Tenants expecting to move into Quincy’s newest apartment tower, Nova Residences, received bad news by email on the last Tuesday in August. The project developer, LBC Boston, informed residents that their new homes would not be ready for move-in by September 1st, the date when the project was originally scheduled to be completed. Instead, all apartments were expected to be ready by late September.
With 130 leases already signed, at least 80 of those tenants had already made arrangements to move-in, with some even having already cancelled other leases. Now, they find themselves unexpectedly homeless. The developer has offered to put the displaced residents in hotel rooms, as well as reimburse any storage fees incurred for belongings until the units are ready.
Nova Residences is the first residential construction in Quincy which utilizes modular construction, meaning much of the building is built off-site. It was for this reason that a quick completion was expected. However, unexpected electrical issues caused construction to fall behind schedule. In all, the tower contains 171 apartments with rents starting at $1,600.
To be left unexpectedly and suddenly homeless is a terrifying situation. Residents who suffer financial losses, as well as mental distress due to this breach of contract could greatly benefit by speaking with a residential real estate attorney. There may be other underlying issues that caused this delay which a developer is not completely forthcoming of. An attorney can assist in getting to the root of the issue, and determining what recourse a displaced tenant may have.
