Mediation scheduled

Meeting set to settle costs, code violations in Wildwoods
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Press of Atlantic City
Published: Saturday, August 11, 2007

WILDWOOD — A voluntary session with a state mediator is scheduled Wednesday in the ongoing effort to finally fix and pay for repairs to hundreds of Wildwoods condominium units not built to code.

At a February hearing, Superior Court Judge Steven Perskie urged mediation to settle the case he named “JCOW versus most of the western hemisphere.”

Attorney Glenn P. Callahan, representing the former Joint Construction Office of the Wildwoods, or JCOW, said he is dealing with 101 buildings, which were found to have violations related to fire safety.

“We are in settlements. We are about halfway through,” Callahan said.

Callahan said that of the 101 properties, 51 are settled between at least two parties, meaning they are awaiting closing agreements.

The parties involved in the agreements can include the construction office, builders, architects and condominium associations.

Callahan said another 35 properties are in the midst of “active negotiations” and about 15 are in a holding pattern.

All parties were invited to attend the mediation session in Trenton, but the session is voluntary, and Callahan said he won't know how many will take part until Wednesday.

Of the 51 described as settled, some of the work has been done to fix the violations while work is scheduled to begin on others.

The violations were first spotted in a 2005 review by the state Department of Community Affairs, which found as many as 500 units were not built to code. The violations included missing firewalls, inadequate exits and other fire-related issues.

Perskie had said he would take away the certificates of occupancy for units unable to work out the problems, but in February he was satisfied that was not necessary as settlement talks progressed.

Callahan said about 65 percent of the 101 buildings have seen the work completed, but questions remain about who will ultimately pay for the repairs.

Attorney Henry Lewandowski, who represents 42 of the condominium associations involved, said Friday that a few have seen their matters resolved with the work done and paid for already.

The rest, however, remain in settlement talks.

Lewandowski said he is working with the construction office and any architects with insurance.

His clients, meanwhile, continue to wait for their cases to reach some conclusion.

“Anger is the most significant, most consistent emotion,” Lewandowski said. “They get angrier as the days go on.”


To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:TGilfillian@pressofac.com