Tag Archives: Landfill

MA: After 9 long years, Supreme Court victory for Lowell condo homeowners?

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities   Could owners of a 48-unit, 33-year-old condominium complex finally be compensated for the lost value of their homes, built on the site of former dump? There’s finally a ray of hope. In a unanimous ruling filed in January 2018, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court threw out a lower court jury verdict in favor of the City of Lowell. The reversal of the 2016 trial opens the door for owners Continue ReadingMA: After 9 long years, Supreme Court victory for Lowell condo homeowners?→

Fairway Oaks residents with sinking homes protest against HabiJax, city leaders

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities   I have been following reports on the plight of Fairway Oaks Homeowners Association in Jacksonville, Florida, since 2016. Fairways Oaks is an affordable housing community built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers in 2000. Less than a decade following construction, homeowners – each of them paying off a 25-year mortgage used to purchase their homes – noticed large cracks in their concrete slab foundations. From those cracks, insects and Continue ReadingFairway Oaks residents with sinking homes protest against HabiJax, city leaders→

Jacksonville Mayor, Council members visit Fairway Oaks HOA, site of sinking homes

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities As I explained in a previous blog HabiJax Fairway Oaks homes built on top of former landfill, in 2000, an affordable housing project was constructed upon land acquired for $1, by Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville (HabiJax), with partial funding provided thorough the Jacksonville Housing Authority. The homes are affordable, but not free. Each homeowner is obligated to pay a 25-year mortgage, which began in 2000 when the homes were Continue ReadingJacksonville Mayor, Council members visit Fairway Oaks HOA, site of sinking homes→

Grand Manor Condo owners lose lawsuit against City of Lowell

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By Deborah Goonan, Independent American Communities One of this week’s most outrageous reports comes from the state of Massachusetts. Back in 1983, the City of Lowell sold land on Willard Street to a developer.  That land was formerly a quarry pit, and then a dump for more than a decade, before it was closed in the 1950s. In 2008, hazardous chemicals were discovered on the property of Grand Manor Condominiums. The City began its clean Continue ReadingGrand Manor Condo owners lose lawsuit against City of Lowell→