Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
TESTIMONY
Testimony by Yvonne Roman, Member of the Public on homeowner protection during adjacent construction
2:20:16
·
3 min
Homeowner Yvonne Roman shares her distressing nine-year experience dealing with property damage caused by adjacent construction, highlighting issues with developer accountability and the legal system. She urges the commission to incorporate clear, enforceable protections for homeowners into any reforms aimed at streamlining capital projects.
- Roman details extensive damage to her 100-year-old home from neighboring construction.
- She criticizes developers for failing to honor agreements and using LLCs to evade responsibility.
- She highlights the expense and ineffectiveness of the legal recourse available to homeowners.
- She calls for charter reforms to include mandatory protections and accountability for developers regarding adjacent properties.
Yvonne Roman
2:20:16
Hi.
2:20:16
My name is Yvonne Roman.
2:20:17
I'm a homeowner, and I've been in my home for over sixty years.
2:20:22
As developers excuse me while I look at my phone.
2:20:25
Okay.
2:20:25
As developers build their properties, they are required to avoid damaging neighboring buildings damaging neighboring buildings.
2:20:33
This has always been a challenge, especially in New York City where construction often causes serious harm to adjoining properties.
2:20:40
To prevent this is required that developers enter into a license agreement with neighboring property owners granting access to protect those properties.
2:20:49
Yet despite the extensive planning that goes into real estate development, this crucial step is often overlooked.
2:20:56
I did my due diligence.
2:20:58
I researched.
2:20:59
I had a neighbor agreement.
2:21:01
I notified my insurance company that construction was starting on both sides of my hundred year old home at the same time.
2:21:08
This happened in 02/2016.
2:21:11
Let that sink in.
2:21:12
Nine years.
2:21:13
For nine years, my family and I have been unable to fully enjoy our home.
2:21:21
Besides myself, my home is empty.
2:21:24
No rental income.
2:21:26
My family had to move away up to White Plains to find affordable housing.
2:21:30
Developers arrived friendly, agreeable, promising to fix any damage that projects cause.
2:21:36
But when the damage happens, suddenly accountability disappeared.
2:21:40
The 02/2024 Charter Revision Commission introduced reforms to improve the capital planning process, prioritizing capital project efficiency.
2:21:49
But as we streamline these processes, we must include clear and forcible protections for homeowners.
2:21:55
We cannot sacrifice New Yorkers' quality of life in the name of development.
2:22:00
Builders must hold accountability when they fail to honor these agreements with their neighbors.
2:22:06
It should not be as easy as just forming an LLC and then vanishing when it's time to take responsibility.
2:22:13
That's exactly what happened in my case.
2:22:15
A recent city city report stated, these reforms are essential to making New York City more resilient to extreme weather and, most importantly, to ensure the well-being of our people, quote and unquote.
2:22:30
Well, where's my resiliency?
2:22:32
The buildings went up, and while my basement continues to get flooded, creating a hazardous mold infestation.
2:22:40
This cannot continue.
2:22:41
We need real collaboration between builders and homeowners, not just empty promises.
2:22:46
I've taken my case to every politician I could find, and all I hear is call my office in the morning or worse, get a lawyer.
2:22:54
Well, I did that.
2:22:55
And guess what?
2:22:56
Lawyers are expensive.
2:22:57
And after exhausting my retirement, my $4.00 1 k is still not enough.
2:23:01
And And when I finally go to court, the judge issues adjournment after adjournment.
2:23:06
Nine years later, nothing has been done.
2:23:08
So I asked, what happened to getting stuff done?
2:23:11
I did my part.
2:23:12
Now it's time for my city that I love to do its part.