"Michael Anderson was an idealistic young architect-developer when he built six condominium townhomes in the late 1990s in the Leimert Park area of Los Angeles. He hoped to create an ownership option for Black households who are so often left off the real estate ladder. In the weeks leading up to completion and move-in, he checked out the buildings daily."
"Anderson had run headlong into what's known as defect liability. It's a protection for condominium homeowners in California, giving them 10 years in which they can sue their architect or builder over defects or shoddy construction. But housing advocates argue that plaintiff attorneys have been so eager to sue, and builders and designers have to pay such high insurance to protect themselves, it's created a major roadblock to production of condos."
Condominiums once provided one of the most affordable paths to homeownership in California, but they have largely disappeared from cities. Developers report aggressive pre-move-in legal solicitations and defect claims targeting new condo projects. California law grants condominium owners a ten-year window to sue architects or builders for construction defects. The combination of eager plaintiff attorneys and high insurance and legal costs for builders and designers has made condominium development financially risky. Housing advocates and a new generation of activists argue these liability and insurance pressures create a major roadblock to producing new condominiums and expanding affordable ownership.
Read at Kqed
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