November 19th, 2015 - The Department of Consumer Protection, working in coordination with the Attorney General's Office, continues to make progress in the ongoing inquiry into reported crumbling concrete foundations in Northeast Connecticut. Representatives from the agencies have visited work sites in five municipalities in Northeast Connecticut and spoken with over 100 people including contractors, homeowners, engineers, scientists, and other industry experts.

 

“We understand that families affected are potentially facing a substantial financial burden to repair their home, which for most of us is our biggest asset.  As a result, we’ve been moving forward aggressively on a number of fronts to gather all information which may enable us to determine the scope and cause of the problem,” explained Commissioner Jonathan A. Harris.

 

The focus of the Attorney General's efforts, at the request of Governor Malloy and in coordination with the Department of Consumer Protection, is to determine if grounds exist to initiate legal action under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, based on the manufacture, sale or installation of concrete foundations in Eastern Connecticut. That inquiry will evaluate the potential causes for crumbling foundations. It will also evaluate whether, based on the state of scientific knowledge and industry standards at the time foundations were installed, any party engaged in misleading or improper business practices and, if so, whether viable legal remedies exist to remedy any harms.

 

In furtherance of that investigation, the agencies have now entered into an agreement with a concrete expert from the University of Connecticut to conduct a scientific investigation into the cause of the reported crumbling foundations. That investigation is expected to yield preliminary conclusions in the Spring of 2016. It is anticipated that the expert will evaluate a sampling of testing results, as well as a variety of other information.

 

Finally, as part of the commitment to assisting homeowners, the Department of Consumer Protection has created guidance and resources that is available on its website. That information will continue to be updated as the investigation progresses. 

 

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Contact:
Lora Rae Anderson
8602478711
lorarae.anderson@ct.gov