I-Beam ProjBlog

"Help! My unit is being flooded!" The Importance of Prompt Damage Restoration

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:40:00 +0000

As we've seen with the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, catastrophic disaster can strike anytime, and when we're least expecting it. For property owners and managers, disaster often strikes on a much smaller scale, but can be significantly devastating nonetheless.

I write a lot about reconstruction services for construction defects and capital repairs on this blog. But, in the event of smaller scale property disasters, prompt "restoration" must be done before a property can be put back together, and it must be done immediately. And this restoration is critical to protect the well-being of property residents, neighborhood and public health, to prevent other more serious problems from arising, and to restore and maintain property values.

Smaller-scale property disasters include damage from fire and smoke, sewage and water intrusion, mold and other environmental hazards and biohazards (such as asbestos, lead, and drug lab clean-up), and damage caused by vehicle accidents and falling trees. These sorts of disasters happen all the time: a washing machine overflow from one condo into another, a sewer backup into a common garage, asbestos discovered in the walls of an older property, a meth lab being run out of a rental apartment, a wind blown tree smashing a roof in, etc. So, maintaining a solid relationship with a quality restoration vendor or two is more than just a good thing, it's a necessity for property owners and management companies.

Below are few restoration vendors I've worked with, and which provide excellent, prompt and efficient, high quality restoration services 24/7/365, as well as a few others I haven't worked with, but which I've heard great things about...

Lyon Restoration - Owner Nick Lyon is great to work with, and his company is backed by the resources of the national chain "Service Team of Professionals" so they can offer a wide range of quality restoration services from the basics to full-scale biohazard clean-up.

HarBro - My personal experience working with Harbro was for restoration of exterior, interior, and structural damage caused by a huge tree which fell onto an HOA's common roof during a wind/rain storm. HarBro's crews were on the scene in under an hour, and had much of the damage restored in less than two weeks - despite interior damage to 4 condo units, structural damage to one unit which required the services of a structural engineer, and having to wait for approval from 5 insurance carriers before proceeding with some repairs.

Restoration Management Company - I've worked with RMC on many restoration projects, from water losses to fires with smoke damage, and frankly they are simply excellent. Bay Area supervisor Austin Thomas and his crews are awesome, prompt, professional, and highly recommended. They are a personal favorite of mine for the simple reason that - as I always say - "you are only as good as your vendors, and your vendors can make or break you." Restoration Management will make you shine to your clients and/or residents.

ServPro - ServPro is a national chain which provides all sorts of commercial and residential restoration and cleaning services. I've never worked with them but they are recommended by top Bay Area State Farm Insurance Agent Toan Tieu.

Feel free to contact me for other vendor recommendations or for help managing your Bay Area restoration and reconstruction projects. We're here to help get your property restored and back up and running quickly.

Cheers,

I-Beam Management Associates
President / Founder
allison@ibeamsf.com
1-877-I-Beam-SF
(1-877-423-2673)

Great Condo Law Resource

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:11:00 +0000

Adrian Adams of the Adams Kessler law firm produces a great condo law newsletter, the Davis-Stirling.com Newsletter. Combined with their excellent website Davis-Stirling.com, which has sections on California Civil Code, Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR), and CCRs, this newsletter is extremely topical and informative. I find the weekly subjects interesting, and the reader feedback is often helpful to illustrate how homeowners association clients may be thinking on pertinent subjects. I've often posted feedback as well, such as recently regarding street safety and installing speed bumps. That's me quoted under the feedback section as Allison C.

Cheers,

I-Beam Management Associates
President / Founder
allison@ibeamsf.com
1-877-I-Beam-SF
(1-877-423-2673)

Remodel Therapy™ - What's That?

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 05:24:00 +0000

I-Beam Management Associates' patented brand of remodel coaching – Remodel Therapy™ - is targeted to individual homeowners, couples, and families needing assistance to successfully start, complete and survive their remodeling and renovation projects. We carefully listen to and grasp your needs, desires, and outcomes. Then knowledgably guide you through the often precarious landscape of remodeling and renovating.

As your "Remodel Therapists" we become an integral part of the decision-making and selection process - from vendors to fixture to finishes - and help you develop and maintain ‘real' project budgets while alleviating much of the stress remodeling can inflict on you and your partner/spouse or entire family.

I-Beam's Remodel Therapy is a complete transformative process that makes the remodeling experience as painless as possible, reduces relationship tensions, and produces exceptional results.

Give us a call to discuss your next remodel. In a few quick "sessions" we can resolve disagreements, reduce "remodel stress," and help to get your remodel (and even your relationship) back on track. Be sure to check out our current Remodel Therapy Discount: 60% Off 1 Hour of Remodel Therapy.

Cheers,

I-Beam Management Associates
President / Founder
allison@ibeamsf.com
1-877-I-Beam-SF
(1-877-423-2673)

Pipe Isolators Reduce Vibration

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 04:24:00 +0000

Noise. It's often an ongoing complaint in community living environments. Here's a solution that was implemented to the water supply lines hanging from the slab underneath a condo in a 271-unit, urban condo complex in San Francisco. The unit owners complained of noise and vibration so noticeable and so irritating that they couldn't live in their unit. These isolating pipe hangers stopped the vibration from transferring into the slab, and thus eliminated the noise. The result: happy homeowners, happy property manager, happy HOA Board of Directors.

We aim to please,

I-Beam Management Associates
President / Founder

I-Beam Management Associates - San Francisco, CA (California) | 877-423-2673

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:06:00 +0000

I-Beam Management Associates - San Francisco, CA (California) | 877-423-2673

Vendor Recommendations

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 07:19:00 +0000

Here's a short list of new(er) vendor recommendations for your reference:

Stephen Angelo, AIA
Forensic Architecture and Construction Consulting
www.angeloaia.com

The Miller Law Firm
Construction Defect Litigation - Thomas E. Miller & Rachel M. Miller
www.constructiondefects.com

Saarman Construction
Roman Katamay, Estimator
www.saarman.com

Most Business Partnerships Fail

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:48:00 +0000

Below are 81 way to fix it (or get out). I-Beam President and Founder Allison Cease speaks from personal experience in the latest Toilet Paper Entrepreneur blog post (see post #35): http://tinyurl.com/ylfhusr

Your Construction Defect Team of Experts: Part 2

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:08:00 +0000

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After my last post, many people approached me for referrals to defect attorneys, forensic architects, and contractors that I've worked with and whom I could recommend (as well as names of several competitive project management firms). As I always say, "you're only as good as your vendors," and I rarely give bad vendors a second chance, so this list is short. But hopefully, it will prove helpful to those of you facing construction defect suits and looming defect reconstruction projects.

If, after reading this you have further questions or need assistance selecting vendors for an upcoming defect suit or reconstruction project, please feel free to contact me. I am always happy to provide guidance and assist clients with vendor selection, and I welcome your questions, defect-related and otherwise. I can be reached toll free at 1-877-I-BEAM-SF (1-877-423-2673) or via email at allison@ibeamsf.com.

Cheers,

ATTORNEY / LAW FIRMS:

Berding & Weil - The firm specializes in construction defect litigation, condo law, and commercial real estate and business law. Tyler Berding writes passionately about the issues affecting community associations and the industry - check out his blog: Condo Issues

Bickel & Associates - Brandon Bickel is the de facto condo law expert in California. He writes The Condominium Bluebook for California (2009 Edition) with Andy Sirkin, THE Tenants in Common (TIC) expert.

Chapman & Intrieri - I've worked with John Chapman significantly. He knows his stuff and is an excellent construction defect litigator and condo law expert. He and his team have successful settled every case I've worked on with him - both as a community association property manager, and defect reconstruction project manager.

FORENSIC ARCHITECTS:

CERA Architecture Group - Principal Jim Moore is my go-to forensic architect. I have worked with Jim on numerous construction defect cases, from initial defect investigations with him as the forensic expert, to reconstructions where he was the project architect. I find Jim extremely easy to work with, he knows his stuff, and he specializes in developing cost-effective repair protocols - which is a GREAT asset for smaller community associations. Pleasant Hill, CA Office: (925) 933-7960

CMA Consulting - "Omar Hindiyeh is regarded as one of the leading consultants in construction defect litigation representing common interest developments. He is a seasoned forensic construction expert, has experience on over 200 investigation projects, and has been declared expert witness on over 200 construction defect litigation cases with over 350 days of testimony." I worked with Omar briefly on a small construction defect case for a 10 unit HOA in San Francisco, but in that short time I found him to be professional, easy going, and very easy to work with. I am happy to refer him to clients. Livermore, CA Office: 925-456-8000

Ferrari Moe - "Nadia Anis has many years of experience in architectural diagnostics with an emphasis on sealants and coatings. Nadia has worked in the construction industry as an estimator and project manager. She also has a background in rehabilitation of historic building facades. Nadia is a licensed architect in California." I have worked with Nadia on several construction defect cases in San Francisco, one for a 27 unit HOA and another for a 33 unit HOA. Nadia is extremely professional and competent. She doesn't sugar coat anything which makes her an excellent expert for defect inspections. San Rafael, CA Office: 415-458-3511

REPAIR / RECONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS:

Dan Daly Construction - Dan Daly is a salty, old school Irish contractor. You can't help but like him and his shoot from the hip commentaries. But like him or not, his crews are professional and his work excellent and cost-conscious. Dan has always been one of my preferred vendors, but he's currently my all-time favorite. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. San Francisco Office: (415) 760-8592. DalyContractor@yahoo.com

Draeger Construction - I love working with Draeger's San Francisco and East Bay teams. Senior Site Supervisor Todd Schulze (now working out of Marin) is always a real joy to work with; as well as painting division superintendent Martin Sepulveda and superintendent Victor Ininguez; estimators Henry Baca and Carlo Baldachinno; Vice President Bill Mann; and owner Jeff Draeger. I've worked with them on numerous small projects under $15K and also ib $100K+ plus projects. They are always professional and do great work. San Francisco Office: (415) 292-9992

Saarman Construction - Saarman has a fantastic team of dedicated professionals, from estimator Justo Tapia, site superintendant John Decuyper and senior site superintendant Ray Serena, to Vice Presidents Mike Lunny and Anthony Mills. Nice guys all, and they are excellent at what they do. I had a great experience working with them on a $3.5MM defect reconstruction (siding and concrete waterproofing). San Francisco Office: (415) 749-2700

HOMEOWNERS REPRESENTATIVE / ADVOCATE
or PROJECT MANAGER

I-Beam Management Associates - Specializing in Reconstruction Management, Project Management of capital repairs and improvements, Owners Advocacy, Special Assessments, Budgets, Project Scheduling, and Board and Membership meetings for the community association industry, etc. - from condo management companies and Homeowners Association Boards, to the AEC Industry professionals which serve them. San Francisco Office/Toll Free: 1-877-I-BEAM-SF (1-877-423-2673)

I.W. Bison - Reconstruction Management, Owners Advocate, Special Assessments, Budgets, Project Scheduling. Livermore, CA Office: 925-456-3600

F.L. Arms & Associates - Construction Management Specialists. Oakland, CA Office (toll free): 888-598-8383

Your Construction Defect Team of Experts

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:22:00 +0000

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The potential to face construction defects or potential defects at yours or your client's community associations, is no longer an "if" but a "when" - so putting together the right team of experts may be the most critical decision you and/or your clients will make. Below are some tips to follow when putting together your Construction Defects Team.

If you have any questions about this post, or for additional information, I can be reached toll free at 1-877-I-BEAM-SF (1-877-423-2673) or via email at allison@ibeamsf.com.

Cheers,

ATTORNEY/LAW FIRM - The most critical professional you will need to get on your team is a good - no, a great - condo law attorney, preferably a successful settlement negotiator and litigator. You definitely don't want to hire someone inexperienced in these areas, or someone who comes cheap. Good condo law attorneys and law firms can offer billing at an hourly rate, on a contingency basis (you pay a percentage of the settlement IF they win your case), or some form of blended rate, which is a combination of hourly and contingency. Every client and HOA is different so don't feel forced to choose one rate structure over another if it doesn't work for your situation. Ask LOTS of questions, find out about success rates for settlements (you don't want to go to trial if you absolutely have to), ask to speak to former and current clients (some will be willing to tell you about their experiences), and make sure you feel comfortable before you hire anyone.

FORENSIC ARCHITECT - A forensic architect is the next critical expert to add to your team. They lead the inspections and destructive testing of defects and damages, recommend temporary and permanent repair, guide repairs, observe and extrapolate causes and provide their professional opinions to form your legal case against your developer. Your attorney may want to bring in their preferred forensic architect or forensic team, but before you make any decisions on this ask your attorney for a list of architects and get (and call!) references first. The architect selected will be contracted by the client (you or your HOA), so you need to have confidence in their abilities, availability, costs, results, etc.

Once you settle or win your case, you may need to hire an architect to prepare scope documents, or a project manual and drawings, and to provide contract administration and/or project management. There may be a value-add or economies-of-scale when hiring the same architect who handled your forensics, but I caution you - from experience - to evaluate whether this expert is so tied to the defect case that they don't have the ability to start fresh on the reconstruction (and especially if the settlement wasn't low or owners are faced with a special assessment for repairs).

RECONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR - Next, you will need to source a qualified contractor who has experience in destructive testing and reconstruction of construction defects. As with the architect, your attorney may wish to bring in a reconstruction company or a forensics/reconstruction team that they've had success with. Make sure you ask questions, and get and call references so you have confidence in their recommendations. Since your attorney is best able to guide you here, I do NOT recommend you try to bring in your own experts (your cousin or neighbor's construction firm, etc.), as this may tend to undermine your case. You definitely need to source a contractor that has significant experience handling destructive testing and defect repairs and reconstructions.

HOMEOWNERS REPRESENTATIVE/ADVOCATE or PROJECT MANAGER - Lastly, you will want to seriously evaluate the benefit of hiring a solid homeowners representative or advocate to coordinate and oversee inspections, protect the interests of the Association and its members, and work closely with the property manager or management firm, defect attorney, and forensic team to prevent unnecessary delays and ensure your case is successful. A good representative/advocate should also be able to assist in developing realistic project repair budgets (as opposed to a list of damages developed by the architect for the defect case), help develop and manage Special Assessments, provide assistance to the property manager (most of whom are overloaded and under supported to begin with).

Once the defect case is settled or won, the project manager can assist in sourcing an architect, contractors, guide the HOA board of directors, manage and oversee vendors, schedule assess and deal with homeowners, and generally oversee the entire project - usually at a much lower hourly rate than the architect, and definitely with more expertise in working with Association managers, boards, and members.

Can the Community Association Industry Go Green?

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:03:00 +0000

Deferred Maintenance = Increased Risk

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:05:00 +0000

We’ve never understood the trend in deferred maintenance that appears so popular with some Homeowner Associations, their boards, and even their management companies (shame!). Property Managers certified by the California Association of Community Managers must agree by their code of ethics to recommend, as part of their due professional care, that their clients “establish and implement a preventive maintenance program.” And even the most inexperienced managers and board members should know that maintaining property values is paramount, and the only way to do this is by protecting – i.e.: maintaining – the client’s investment: the property and its buildings and grounds. So despite this knowledge and probable clear direction from their property manager’s, why do so many HOA boards defer critical maintenance of their properties?

The answer is money, and the lack of a true understanding of a board’s fiduciary responsibility to its community (possibly due to ignorance, but often due to indifference). But it may also stem from a mistrust of the professionals hired to manage and maintain the HOA. And a tendency to dumb down, or worse, to cheapen the quality of the services needed to maintain the property. Penny wise and (surely) pound foolish as the cost of repairs increases exponentially (along with increased damages) for every year that repairs are deferred.

As we have recently seen with Katrina and other natural disasters, unmaintained properties fair worse than maintained ones. And who would like to have been on the board of that HOA in SF where years ago party revelers fell to their death due to an unmaintained deck riddled with dry rot? Human fatalities aside (heaven forbid!), the years of legal wrangling (and years of legal expenses) alone should be a huge deterrent to deferred maintenance. And as many board members may not be aware (and which any good condo insurance specialist will attest), a Directors and Officers policy may not cover board members if their decision not to repair those rotting cantilevered decks (or leaking roof, failing foundation, molding siding, etc.) was made in bad faith. And God protect them if it doesn’t because they can be sued personally – even if they’ve sold their units and moved far, far away).

If an HOA board can get past the money issue by more fully appreciating the value of spending it to maintain their property (thus maintaining – or even increasing – property values, which can in turn put more money into everyone’s pockets by increasing unit values), and if they can then quickly grasp the importance of their fiduciary role in limiting risk - both for the HOA and themselves personally – by ensuring the property is well maintained, then it’s an easy next step to understand the critical importance of sourcing and hiring qualified (experienced, licensed, bonded, insured) professionals to direct, design, oversee, and conduct top notch repairs. Until this happens, boards will continue straddling the razor’s edge between deferred maintenance and increased risk...and end up spending more in money, time, and lost equity than need be.

TRENDS IN REPAIR PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS (HOAs)

allison@ibeamsf.com (Allison Cease, I-Beam | Reconstruction Managementt) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 04:06:00 +0000

Until recently, organized project management has been a little known function on the Property Management side of the Community Association Industry. Homeowners Association (HOA) Property Managers have managed their client’s mid-to-large scale repair projects as part of the standard management contract – typically without additional compensation, and often without the appropriate insurance coverage. For small-scale repair projects, such as latch repairs, touch-up painting, or anything that doesn’t require a background in the trades, this has tended to work reasonably well. However, for larger projects that require dedicated time and/or construction-specific technical expertise, management has often been a frustrating time sink for the individual property manager or management company, a costly experience for the novice and experienced HOA Board alike, and has posed a significant risk to both parties in terms of liability.

Even when property managers understand the value of dedicated project management, they typically find the project management function of traditional construction companies, architectural firms, and construction project management agencies ill-equiped to handle the special needs of Community Associations. From dealing with complex board dynamics, meeting the individual needs of 10 to 100's of homeowners, dealing with quorum requirements for even basic board decisions, and needing more than a basic understanding of the complex legal requirements posed by local and state governing bodies, most traditional construction project managers just won't cut it. To add to this, the property manager needs a complementary repair partner that will make his/her job easier and limit risk to the management company, not another vendor to manage; and the HOA client needs an important repair project completed properly to limit risk to the HOA and its members, not just another vendor to pay.

I-Beam Management Associates is filling this industry/functional void by providing repair and re/construction project management services specifically targeted to the Community Association industry and Homeowners Association clients. I-Beam's project managers work closely with the HOA Client Board, their vendors, and their members to faciliate a variety of mid-to-large-sized re/construction and repair projects. From extensive siding and building envelop reconstructions, to re-roofing and interior/exterior painting projects, and everything in-between, I-Beam interfaces with the HOA Board, its members, and the designated repair team of contractors, architects, and engineers, to ensure the project is effectively and properly completed with the client's best interests in mind.