Palatine resident, condo association at odds over fallen ceiling

Jadwiga Kaliniak's condo complex is an average suburban development in Palatine. A little more than a month ago, though, her third floor unit became a veritable jungle of Sheetrock and pink insulation.

A little more than a month ago, Kaliniak found a crack in her ceiling by the fireplace in her unit at Runaway Bay in the 4000 block of Bayside Drive. She called her condo association, and Roger Summers, of ABC Property Managers, told her that she needed to get a contractor to fix the crack.

Kaliniak, who lives alone and for whom English is a second language, returned from work a few days later and opened her door to find that her entire living room was full of insulation, and that the ceiling above the room had come crashing down, forcing her to move to a hotel for weeks.

Summers insists the damage is not the responsibility of the condo association. He says that the inside of a condo unit is not a "common element," like the lawn or the roof.

Kaliniak, though, thinks that her ceiling collapsed due to leaks in the roof of the building. The water, she said, soaked the insulation and the drywall, and the weight eventually caused the ceiling to collapse.

Summers said Kaliniak's pictures of water marks above the ceiling do not prove that water from a leaky roof played any role in the event.

"When that ceiling fell, to have had water cause that to fall, there'd be water all over the place," he said. "The insulation was dry, the drywall was all dry."

He noted that the water marks could have been from years ago, when the building was first constructed. He also said that the age of the building and the way it was constructed led to Kaliniak's situation.

"They didn't require the drywall and the ceiling to be screwed in; they used nails," he said. "Over time, gravity took over and the ceiling came down."

Summers said that ABC's lawyers have determined that the condo association is not at fault and is not financially responsible for repairing the damage.

Kaliniak's insurance company told her that it would pay her $1,200, but that's only enough to cover some of the damage.

At this point, her only option would be to sue, but her lawyer, Jorey Ives, said that her attorney's fees would likely approach the amount needed for repairs and that it would be tough for her to win.

"If she can't get someone, an 'expert,' to prove it was the water, I don't really think she's going to get anywhere," he said.

Kaliniak had a specialist examine the condo. Bernie Stein, of AmeriSpec, said in a report that the damage might be due to water but that he could not be sure as the drywall and insulation had already been cleared away.

Kaliniak, who was staying in a hotel until last week, said she just wants help fixing her condo.

"I not will sue, I not will do anything," she said. "I don't need any money from them. Just repair roof."