Crumbling Foundations is an issue that many people are facing in Eastern Connecticut. Municipalities looking at this for the first time have resources and options available.
11/28/17 News Release:
Gov Malloy Announces State Begins Providing Reimbursements to Homeowners for Crumbling Foundations
What is it?
Crumbling Foundations is caused by a mineral called pyrrhotite that is found in a quarry in Willington, CT (temporarily shut down for residential use as of May 2016).
What is Required?
As of October 1, 2016
- The building official must collect the name of the concrete provider;
- Allow residential buildings to be re-assessed based on structural engineering reports with the reassessment to take place 90 days from the receipt of the report or the following assessment year. This reassessment is valid for 5 years. The homeowner must notify the municipality within 30 days of any repair or replacement.
Where can a town find help?
CRCOG’s Ad-Hoc Working Group on Crumbling Foundations has developed a number of resources for towns. There are guidelines on how to do the tax reassessments as well as building fee waivers. They can be found at: http://crcog.org/crumbling-foundations/
What Else? Citizens are encouraged to register with the Department of Consumer Protection. The more who register, the more the scope of the problem is understood. Complaint forms as well as other resources and information can be found at: http://www.ct.gov/dcp/cwp/view.asp?a=1625&Q=569328
Citizens are also encouraged to support NECCOG’s legislative agenda regarding Crumbling Foundations. NECCOG’s Legislative Agenda on Crumbling Foundations includes waiver of state building fees, potential sources for relief, and support for disclosures among many others.
A total of 37 towns have been impacted by crumbling concrete foundations. This is a significant and growing issue for home owners and towns. 13 of the 16 NECCOG towns have been affected.