This 3 family home was converted to condos last year and I bought the Garden and Parlor level unit (two 1 bedroom units on the 2nd and 3rd floor respectively) with the intention to renovate it from day 1. Well a year later, I secured my architect's blueprints, contractor and city building bermits. The existing layout had the Master BR/BA, Kitchen, and W/D/Utility room in the garden level and the Parlor Level had a 2nd BR, a closet with a window, a small bathroom, a 17x17 parlour room and the center room was useless with the entrance door and spiral staircase centered in the room (down to the kitchen which killed any possiblity for creating an eating area. Well by combining the bathroom and closet into one comfortable sized bath, the adding of a stairwell to the basement instead of spirals, I was able to convert the upstairs middle room into an open kitchen. Downstairs, the bathroom was reconfigured into a nice size and allowed me to add much needed closet space. As an afterthought, I am also adding HVAC.

The demolition started 10 days ago only to find that I needed to add additional electricity from the street to the building, a termite infested interior wall seperating the former kitchen from the common hallway (originally not a support wall but over the years it became load baring), Bricks used to insulate the exterrior walls, and the building was built directly on dirt. In one place, a rock was wedged under the joist for support. Since these problems all relate to the Condo Associations responsibility, my project has come to a complete halt. We hired a structural engineer and the architect came up with the following solution. Add a frost wedge in front and back of the building (where concrete slabs with drainage currently exist) where the foundation walls are less than 3' underground, Add 6 lolly columns where the termite infested wall previously stood and build walls around them, poor 4" slab over gravel with rebars with gap for drainage around perimeter into the excavated foundation to match current floor height, add insulation to all exterior walls. The common area included 3 closets and a stairwell to the common hallway. The contractors quote, in addition to the demolition, excavation, concrete pour, reframing, insulating, rebuilding and adding a custom staircase where the common stairwell currently stands, reinstall front and back slabs with drainage and installation of metal columns. Their quote is just under $24K. (does not include plumbing changes

The dilemna is that I can't afford it nor can the other two owners. My contribution is 46% and the other owners pay 27% each. The benefit in resale to them is nil. Each of our inspecdtions excluded termite inspections and other building inspections because it is a condo and the Association is responsible for the structure. The inspector did tell me verbally that my garden level was build right onto slab. Any suggestions on what I should do or any recourse that I shoujld pursue would be appreciated. In the meantime, I am homeless and time is of the essence.