass doors, balconies and other building elements. High rises also have unique challenges with mechanical and plumbing systems.
The firm has represented numerous homeowners associations overseeing the repair and maintenance of high rises in Denver, Colorado, and throughout Southern California. Typically, these claims are extremely complicated requiring expert legal attention to every detail.
Commercial Buildings
There was an explosion of commercial building construction in California and Colorado from 2003 to 2008. While many attorneys only consider construction defects in residential units, the Law Offices of Michael A. Hearn also specialize in representing commercial property owners.
Damage to commercial buildings usually result from inadequate and improper design and construction and are dealt with similarly to residential construction defect claims.
Construction defects typically include cracking of stucco, water intrusion through the roofs and windows, front doors that don’t properly open and close, slabs moving, concrete sidewalks heaving and settling, and failing asphalt parking areas.
Commercial buildings include the following:
- Office Buildings
- Industrial/Warehouse Property
- Medical Centers
- Hotels
- Retail Malls
- Retail Stores
Apartments
The Law Offices of Michael A. Hearn has successfully represented apartment owners in construction defect cases since the early 1980’s. The firm has also represented cases where the owner of the apartment complex was the original developer in claims against the various subcontractors for inferior and negligible work. Consultants and experts have generally found construction of apartment projects to be inferior to other multi-family type construction, such as condominiums or townhomes. Common areas with defects include roofs, balconies, and exterior stairs, as well as drainage issues.
