WATCH: Rep. Ackert Praises the Passage of Crumbling Foundation Bill

Rep. Ackert Praises the Passage of Crumbling Foundation Bill

HARTFORD– State Representative Tim Ackert (R-8) praised the passage of legislation yesterday aimed at addressing the crumbling foundation issue impacting hundreds of homeowners in Eastern Connecticut.

In the past year, hundreds of residents living within a thirty-mile radius of Stafford Springs, Connecticut, came forth with a major issue: their basement foundations were crumbling beneath them. The likely cause of the destruction was faulty concrete that was supplied in the early 1980’s through the late 1990’s and possibly into the 2000’s.

The bill, House Bill 5180, An Act Concerning Concrete Foundations and Septic Tanks, confronts the crumbling foundation issue head-on by including three important measures:

Click on the Image to Watch Rep. Ackert Discuss H.B. 5180

• Requires documentation when a concrete foundation is installed on or after October 1, 2016. The applicant for a certificate of occupancy must provide the name of the individual or company that supplied the concrete, and the name of the individual or company that installed it. Copies of this documentation must be held by the building official in town for at least 50 years.

• Allows owners of buildings affected by a crumbling foundation to request a reassessment of their property upon obtaining a written evaluation from a professional and licensed engineer stating that the foundation of the building was made with defective concrete. The assessor must then inspect the property and adjust the assessment to reflect the current value.

• Requires the Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Protection to submit a report to the General Assembly on the possible cause or causes of failing concrete foundations by January 1^st, 2017.     The governor’s response to the letter urged homeowners living with a crumbling foundation to report their problem to DCP. Approximately 582 homeowners need to come forward with this problem to be considered for a disaster grant from FEME. Unfortunately at this time it appears that no federal or state funding is available for homeowners. H.B. 5180 now heads to the State Senate for action there. The legislative session adjourns at midnight on May 4th.

“Today’s bill equips future homeowners with the necessary documentation to protect themselves from not being able to find a solution for a faulty concrete mix,” said Rep. Ackert. “We are just beginning the process of resolving this situation, and I will make sure that homeowners going through this difficult situation have their voices heard.” 

The Department of Consumer Protection, working in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office, launched an investigation into the matter. The goal of the investigation is to determine if grounds exist to initiate legal action under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. The state has hired a civil engineer to test core samples of concrete from crumbling foundations. DCP expects to share the preliminary results from the testing by the end of spring 2016.

In March, leaders of the of the Planning and Development Committee wrote to Governor Malloy urging him to make a request to President Barack Obama to declare this situation a major disaster under the Stafford Act.  By receiving a major disaster declaration, Connecticut would be eligible for Individual Assistance based on the number of homes affected and the severity of the damage.  They also wrote to Senators Richard Blumenthal & Christopher Murphy and Congressman Joseph Courtney (CT-2) requesting  their assistance in identifying any federal programs that may be available for the State of Connecticut or homeowners to assist them in recovering from these crumbling foundations.

The governor’s response to the letter urged homeowners living with a crumbling foundation to report their problem to DCP. Approximately 582 homeowners need to come forward with this problem to be considered for a disaster grant from FEMA. Unfortunately at this time it appears that no federal or state funding is available for homeowners.

H.B. 5180 now heads to the State Senate for action there. The legislative session adjourns at midnight on May 4th.

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