It’s all about the neighborhood
Once upon a time, "pop-up" was the phrase that elicited frustration and protests from residents. Now it's "pop-backs" and the rapid redevelopment of single-family rowhouses into multi-unit condos. Backyards won't look the same.
Read MoreOK, Petworth News readers, this one is for you. What advice do you have to share on owning a bad flip?
I got an email from a reader who lives in Petworth. About a year ago, she and her husband bought a newly flipped / renovated house and now... problems, lots and lots of problems. Unfortunately, this isn't a unique story, but maybe one of you smart peeps have good advice (and the name of an attorney) that you can share to help this couple find a way to resolve the issues.
The reader's email:
Thank you for all your Petworth news - my husband and I follow your news religiously! I have a question, we are new to Petworth, one year, and think we may have been scammed.
We feel like schmucks and bought a flipped house and we are having many many problems with our home. We still have holes in our ceiling, the skylights and basement leak, there has been water leaking into our electrical panel and the sub-flooring in our kitchen is unfinished...anyways, we are looking for some recourse against the seller.
Do you know any real estate attorneys that have been a part of litigation against these LLCs that flip houses? We are desperate for consult and help.
Please comment below or send me an email and I'll pass along your response to the reader. You can also comment on Facebook.
Ward 4 resident and WAMU reporter Martin Austermuhle has started publishing his three-part series on problems with flipped / renovated homes in the area. (He went on a neighborhood walkthrough with CM Vincent Orange the other week.)
It's a good read and focuses on a young couple, Stuart Crampton and his wife Violeta Roman, who purchased a flipped house on Perry St NW.
Read MoreCouncilmember Vincent Orange is working to prohibit pop-up conversions in R-4 zoned areas around the city (with his proposed Prohibition on Single Family Dwelling Conversions Emergency Amendment Act).
CM Orange went on a neighborhood walk-through with several residents and ANC 4C Commissioners Joe Martin (SMD 4C09) and Kathleen Crowley (SMD 4C10) to look at alleged permit violations at recent or ongoing construction of conversions, pop-up and complete redevelopments of existing properties.
“Councilmember Vincent Orange, chair of the Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, walked with me and Kathleen for about 90 minutes in our SMDs,” said Commissioner Martin.
Read MorePetworth News, a neighborhood blog on local news, information & events about the Petworth area in Washington DC.
Petworth News is a news site about Petworth area neighborhoods in Washington DC, written by Drew Schneider and other amazing contributing writers. It features facts and objective reporting, as well as an occasional subjective point of view and opinion.
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