Condo lawsuit alleges balconies pose 'serious safety risk'
Balconies at Winnipeg condo complex are 'deflecting downward,' owners say
Owners of units in a four-year-old condominium complex near St. Anne's Road and Warde Avenue in Winnipeg have launched a lawsuit alleging multiple defects in their building, some of which they say pose safety risks.
Winnipeg condominium corporation number 807 names multiple parties in the lawsuit, including developer Odyssey Holdings Inc., engineering firm Hanuschak Consultants and architect Otto Cheng.
None of the condo owners' allegations have been proven in court.
Many of the alleged problems affect the balconies, which owners say are "deflecting downward at the outside corners."
The lawsuit blames a number of structural issues for the sloping outdoor spaces, including a lack of piles to support the balconies, improper load transfers, deformed gusset plates and trusses that were not designed or manufactured for appropriate dead load specifications.
Guardrails along the balconies are bending as a result, and some owners are unable to open their balcony doors, the lawsuit says.
The condo owners say the deficiencies pose a "real and substantial danger to persons and/or to property."
The lawsuit further states the exterior veneer on the columns has come loose and fallen, creating a "serious safety risk."
The condo owners add there is a general "lack of fire separation" in the condominium complex, which was built in 2012.
CBC contacted parties named in the lawsuit and will update the story should they wish to comment.