Building Project FAQ

Harbor Towers Building Envelope Project

Questions & Answers Regarding the Project

Q:  If I have a problem with the online voting, can I vote by paper ballot?

A:  YES.  Either go by the Harbor Towers office or call and they will arrange for you to vote via paper ballot.

Q:  I am having problems with the online voting system, where can I get help?

A:  Contact Annie in the office and she will walk you through the process. The office phone number is 941-349-7600.

Q:  What is the deadline to vote for the Building Envelope Project?

A:  The deadline for voting is March 28, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.

Q:  I don’t understand the Amendment questions on the ballot.  Am I being asked to relinquish control of my condo?

A:  No.  Neither the Board nor the Harbor Towers management intend to cause you to relinquish control of your property.  The purpose of the three questions regarding the Amendment To Declaration Of Condominium relates to the way we deal with the future maintenance of the exterior elements of a building.  What the three questions propose will ensure that after our current issues are resolved, the HOA will be able to ensure that there are not unresolved exterior element maintenance issues in the future.  Voting in favor of the amendments will be following the advice of the HOA legal counsel and make our condominium documents reflect what is the norm for condominium documents and in the best interest of all the owners.

Q: How many contractors bid on the program?

A: Five contractors bid on the building envelope program. The building committee and board have thoroughly evaluated the bids.  We have narrowed the search down to three and will continue to look for best value for the community by locating additional cost savings in things like alternative window manufacturers, exempting hurricane patio doors already done by some owners, etc.

Q:  Is there a detailed scope of work that the contractors bid on?

A:  Yes, a detailed bid package was developed by a structural engineer which formed the basis of the bids. The contents of that big package can be viewed in the Harbor Towers office.

A:  A cost grid was shared in the February board of directors meeting and was e-mailed to each unit owner.  This cost grid is based on doing the full scope of the project as outlined in the bid package and represents the bid of one of the five contractors and therefore is subject to change. These cost grids are available for review by requesting a copy from the office.

Q:  Will there be financing options?

A: The Board is talking with financial institutions on financing options.  However, at this time, we have no firm answers regarding available financing.  Please be aware that any financing program will be between the bank and the unit owner, Harbor Towers is not in a position to offer financing.

Q:  Isn’t it true that only a few condos have water intrusion issues?

A: No, water intrusion has been detected in 22 of the 32 stacks at present. Some recur during even minor storms, costing unit owners thousands of dollars. The other 10 stacks possibly have issues that are behind the walls so not visible/apparent.30 individual units have water intrusion. This number is likely higher since we only recently started tracking this information.  Several units have mold issues requiring expensive remediation.

Q:  How much time will be needed to complete the project?

A: The estimates from the five contractors that bid on the project ranged from 18 to 24 months.    Individual unit disruption ranges from 8 to 12 weeks.

Q:  Can I stay in my unit during the project?

A: At this time, we believe that the unit can be occupied. However, while work is taking place on your unit, a 4-foot buffer zone must be created from all exterior walls. Part of the projected cost of the project includes Harbor Towers hiring a contractor to create this buffer by removing all window treatments, furniture, wall hangings, etc. for work to proceed..

Q:  Would the board consider multiple smaller projects over the upcoming years to address structural concerns as needed as opposed to a massive construction project that may or may not be necessary.

A: The cost of doing the project in stages would far exceed the price of doing it at one time.

Q:  Why hasn't the current board conducted their due diligence and performed preventive maintenance of applying water sealant on the building’s exterior over the last 10 years as was done by previous boards?

A:  The exterior of the building has received waterproofing as per the schedule provided by the waterproofing manufacturers.  The problem we are facing is not because water is penetrating the stucco, the problem in is the water intrusion through the seams between the building and the windows and sliders.  Previous boards and the current board have attempted to solve this issue by dealing with it as leaks are detected and these efforts have failed.  That is the reason the board hired a structural engineer to determine why even when owners install new windows they still experience water intrusion. The structural engineer discovered significant issues and the scope of work he developed is designed to resolve all these issues.

Q:  If the owners vote to move forward with this project, when will the work begin?

A:  The project will start approximately 20 weeks after the contract signing.  The delay is largely due to window lead times from the manufacturer.

Q:  Is the building at risk of collapsing like the building located near Miami?

A:  NO!  There is no immediate threat to safety.  The building is structurally sound.

However, the building exterior, including windows and doors, are at risk and creating water intrusion during a wind/rain event due to the original construction techniques which include: undersized studs, gaps between studs and windows/doors, and the use of metal lathe/stucco over gypsum board exterior which is now recognized as inferior at preventing water intrusion.

 Per our Engineer Stirling & Wilbur - In the event the building experiences a category one hurricane I expect catastrophic damages with widespread exterior wall failures and breaches of the building envelope, both structurally and from water intrusion.

Q: Can’t we just replace the windows to solve the problem?

A: That has been tried and failed.  Many of the newly installed windows are already leaking.  Some local window companies, frustrated by leaks, are no longer willing to install at Harbor Towers.  As indicated, the engineer’s study concluded that the framing around the window causes leaks as the stud gauge is too thin, and gaps exist between the windows and the studs due to the improper construction when the building was built. Recall, the original windows are one pane thick.  The hurricane window replacements are three panes thick, with two panes laminated together with an insulated space between the third pane for energy conservation.  So, the replacement units are three times heavier, requiring additional wall studs.  Those studs are installed from the exterior of the building, meaning the stucco has to be removed to access those areas.

Q:  Should we have confidence in the structural engineer’s opinion?

A: the second opinion was received by a second structural engineering firm, Karins Engineering.  After reviewing the project, they provided a written opinion that agreed with the scope of work that was prepared by Stirling & Wilbur.

Q:  Has the Board considered revisiting this issue when construction costs stabilize? 

A: Short-term fixes are costing Harbor Towers significant funds and are at best a band-aid, not a root cause fix. While some have assumed building costs are too high now, the latest estimates indicate that for this type of work, costs are up only 6 to 7%, not 40% as suggested by some owners.

Q:  Where is option #2?  Is it still being considered?

A:  The Building Committee will continue to work with the engineer and several of the contractors on determining the viability of a modified scope of work.  We will not sign a contract until we are sure we have a project that is at the lowest cost possible while still solving our water intrusion issues.

Q:  Is the vote that is coming up on March 28, just for board members or all the owners?

A:  The voting currently underway is for all owners.  Voting ends at 2:00 p.m.on March 28^th and will determine if the project moves forward.

Q:  Why is the HOA not covering some of the expense of this project and the owners subsidizing it?

A:  While the HOA has a building envelope reserve, it is only for waterproofing and painting. The windows and lanai never had a reserve because each owner, under the current condo documents is responsible for their windows and the lanai. The additional structural work that the engineer has identified as necessary is required to hold the new heavier windows in place, so it is part of the window replacement. The reserves for the window in theory should have been held individually by each owner. Some owners have already put in new windows, and they paid it out of their personal reserves. The repair for the water damage has been coming out of the current annual dues as a maintenance expense.

Q: If the vote to do the windows fails, then what?

A:  Doing nothing is not an option as the water intrusion problem is a significant issue.  If the vote fails, the Board will need to work with the engineer and contractors to determine other courses of action which may mean individual owners take responsibility.  It is felt that 210 owners coordinating individually is a non-winner.  Can you imagine water leaks from an upstairs neighbor coming into your unit, if that neighbor is slow to respond.